CUAir is an interdisciplinary student-run project team that designs, builds, and tests a fully autonomous search-and-rescue aircraft. We compete in the AUVSI SUAS competition each summer, and currently have the top-ranked fixed-wing aircraft in the United States.
I'm on the Structures & Payloads subteam, which designs and manufactures the mechatronic components of the aircraft system. Recent subteam projects include the camera gimbal, landing gear, motor mounts, Unmanned Ground Vehicle, and the aircraft's internal structures.
I designed, analysed, redesigned, tested, and manufactured the motor mounts that would connect the vertical motors to the booms of the plane, taking into account loads experienced during take-off and landing, thermal concerns due to hot motors, and weight reduction.
Final manufactured mounts, demonstrating the connection of the motors to the boom
Final CAD design
ANSYS stress analysis
An early weight-reduction design