The Brave1 technocluster tested unique mounts for reconnaissance and FPV drones created by Ukrainian students as part of the Brave Students «Drone with Legs» challenge. Mechanical attachments allow drones to lurk on tree branches or poles, save battery power, and hit targets at the most opportune moment.
The Brave1 technocluster tested unique mounts for reconnaissance and FPV drones created by Ukrainian students as part of the Brave Students «Drone with Legs» challenge. Mechanical attachments allow drones to lurk on tree branches or poles, save battery power, and hit targets at the most opportune moment.
According to the publication «Oboronka», 5 developments were tested in the final, selected from among the projects of 33 teams from 19 educational institutions. For two months, the finalists created prototypes with the support of Ukrainian defense tech companies.
The iKOZAKY team from Donetsk National Technical University has developed a hook mount for horizontal branches. The design is printed on a 3D printer in 5 hours and can withstand drones weighing up to 20 kg. In the final version 3.5, the hook became modular and is fired at the operator’s command during takeoff. Student Kirill sees prospects in combining the development with artificial intelligence, which will automatically launch the drone-waiter after detecting a target.
The Easy Grip project from Zhytomyr Polytechnic University performs a dual role: at launch , the modules serve as support legs, and on a tree, they clamp a branch on both sides. The mount weighs 600 grams, is printed from different types of plastic, and is fixed with elastic TPU straps. According to the developer Daniil, a 10-inch drone with this module is capable of carrying up to 1.5 kg of combat load. Both first teams were advised by an anonymous domestic manufacturer.
Students of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute presented the «Deer Antlers» system — mechanical claws mounted on top of a drone. Since landing on a branch reduces altitude and worsens radio communication, the system was developed for heavy 13-inch fiber-optic drones. The claws are tightened with rubber bands, and during takeoff, electronic locks release the drone, leaving the «antlers» on the branch. The project was supported by the developer «General Chereshnya».
Another KPI team developed the Squidrone module for vertical surfaces (tree trunks or poles), relevant for burned frontline forests without a crown. The mechanism is based on a logarithmic spiral that imitates octopus tentacles. The cable, which is tightened with a ratchet, allows you to reliably grasp a trunk with a diameter of up to 15 cm. During takeoff, the mount remains on the tree. The students were assisted by the companies ZORITEK and Defender Dynamics.
The Spicy Chicken Legs team from KPI did not participate in the final flights due to an accident the day before, but proposed an important concept of mounts for reconnaissance UAVs like the Mavic. The co-author of the development, Bohdan, explains: a combat FPV with a heavy battery and ammunition on such a mount becomes unstable due to the shift in the center of gravity. Therefore, the technology is best suited for light reconnaissance aircraft.
