Case Studies
In-house Ducted Drone Flight Testing
A ducted quadcopter with fully shrouded propellers, developed for inspection work indoors and around people.
What we looked at first
Off-the-shelf airframes exist. We built our own for one reason: indoor work near people requires fully shrouded rotors, and the models that meet that requirement all fell just short on payload or endurance.
If an off-the-shelf model had been good enough, we would have said buy it. Building your own costs more than parts — every repair afterwards is also yours. Whether that trade is worth it depends on how unusual the operating environment is.
Why ducted
The propellers on this airframe are fully enclosed in circular ducts. That is not a styling choice; it is a requirement for indoor inspection.
In a confined space, an exposed propeller that touches a wall or a rack breaks and the aircraft goes down — and if it touches a person, it injures them. The ducts remove both risks at once. The cost is added weight and reduced efficiency, which is what flying next to people is worth.
The airframe
- Carbon fibre frame Electronics left accessible for maintenance and modification
- 3D-printed parts Landing gear, camera mast base and battery mount are all designed and printed in house
- Camera mast A post raises the camera above the propeller plane, giving a forward-and-up view unobstructed by the ducts
Three test environments
Development spans September 2025 to May 2026, more than eight months. Each site poses a different problem.
Indoor studio Carpet tiles, safety netting on the walls. No GPS, confined space, walls and objects all around. The hardest of the three, and where stationary hover and attitude stability are proven.
Factory aisle Concrete floor, machines, pallet trucks and racking on both sides. Still no GPS, plus everything real inspection work brings: irregular obstacles, changing aisle width, people moving through.
Outdoor asphalt ground GPS available and wind present. A different set of problems: holding position and staying stable through gusts.
More detail
Wheelbase, endurance, payload, flight controller platform and the current development stage are available on request.