I'm curious as to how much those props would damage if they came in contact with a person.

I get asked this question a lot when flying a drone where others can see me.      I can't see the props cutting thru clothes to cut into sombody but really just don't know.

Any stories or guidelines on this?

A lot of damage.  Google it. Lots of fun pictures of people being stupid.

Mythbusters did a segment using a chicken. Granted,  the chicken was dead already,  and naked without feathers,  but it still got chopped up pretty good.  Had it been wearing feathers,  maybe not so bad.  Had it been wearing clothes over the feathers, probably not bad at all.  I don't have any dead naked chickens to test it with myself,  and I don't feel like being a guine pig,  so,  who knows.

Actually found a myth buster "mini-myth" in they found that a Phantom is pretty safe, the blades bend and stop when they come into contact.

http://www.discovery.com/tv-show ... drones-kill-people/

They could not get  hobby drones to cut a simulated neck skin.  That chicken video was not realistic they had a motor and prop and slowly let it cut into a chicken.

The only way they could get damage was using a 16lb camera drone that used carbon fiber blades -then it cut some skin.  That was not a hobby drone.

After searching for a while could not find any real serious damage ever casused by a stock phanton or similer size.  (Except one baby that lost an eye)

Let's not go there. Use prop guards and that will not guarantee total safety. Common sense! The props can trim a tree leaf or leaves. Would you want to put your finger in there! I realize that you are asking a hypothetical question. The answer is a lot of damage is possible !

I thought a while back DJI did a firmware upgrade that made the props stop immediately if they hit something.  Not that this would stop damage completely but maybe limit it a little.

Saw this article a while ago - shows that all props are capable of easy piercing skin & flesh but Carbon Props can cause more damage, although having a prop assembly on immobile rails may not be akin to real life situation, where the Drone itself (because its not tied to rails) may get flicked away resulting in less direct damage by the props.

However, in any case, props and flying objects always cause damage if abused... So Please be careful with your bird and fly it sensibly & responsibly.


This Is Why You Should Be More Careful With Your Drone - From UK Drone - UAS News, a Flipboard magazine:

Before crashes could be simulated in a computer, aircraft builders would shoot chickens at planes to determine the damage from a mid-air bird strike. This rig, built at Aalborg University in Denmark, sort of does the same thing, but instead tests the damage a drone could inflict on a human.

http://gizmodo.com/this-is-why-you-should-be-more-careful-with-your-drone-1771169238

petevandra@msn. Posted at 2016-4-22 11:25
I thought a while back DJI did a firmware upgrade that made the props stop immediately if they hit s ...

I think additional options to fw update stopping motors is also designing Props, to be shaped differently and/or bending/breaking on impact that minimise damage whilst not compromising lift. may be the way to go.

Oh they will open you up alright I've got the scars on my forearm to prove it.

Buzz Lightyear Posted at 2016-4-22 11:50
Oh they will open you up alright I've got the scars on my forearm to prove it.

Ouch! sorry to hear...Was that with Plastic Props or Carbon fibre ones?

I have never been hit with the Phantom props but I have been hit once with home made drone. I was wearing a light flannel shirt and it hit my arm 3 or 4 times. Immediately is left light scrape marks on my arm that turned into bruises later but it did not break the skin (it did break the propeller). I would imagine if you were to touch it with your skin it would break the skin and leave a moderate cut that might require a butterfly bandage.

Unless getting hit right in the eye I don't see them doing any substantial damage. These are no where near as dangerous as the 450 sized rc helicopter I have.

Make you a salad. http://youtu.be/B_Kym0e5J7M

Quad Flyer Posted at 2016-4-22 11:52
I have never been hit with the Phantom props but I have been hit once with home made drone. I was we ...

> These are no where near as dangerous as the 450 sized rc helicopter I have.

Completely Agree!!!

I absolutly would NOT want get in the way of my  40 engine/fuel powered Heli with Lead Weighted Carbon Fibre Rotor Blades!

dji-p3p1 Posted at 2016-4-21 18:33
I think additional options to fw update stopping motors is also designing Props, to be shaped diff ...

Shaping the props differently would likely make them no longer be props,  just things spinning on a motor.  Propeller design is pretty specific for the job.  An aircraft propeller is even much different from a windmill propeller.

Kneepuck Posted at 2016-4-22 13:00
Shaping the props differently would likely make them no longer be props,  just things spinning on  ...

I understand prop design fairly well (I think) - I’ve dabbled enough in designing props and drive systems to know that variance of the Reynolds number, even changing it along the same blade, will have significant impact to lift produced and that the optimum tip speed for achieving low noise is 400 mph (For those that dont know.., guess why??? - The air compression and shock waves as the tip speed approaches Mach 1 causes huge amounts of drag) In addition to the above, being a hardcore RC Aircraft and heli enthusiast for more than 25 years hasn't helped...

  
  

So.. I apologise, as may have wrongly worded my prevous post/sentence.  

When I said shaping the props I meant shaping i.e. tips in such a way as to make them least penetrating or flexible in design so that when the prop blade makes contact/impact with something solid/living it flexes enough or cleanly breaks resulting in minimal damage to the (unintended) victim, whilst still retaining lift properties in normal flight.

dji-p3p1 Posted at 2016-4-21 21:52
I understand prop design fairly well (i think) - I’ve dabbled enough in designing props and drive  ...

It seems to me the way to go would be ducted props.  Not just prop guards,  but internally housed ducted props in an aerodynamic body with retractable gear. But it would probably cost a bit more.

Kneepuck Posted at 2016-4-22 15:18
It seems to me the way to go would be ducted props.  Not just prop guards,  but internally housed  ...

YES! - Fantastic Point! - Ducted fans are also a lot more efficient!! - yes cost is an issue.

Singer Enrique Iglesias drew a ton of blood after getting sliced up pretty bad during a concert.

i nearly lost a finger with my inspire 1.  Took 6 weeks for the bruising to go away, the swelling was enough to remind me never to be so stupid again.  My fault not the inspires.

Kneepuck Posted at 2016-4-22 01:18
It seems to me the way to go would be ducted props.  Not just prop guards,  but internally housed  ...

I have ducted fan quad copters. They are noisy due to the high speed props and large amount of thrusts. As a result, they eat batteries. But they are fun to fly around, especially indoors as they bumped and grind their way down narrow corridors.

My point to this is I fly a P3 with STOCK props.      I don't fly over people, but yes there are sometimes people around.    Everyone I've talked with that comes up and talks to me has been very nice to date, but there are irrational people out there with irrational fear of drones.  Like a drone is going to attack them with poison explosion chopping death worse than torture - kind of irrational fear.

I am going to say simply say that my drone is safe.     

As studies have shown (and via mythbusters) these props may hurt but generaly can't even cut skin.  Yes it's a 2lb object moving and a freak accident it could hit somebody, but I have more fear of kids playing baseball

Kneepuck Posted at 2016-4-22 01:18
It seems to me the way to go would be ducted props.  Not just prop guards,  but internally housed  ...

Cool upgrade on the avatar Kneepuck!

jpwiggo Posted at 2016-4-22 23:32
As studies have shown (and via mythbusters) these props may hurt but generaly can't even cut skin.

And then there are Darwin awards.

My buddy decided it woulf be funny to start the props on me while I was walking toward my Phantom 3....but he didn't just start the props he pushed the right stick forward and it flew into my ankles. The props didnt stop....but it did zero damage to my skin.

DonViper Posted at 2016-4-23 06:10
My buddy decided it woulf be funny to start the props on me while I was walking toward my Phantom 3. ...

I would choose my "friends" more wisely

mjlstudios Posted at 2016-4-22 11:02
Cool upgrade on the avatar Kneepuck!

You can see it??!!  It still shows up as the old one on my posts.  I can see it on my home page,  but not when I post something.  Weird.

dji-p3p1 Posted at 2016-4-22 03:26
Saw this article a while ago - shows that all props are capable of easy piercing skin & flesh but Ca ...

The blade is only going into the precut skin in this occasion.   So I'm not impressed.  I think most cases of serious damage is with the carbon fiber ones.

SAFE is relative.  By the way, there was a posting about a drone prop cutting a kids eyeball some time back.  I just looked it up and it appears to have happened in the UK and the kid lost his eye.  It could certainly happen if one got away from you.

I’m not sure about skin but I got really lucky and my blades hit my thumb nail and not my thumb. Even so, it was extremely painful and felt like a hammer was slammed down on my thumb.

Here's an image after accident with stock props on a P3A. https://www.dropbox.com/s/3m5vzi ... 101_231144.jpg?dl=0

Someone I know put their finger next to the propeller of dji mini 2 se and stopped the propeller she was completely fine she said just a sharp pain for a second which doesn't hurt but it was on the ground which is not full power I think