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$96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

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Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#121

The engineering is genuinely impressive for $96, but naming the repo "MANPADS-System-Launcher-and-Rocket" on GitHub is going to attract exactly the kind of attention you don't want. ITAR implications aside, the interesting part is the mid-flight trajectory recalculation on a $5 sensor. That's the same basic problem military guidance systems solve with hardware that costs thousands. The gap between consumer electronic…

More than the electronics, I would be curious about the performance of 3d-printed plastic parts on a rocket. Are they strong enough?

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#122
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And that’s ok if it’s failing to do the job as intended, learning is acquired, and it looks fun to build, I am in the field and I find it great homemade concept. Realistically, I doubt there’s ANY system out there will be able to counter small weaponized drones that are flown manually let alone with AI, you might have some workarounds, but never a real counter.

> Realistically, I doubt there’s ANY system out there will be able to counter small weaponized drones that are flown manually let alone with AI What kind of systems are you thinking about? Jet airplanes for sure are completely safe from small drones.

"Jet airplanes for sure are completely safe from small drones."

That feels like a bold and unsupported assertion. Ask a pilot how they'd feel about takeoffs or landings through airspace filled with adversarial drones.

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#123
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What you are likely thinking of is the "selective availability" system, which intentionally provided slightly inaccurate data to civilian clients, while military receivers could decrypt the most accurate info. But this has not been used for many years now. Other than that, GPS is a one-way system, it does not know you exist, how fast your receiver is moving or "give" different information to one client vs another. Ev…

No, he's thinking of the "CoCom limits". It's built into the receiver.

There's a lot of room within those 18km/59000ft and 1000kts/1200mph limits.

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Consumer GPS chips are specifically nerfed for using them in rockets; they give erroneous readings on purpose if altitude is above a certain height and/or if speeds exceed a certain speed. That’s likely why the mid-course correction software uses other methods.

Chinese GPS chips dont have those restrictions. I even have 1 that can remove up to 8 active jamming signals. Gotta love what you can buy for $20

It would be interesting to see if those are only for external sale vs restricted for sale within China.

If China allows those unrestricted chips to be sold internationally but not domestically it would be a strategic long-term decision, I would think. Destabilize the neighbors but not themselves.

The more likely reason is that their government has simply not gotten around to restricting it.

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#126
post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Realistically, I doubt there’s ANY system out there will be able to counter small weaponized drones that are flown manually " Why would lasers not work? Those cheap drones are made from plastic, if you have a laser powerful enough and a target guidance system (like a camera and a PI) - then you would just need enough of them.

Lasers won’t effectively work, it’s a two part equation, detection and targeting. To neutralize a target using a ground-based laser, you need an enormous power, and still it won’t penetrate a high distance/altitude in the sky, environment factors also to be considered. The detection part is even harder, these small 8in drones are almost impossible to detect unless you can hear it, aka it’s over, because they can fly…

The small weaponized drones do not fly 250 km/h.

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#127
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And that’s ok if it’s failing to do the job as intended, learning is acquired, and it looks fun to build, I am in the field and I find it great homemade concept. Realistically, I doubt there’s ANY system out there will be able to counter small weaponized drones that are flown manually let alone with AI, you might have some workarounds, but never a real counter.

> Realistically, I doubt there’s ANY system out there will be able to counter small weaponized drones that are flown manually let alone with AI, you might have some workarounds, but never a real counter. Weaponized drones (say D_A) can be countered by other weaponized drones (say D_B), equally cheap or cheaper than D_A because the D_A is usually targeting something larger (so more payload) and typically has a longer…

> equally cheap or cheaper

I doubt it, as D_A's target is stationary (and could be reduced to GPS coords) while D_B's target is moving.

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#128
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And that’s ok if it’s failing to do the job as intended, learning is acquired, and it looks fun to build, I am in the field and I find it great homemade concept. Realistically, I doubt there’s ANY system out there will be able to counter small weaponized drones that are flown manually let alone with AI, you might have some workarounds, but never a real counter.

> Realistically, I doubt there’s ANY system out there will be able to counter small weaponized drones that are flown manually let alone with AI What kind of systems are you thinking about? Jet airplanes for sure are completely safe from small drones.

maybe in the air, but I seem to recall the Ukrainians being successful at attacking Russian planes on the ground.

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#129
post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Realistically, I doubt there’s ANY system out there will be able to counter small weaponized drones that are flown manually " Why would lasers not work? Those cheap drones are made from plastic, if you have a laser powerful enough and a target guidance system (like a camera and a PI) - then you would just need enough of them.

Lasers won’t effectively work, it’s a two part equation, detection and targeting. To neutralize a target using a ground-based laser, you need an enormous power, and still it won’t penetrate a high distance/altitude in the sky, environment factors also to be considered. The detection part is even harder, these small 8in drones are almost impossible to detect unless you can hear it, aka it’s over, because they can fly…

Unless you mean it just can't detect objects that small, my guess is we'll see things calibrate toward a lot more birds being cooked in active war zones vs drones with explosives being let through.

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#130
post #25

God, I feel like I am going to be on a list after clicking that link. The future is scary

> God, I feel like I am going to be on a list after clicking that link.

It's a poor life that doesn't put you on a few such lists!

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