Automatic Parachute Deployment Test For Motor Failure
| Published: Oct 07, 2015
The guys at Skycat tested parachute auto-deployment by simulating a motor failure.
You can't ask for a better world test than this. Everything is on the line: Either it works or the copter is destroyed.
Our friends at Skycat programmed the Pixhawk to automatically deploy a Fruity Chutes parachute from a Skycat launcher. To test it, they created a deployment scenario. Using a relay, they forced the multicopter to have a motor failure.
Testing Methodology
Henri and his teammates set up a quadcopter with Pixhawk using 3.3 firmware. They used two triggers: one for the Pixhawk manual and automatic ejection and another connected directly to the RC receiver to serve as a backup.
They performed two types of recovery scenarios: manual ejection and automatic ejection. The manual ejection test was uneventful and successful. The automatic ejection test was much more exciting while also triumphant.
Using the relay, the crew remotely halted one of the four motors. This caused the aircraft to tilt and enter a downward spiral. After falling about 10 meters, the Pixhawk ejected the parachute. The test was repeated three times with similar results. A video with more details of the process is available on YouTube.
Reviewing Their Results
Henri described their findings, noting the importance of using automatic ejection:
“It was only four tests we made but based on results I would activate automatic ejection for casual flights. As the video shows, everything happens very quickly. If the pilot freezes at a critical moment, then automatic ejection is at its best... In all cases I would recommend using two ejection sources: one for autopilot and one for manual. If autopilot freezes, you still can take the copter down using a pilot radio.”