Aalborg University’s Drone Research Lab based in Denmark has tested a catapult contraption with a Drone rotor and propeller against pig flesh. The results seem to be as you would expect even before you attempt the experiment. A given hypothesis is that a high speed propeller can cause some damage to skin or flesh as any sharp object would.
It is interesting as an experiment but there seems to be a lot of negative press about this from several news and tabloid sources. Drones get a bad rap and continue to be a favorite of regulation advocates for privacy and security. There will be more experiments made with larger and diverse drones as time progresses.
This does have some quantifiable value for science in the way that drone manufacturers could find a way to fabricate propellers that bend on impact or un-harm flesh by using different materials or stopping mechanisms like those of table saws when encountering flesh like this video shows in slow motion when encountering fingers.
Details on the experiment:
“The actual catapult is nearly three meters long and built of aluminum. The slide is pulled by an electric motor. It can accelerate a 1-kilogram drone up to 15 meters per second and the collision is filmed with a high-speed camera with over 3000 frames per second. The force of impact is measured over time as this is important for the extent of the injury. Once the researchers get more experienced, the plan is to upgrade the catapult for larger drones and higher speeds.”
DroneImpact – T0005 – 3200 fps to 25 fps (Pork, carbon propeller, 9 m/s) by Aalborg University:
To see more details on the experiment and the full explanation, head on over to the Aalborg University Lab Website here!!!
Normal speed video for comparison by Aalborg University :
Some places that have picked up the story:
Why would we need a test for this, Enrique Iglesias already did for us in a live concert, and because of him, rules regarding drones in my country got very strict too…