AID-BOT: Homemade Autonomous UAV for Air-Dropping Medicines in Remote Areas

AID-BOT was an ambitious project aimed at creating an affordable, autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of delivering medical supplies to remote or hard-to-reach areas. The project's primary goal was to design a solution that could help address healthcare accessibility challenges in rural regions with limited infrastructure.

Project Motivation

Many remote communities face significant challenges in accessing timely medical care and supplies. Traditional delivery methods can be impeded by:

• Poor road infrastructure
• Challenging terrain (mountains, forests, rivers)
• Seasonal weather conditions that limit ground transportation
• The need for rapid delivery of time-sensitive medications

AID-BOT was designed as a cost-effective solution to these challenges, leveraging readily available components and repurposed materials to create a functioning medical delivery drone.

Technical Implementation

The UAV was built as a fixed-wing aircraft, which offers several advantages over multi-rotor designs for long-distance applications:

• Superior range and endurance
• Better energy efficiency
• Higher speed for covering larger distances
• More stability in windy conditions

Flight Control System

At the heart of AID-BOT was an Arduino Nano functioning as the primary flight controller. This microcontroller managed:

• Flight stabilization and control surface management
• Navigation using GPS coordinates
• Payload release mechanism timing
• Data logging for flight analysis

Communication System

I built both the transmitter and receiver units using additional Arduino microcontrollers, which handled:

• Remote control commands for manual flight phases
• Telemetry data transmission back to the ground station
• Fail-safe protocols for emergencies
• Command verification for critical operations like payload release

Airframe Design

The fixed-wing craft was constructed primarily from repurposed and upcycled materials to keep costs low while maintaining structural integrity:

• Foam board for the main wing and fuselage structure
• Carbon fiber rods for reinforcement of high-stress areas
• 3D printed components for specialized parts like control horns and payload bay
• Repurposed electronic components from older devices

Payload Capacity

The aircraft was designed to carry and accurately drop a payload of approximately 400 grams, which is sufficient for:

• Basic medication packages and first aid supplies
• Small vials of temperature-sensitive vaccines
• Emergency medical tools and diagnostic equipment
• Blood samples or test kits

Testing and Results

The AID-BOT underwent multiple iterations and testing phases:

• Initial testing focused on flight stability and control
• Secondary tests evaluated payload carrying capacity and flight endurance
• Final testing included autonomous navigation and precision payload drops

The project successfully demonstrated the feasibility of using low-cost components to build a functional medical delivery drone. While not as sophisticated as commercial solutions, AID-BOT proved that DIY approaches could deliver practical results for humanitarian applications.