Anti-Tangle Winch for Drone Fleet

Overview

Sentien, a drone fleet company, faced issues with their winch system due to bird nesting and tangling. These problems caused delays in operations and decreased the reliability of their drones. They needed a low-cost solution that was durable against the force applied from loading and solved these issues.

I took on the challenge of developing and manufacturing an anti-tangle winch for Sentien's drone fleet using SolidWorks, 3D printed prototypes, and FEA to improve function and reliability.

Solution

I began by analyzing the current winch system used by Sentien's drones. We identified bird nesting as the primary issue causing tangling. To solve this problem, I designed a new winch system that increased uniform winding distribution using a reciprocating screw mechanism.

After several rounds of testing and modifications, I was able to develop an anti-tangle winch that increased reliability by over 2x compared to the previous system. Our solution was also lightweight, durable against loading force, and cost-effective for Sentien's needs.

Previous Winch Problem

Concept Generation

Initial Prototypes

Impact

• Increased reliability compared to previous system

• Reduced delays in operations due to tangling issues