Universal Drone Bait Drop using Mechanical Accelerometer

This is a Universal Drone Bait Drop using a mechanical accelerometer payload release mechanism. The release pin is meant to open when sudden upward acceleration is detected (including suddenly stopping downward motion, or optimally only during a sudden transition from descending to ascending).

The Bait Drop device can be mounted directly to your drone (see https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4332078 for my Mavic Pro Accessory Mount), or hung some distance below the drone using non-elastic line. Note there are two versions of the body cylinder in the STL file -- the one with the accessory clip is for optionally attaching to a Mavic Pro using thing 4332078.

Assembly: Screw the "weight" onto the center shaft with the spring facing the notched end. Screw the bottom cone (with release notch) onto cylinder body (note that the open end of the accessory clip goes towards the top). Insert the shaft into the cylinder with the release pin facing towards the release notch in the bottom cone. Then screw on the top cone (the one with the toroid loop on top).

The accelerometer spring tension is adjustable after printing by unscrewing the cap and turning the weight on the threaded shaft. The weight should be at the very top of the threaded area for the lightest touch, but should not be so high that the shaft is depressed by the top cap, or so sensitive that the payload is released during normal flight. Press the manual pushbutton on top to connect a loop of the payload string to the release pin, then test the release mechanism by moving it rapidly upwards in your hand before attaching to a drone. Note that your drone may not be provide enough vertical acceleration to trigger the release without adjusting the weight position (or spring "wire" diameter), and/or enabling "Sport Mode". (Also note that if you attach the Bait Drop device far from the center of your drone then it might experience a rapid acceleration if the drone tilts rapidly; good or bad)

I designed this using OpenSCAD.

Fly safely, and don't get your line caught in your props!

[Updated 2/7/22: Added individual STL files for each part.]