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Quad X: Package delivery UAV

The rapid growth of e‑commerce has placed unprecedented demands on the delivery logistics industry; every day the United States Postal Service delivers 23.5 million packages per day, and 86 % of Amazon orders weigh less than five pounds. To address this market segment, we present the design and preliminary evaluation of a cost‑effective, semi‑autonomous vertical‑takeoff‑and‑landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of delivering a five‑pound payload anywhere within a five‑mile radius. The airframe, constructed primarily from 3D‑printed PLA components, was optimized via finite‑element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to ensure both structural integrity and efficient performance. Flight control is implemented using open-source unmanned vehicle software, with PID‑tuned motor and control‑surface loops validated in hardware‑in‑the‑loop and field tests. A hinge‑and‑key door mechanism actuated by a belt‑driven servo enables secure package retention and precise deployment. Modular design features, specifically magnetically detachable nose, tail linkages, and electronics housing—facilitate rapid maintenance, with all parts printable and serviceable within 24 hours. At an approximate unit cost of $2,500, this UAV offers a scalable solution for high‑volume, low‑weight delivery markets. Future work will extend operational radius, enhance payload capacity, and advance autonomy toward fully unmanned fleet operations.

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