Autono1, our first prototype of a heavy lift class hexacopter drone, has been one of AutonoSky’s most audacious and exciting projects to date. The notion of design was centered around the market need for drones that are able to fly longer distances, withstand greater wind tolerances and carry more weight than available alternatives.

Countless hours of research went into the core design and development of Autono1, from sourcing materials light and rigid enough for a utility drone, to in-house 3D printed moulds used to fabricate the custom carbon fiber components.

Our engineering team approached the Autono1 project with an iterative design process, a revolving design process that improves on each iteration based on the data obtained from the previous testing. Needless to say, the project has had its ups and downs, from failed stress analysis results to tackling the art of fused composite fabrication of our carbon fiber parts.

The electric motors we chose for the propulsion system and CNC aluminium brackets used for the folding arm mechanisms were not locally available and had to be sourced and imported, a rather frustrating and timely process for a rapid prototyping team. Although, in the end, nothing could compare to the excitement and enthusiasm the team had when Autono1 took to the skies on her maiden flight.

We’ve learnt, as a tight-knit team, that nothing is unachievable if you work together towards a central goal, from hardware to software, we’ve done more than we thought possible in our journey to put Autono1 up in the air and couldn't be more excited for what's to come with future drone prototypes.