Skip to main content

Singapore's first personal flying machine makes maiden flight

Snowstorm
A team of engineering students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has built the country’s first flying machine. Called Snowstorm, the electric-powered aircraft is capable of flying a single person for five minutes at a time. The personal flying machine looks like something out of the laboratory of a extreme DIYer who had an extra office chair and some drone parts kicking around. Despite its unusual appearance, the machine took a year in the making with the eight students collaborating on the project for two semesters. The students were from different areas of engineering — mechanical, electrical and computer — with each one bringing their own expertise to the project.

The flying machine is built using a hexagonal frame composed of anodized aluminum poles, carbon fiber plates, and Kevlar rope. In the center of the frame is chair for a single operator, who can control the thrust, pitch, roll, and yaw of the machine using a customized flight control system. Underneath the pilot are six landing gear legs that are attached to the frame using a 3D-printed mount. Each landing leg has an inflatable ball at the end that acts as a shock absorber to make each landing as soft as a feather.

The vehicle has 24 motors with propellers that combine to provide enough thrust for vertical takeoff and landing. Once in the air, the machine can travel around a room with ease. The system is powered by rechargeable lithium batteries that together provide a total power output of 52.8kW. The batteries operate independently allowing the craft to continue to fly even when a battery fails unexpectedly. Besides controls for flying, the machine also includes a stabilization system for a smooth flight, a variety of preprogrammed flight modes such as hover to help users fly the craft and a pilot safety system that will help land the vehicle if the pilot loses control.

Now that the basic framework of the vehicle has been developed, the team plans to refine the Snowstorm and make it public flight worthy by adding new flight safety measures, improving the propeller and motor setup and tweaking the flight control software. If all goes smoothly, the students hope to release the Snowstorm to the general public as a vehicle that will, according to NUS faculty supervisor Dr. Joerg Weigl, “fulfill our dreams of flying within a recreational setting.”

Editors' Recommendations

Kelly Hodgkins
Kelly's been writing online for ten years, working at Gizmodo, TUAW, and BGR among others. Living near the White Mountains of…
Singapore Airlines passengers unsettled by cameras in seat-back displays
worlds longest flight takes almost a day and flies to new york singapore airlines

If you're the kind of person that covers the camera on your computer with tape (just like Mark Zuckerberg does), then you probably wouldn't be too happy if you found a camera on an aircraft's in-flight entertainment display just as you were settling into your seat.

Singapore Airlines has been fielding complaints in recent days after a number of passengers expressed concern over a camera embedded in seat-back displays on some of its aircraft. But the airline insists the cameras aren't connected.

Read more
Boeing enters the autonomous flying taxi race with first successful test flight
boeing flying taxi first test flight av

There are plenty of startups trying to launch their own flying taxi projects, but now that the concept has been proven, the big boys and girls are getting ready to make their move. One of them, multinational aerospace giant Boeing, has just completed the first test flight for its very own vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) electric air taxi. The test “flight” took place this week at an airport just outside the nation's capital. No one was aboard for the test, which lasted less than a minute and involved the air taxi hovering at an unspecified height over the runway.

Long term, the plan is for Boeing's vehicles to be able to transport passengers a maximum of 50 miles at a time. Clearly, there’s a ways to go before we reach that point and can catch a Boeing flying taxi to the office. Nonetheless, this demonstration is certainly a step -- or, at least, a stationary hover -- in the right direction.

Read more
The best portable power stations
EcoFlow DELTA 2 on table at campsite for quick charging.

Affordable and efficient portable power is a necessity these days, keeping our electronic devices operational while on the go. But there are literally dozens of options to choose from, making it abundantly difficult to decide which mobile charging solution is best for you. We've sorted through countless portable power options and came up with six of the best portable power stations to keep your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets functioning while living off the grid.
The best overall: Jackery Explorer 1000

Jackery has been a mainstay in the portable power market for several years, and today, the company continues to set the standard. With three AC outlets, two USB-A, and two USB-C plugs, you'll have plenty of options for keeping your gadgets charged.

Read more