Medhansh Trivedi, a Class 12 student from Gwalior, has built his own passenger drone called the MTLD-01. This drone, weighing just 32 kg, can carry a person up to 90 kg and fly at 80 km/h, and reach a height of 4 kilometers. What’s really cool about this project is that he used motors from agricultural drones and paired it with big 50-inch propellers to build his passenger drone.
From a technical point of view, this project works well considering it’s the first build. The drone's lightweight frame helps it stay stable while carrying a human, and the propulsion system does a good job of getting it off the ground. But there’s one thing that stands out which is safety. Those large spinning propellers are a real risk, and without propeller guards, it’s pretty dangerous for anyone inside. It’s a bit of a wild ride with that much power and close proximity to the blades.
Key technical aspects of the drone include:
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Propulsion System: The drone utilizes Motors from Agriculture Drone with a set of high-speed propellers with a diameter of 50 inches, optimized for efficient thrust and stability.
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Frame Design: The lightweight frame minimizes overall weight while maintaining structural integrity to support dynamic stresses during flight.
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Safety Challenges: The proximity of the rapidly spinning propellers to the passenger highlights a need for additional safety mechanisms, such as protective guards or emergency cut-off systems.
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Control System: Although details of the flight control system are not yet disclosed, it likely involves a combination of gyroscopes, accelerometers, and microcontrollers for precise navigation.
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Power: The drone likely uses Lithium Battery packs placed under the driver seats as seen in some images. The power delivery and battery protection features remain unknown.
As an engineer, it’s great to see a young person dive into such a complex project. It shows the potential of what’s possible when you take risks and think outside the box. But while the MTLD-01 is impressive, there’s still a lot to consider for it to be practical. Safety upgrades, like propeller guards and fail-safe systems, would be a must. For now, it’s a cool prototype, but there’s plenty of room to make it safer and more reliable for future use.
