This is the instructional process of designing and building a protective casing for drones.

Step 1: Materials

1. SharkBite pex piping

2. PVC pipe connectors (4 T connectors, 1 straight connector) ensure it is the appropriate size.

3. Duct Tape

4. Zip Ties

5. 1 3/4" Hose Clamps

6. Foam blocks

Step 2: Center Circle

The center circle is a 27" diameter circle with 4 T connectors spaced evenly throughout. The PEX piping must be cut into 4 21" pieces so that the four T connectors can be placed in between them. The T connectors should be positioned so that the middle extrusion is facing inward of the ring.

Step 3: Middle Ring

The middle arc will be a 27" diameter ring made of the pex piping. The piping will be joined at the free ends by a single straight fit connector.

Step 4: Outer Ring

The outer ring will be made slightly larger with a 28" diameter so that it may slide around the outside of the middle ring. This ring will also be made of pex piping, connected by a single straight fit connector.

Step 5: Ring Assembly

The initial step in assembling the three rings is placing the middle ring around the center ring. The ring will line up with the T connectors on each side, with the center ring sitting approximately 2/3 of the way down the middle ring. This is so that the drone sits in a manor that makes the cage bottom heavy, and allows the system to roll over if it is to land on its top. Once the center ring is in place, the two rings should be cross taped using the duct tapes at each joint. The taping keeps the rings from sliding out of place. 2 zip ties are then to be placed on each joint, one crossed at each direction. The zip ties serve to hold the casing together on impact.

The next step is to attach the outer ring. The outer ring will fit on the center ring perpendicular to the middle ring. This ring is slightly larger than the middle and will sit on the outside of the middle ring. This ring should be attached to the center ring in the same way as the middle ring. Once both middle and outer rings are attached to the center ring, the two rings must be attached two each other at the top and bottom of the assembly. As done on the center ring, the joints should be cross taped with zip ties over the taping.

Step 6: Drone Connectors

4 pieces of 9" pex pipe will be cut to go on the center ring T's. These pieces serve as the arms for the quad copter to rest on. There will be 2" at the end of the arms that have the top half of the pipe cut off. This portion allows for a foam resting block to sit as a tie down point for the drone arm. There will be a hose clamp positioned behind the resting block that will attach around the quad copter arm so that it can be adjusted to fit the drone being used.

Step 7: Conclusion

After fitting the drone connectors to the protective casing, simply place the drone inside the casing on the connectors, strap the drone in and begin flying.