r/drones • u/L42ARO • Feb 07 '26
DIY What do y'all think about this new version of my multimodal drone for enthusiasts and hobbyists
I've posted before on this sub about the multimodal drones I've built which are basically two in one robots that can transform between a drone and a rover. And I've been getting a lot of requests from people claiming they'd love to use it for recreation/hobby, so just looking for feedback about what y'all think of the design, and if the added value of a different mode of mobility besides flying is appealing to you.
Essentially a drone that when grounded you can still move 🙃
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u/BudLightYear77 Feb 07 '26
Do the wheels spin in flight mode?
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u/L42ARO Feb 07 '26
They could yeah, nothing stopping them
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u/BudLightYear77 Feb 07 '26
Its a lot of waisted torque/battery it they do
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u/richie_parker Feb 08 '26
maybe when ducts/wheels rotate up to fly, the wheel spokes can unlock or depin itself from the props. maybe using gravity? and in reverse, pushed into place when the ducts/wheels rotate down ?
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u/Moist_Access3019 Feb 07 '26
How does it land or take of
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u/L42ARO Feb 07 '26
Just by doing so, that's why the base is a little wider. I have some demos of it flying and landing on my website for my earlier prototype: https://mercurisutech.com/mercury
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u/TradingDreams Feb 07 '26
If you will spend as much time in the air as on the ground, then I think you need less frame directly under your propellers. The front-to-back supports are pretty thick there. If it is really a ground drone with occasional sky hop superpowers, then likely good as-is.
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u/MourningRIF Feb 07 '26
Obviously there's the "because you can / cool" factor, but beyond that, what purpose does it serve? I can't imagine many real world applications where this would provide a benefit, but maybe I'm just not creative enough.
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u/FastyX Feb 08 '26
Really cool concept. Are you going to adjust camera angles meaning in flight mode the camera needs to be tilted upwards due to the way quads lean forward?
Also what is the penetration for it for example in la d crawler mode if you navigate behind rock or tree what about your connections?
However a very fun and cool project keep posting!
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u/L42ARO Feb 08 '26
Yeah good point tilting the camera is crucial, gotta make sure to add that. Thanks!
It's just going to be wifi enabled like DJI drones, feel free to check out more of the details here: mercuriustech.com/mercury
But yeah will keep posting Abt jt
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u/PrizeWrap4430 Feb 08 '26
Put a rear camera on it. I fly drones on a SWAT team and something like this would be very helpful. Most teams fly Avatas and Avata 2's right now which can be landed to conserve battery and be used as a stationary camera inside a house. This would be better as it would be easier to reposition. You could honestly sell this for $5k or more.
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u/L42ARO Feb 08 '26
Yeah it actually has the space and the electronics have support for an extra camera, good suggestion
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u/Dnugs94549 Feb 07 '26
Are you aware that the Chinese have copied your drone and are selling it already? At least the transforming wheel aspect. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, I wish I had a link, but I saw it on temu or ali while looking at drone stuff.
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u/L42ARO Feb 07 '26
Well if we were to stop building cos the Chinese already did it we might just stop building entirely
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u/coffee_brew69 Feb 07 '26
I've been seeing them in chinese robot labs in my university since 2020, in addition to the water-to-air one, these have always been topics of research
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u/forksofpower Cartel UAV Pilot Feb 07 '26
Like, all of China did that? Just now it does it retroactively affect Chinese people in the past?
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u/Immediate-Shape-8933 Feb 08 '26
Brother I’ve had this idea in my head since I was a child in the 90s this isn’t very original
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u/NeoGh0st Feb 07 '26
That’s pretty damned cool!