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Remote Drone Garage - Aerial Mapping Pipelines and Utility Rightaways

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SkyX drone recharging station with its roof doors open in a field under a blue sky

An Inside Glimpse Into the Development of SkyX's Drone Recharging Station

Exploring different garage concepts

Product Design Requirements

SkyX came to Design 1st needing help redesigning their remote-controlled drone recharging station. The current design cost was 2.5x the target cost and was challenging to manufacture, assemble, and transport.

  • Re-design existing drone station to decrease production and transportation costs
  • Maintain the actuated roof to allow safe landing of the (UAV) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
  • Meet aggressive timeline of 7-month delivery of a working pre-production prototype
Design and Test of Dual-Axis Gantry System

Design and Engineering Challenges

To meet SkyX’s requirements, the Design 1st team chose a custom shipping container and began work on the internal design, component selection, and testing.

  • Design a dual-axis Gantry that could safely raise and lower to land, secure, transport and charge the UAV
  • Build and test a customized off the shelf hydraulic roof opening system, lift and rotation system, and programmable logic controller (PLC)
  • Conducted round-the-clock rapid tests during fall and winter months to ensure doors were leak-proof and inside temperatures were acceptable during the harsh freeze thaw and -30C winter weather conditions
SkyX UAV Aerial System Product Specs

SkyX Product Results

SkyX accepted delivery of the fully functional prototype right at their 7-month timeline and put into field use for testing. The results were a success, and SkyX began a low-volume manufacturing run to expand operations.

  • Design 1st designed, fabricated and tested over 150 custom mechanical parts, over 350 electronics components and sensors
  • SkyX raised $13.5M Series B funding following launch of their UAV recharging drone station
  • SkyX is accelerating global expansion of their autonomous drone system for the Oil and Gas industry
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Play video: Design 1st helped us deliver an exceptional product to market

Design 1st helped us deliver an exceptional product to market

“We didn’t look at this shipping container project as ‘one and done.’ We wanted a product that could be replicated for scale and the Design 1st team has enabled us to do just. Their team’s forward-thinking approach complemented ours and this partnership resulted in a customized container that protects, charges and transports our aerial vehicles virtually anywhere around the world.”

Didi Horn Founder & CEO, SkyX

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