Introduction

My name is Kamal Deen, from Ghana, near Kumasi, where some communities still face limited access to healthcare due to poor road infrastructure.

In these areas, access to essential medical supplies such as insulin, first-aid kits, and basic medication can be slow and unreliable. During emergencies, these delays can become life-threatening.

Motivated by these challenges, this project explores how engineering and open-source hardware can provide a practical and scalable solution.

This work presents a medical delivery drone system designed to transport essential medical supplies quickly, safely, and reliably to underserved communities.

Project Overview

This project is a Phantom-style quadcopter medical delivery drone designed for short-range transport of lightweight medical supplies.

The drone operates using a landing-based delivery approach, where it autonomously travels to a target location, lands, and allows direct access to the payload.

This approach ensures:

• Safe handling of fragile medical supplies
• High delivery accuracy
• Reduced risk to people and property

The system integrates:

• Custom 3D-designed airframe
• Pixhawk-based flight control
• Custom PCB electronics
• Enclosed medical payload bay

System Architecture

The system is divided into two main subsystems:

1. Flight-Critical System

• Pixhawk 2.4.8 flight controller
• ESCs, motors, GPS, and battery
• Autonomous flight via Mission Planner

2. Payload & Auxiliary System

• Enclosed medical payload bay
• Custom PCB systems (timing, LED control, power distribution)
• Landing-based payload access system

This modular architecture improves:

• Safety
• Reliability
• Ease of troubleshooting

Key Innovations

• Landing-Based Delivery System
• Fully Enclosed Airframe Architecture
• Integrated Medical Payload Bay
• Custom 555 Timer Auxiliary System
• Modular Electronics Architecture
• Custom Power Distribution Design (PCB-based PDB)

Medical Payload Bay Design

The payload bay is integrated into the drone’s central frame and designed to:

• Protect medical supplies from dust and environmental exposure
• Minimize vibration for sensitive items such as insulin
• Maintain stable flight by aligning with the center of gravity

Unlike aerial drop systems, this design prioritizes controlled ground-level delivery.

Mechanical Design and 3D Printing

All structural components were designed in CAD and optimized for additive manufacturing:

• Frame and arms
• Landing gear
• Payload bay
• Mounting systems

Material Selection:

• ABS (recommended): strong, heat-resistant, impact-tolerant
• PETG: suitable for secondary components

Design features:

• Reinforced stress regions
• Standard fasteners
• 3–3.5 mm wall thickness

Custom Electronics and PCB Design

The project includes three custom PCBs:

1. Dual 555 Timer Control PCB

(555 Timer-based LED control circuit with transistor driver stage)

This PCB is built around the 555 timer IC and generates stable timing signals for LED indication and auxiliary control.

The output is amplified using a complementary transistor pair:

• MMBT5551LT1G
• SS8550-Y2

This allows efficient switching of multiple LEDs without overloading the timer IC.

The circuit operates as:

• 555 → signal generator
• NPN → signal amplifier
• PNP → load driver
• LEDs → visual feedback system

555  Timer  ACTUAL PCB SCREENSHOTS

The below screenshots show the 555 timer-based control PCB designed for my Phantom-style medical delivery drone project (OSHWLab Star 2026). Used for testing timing and signal control in the flight system.

LED Control and Status System(Circuit overview)

The UAV uses 24 SMD LEDs (6 per arm) arranged across four arms.

Each LED has:

• Its own current-limiting resistor
• Independent protection
• Uniform brightness control

The system uses Vishay 3528 Red + Green LEDs, chosen for high efficiency and low power consumption.

This ensures:

• Equal current distribution
• No thermal imbalance
• Reliable long-term operation

The LED system operates independently from the flight controller for redundancy and reliability.

2. Power Distribution Board (Circuit overview)

The Power Distribution Board routes power from a 4S LiPo battery to all UAV subsystems using high-current XT connectors.

It supplies power to:

• Pixhawk via dedicated power module
• ESCs for motors
• Auxiliary PCB systems (555 timer board, LEDs)

As shown in the PCB screenshot above,this is a passive PCB design, using only copper routing and connectors (no ICs).

Design features:

• Wide copper traces for high current
• Separate routing for power and control systems
• Low resistance and heat generation

This separation reduces electrical noise and improves system stability.

3. LED Control Boards

• 24 LEDs total (6 per arm)
• Current-limited design
• Transistor-driven switching
• Visual system status indication

Commercial Components

• Flight Controller: Pixhawk 2.4.8
• ESCs: 40A BLHeli
• Battery: 4S LiPo
• Motors: 2212 920KV(4pieces)
• Motors screws: M3x10(16 pieces or set)
• Frame mounting screws: M2x10(8 pieces or set)  
• 9450 Props(2xCW + 2xCCW)

These components ensure reliability and compatibility with open-source ecosystems.

Current Status

• Mechanical design: Complete
• PCB design: Complete
• System integration: Completed

Impact

This project addresses real healthcare delivery challenges in rural Ghana by:

• Reducing delivery time for medical supplies
• Improving access to essential healthcare resources
• Providing a low-cost, scalable solution

Alignment with OSHWLab Star 2026

This project demonstrates:

• Open-source hardware design
• Practical engineering implementation
• Real-world humanitarian application

All design files, schematics, and documentation will be openly shared to support learning and replication.

System Validation(Video Demostrations)

The following videos show initial system validation, including internal electronics, custom PCB operation, power distribution, and flight controller initialization:[https://youtube.com/shorts/11aJqjAZXzQ
https://youtube.com/shorts/DEtcSRpMM1E]

Complete build process and successful flight test of the Phantom-style medical delivery drone: [https://youtu.be/8kCDRf1jtgY]

System Integration Overview

Complete custom drone design developed in Fusion 360, featuring full structural and electronic integration. The system includes an enclosed airframe, Pixhawk flight controller, ESC power distribution, and optimized wiring layout. All motors are correctly mapped and synchronized, while LED indicators and system tests confirm stable power delivery and functionality.

System Integration and Prototype Assembly

This section presents the physical implementation of the UAV system, where all designed subsystems are integrated into a fully functional prototype. The mechanical structure, propulsion system, flight controller, and custom PCBs are assembled and interconnected to form a complete operational platform.

The following images document the transition from CAD design and electronic schematics to real-world hardware implementation, highlighting system integration, layout optimization, and full system assembly of the UAV.