Rapidmesh: Rapidly Deploy Aerial Meshtastic Nodes

Why did you make this?

Coming from Louisiana, hurricanes are a frequent occurrence, often causing critical communication infrastructure to become damaged and unavailable when it's needed most. Due to the state's flat topography, it is difficult to set up permanent Meshtastic nodes with sufficient range for emergencies without many nodes which is difficult in rural or suburban areas, complicating communication among family members or between rescue teams.

During Hurricane Ida, a category 4 hurricane that directly hit Louisiana, I lost cellular service for over a week, cutting off contact with my family and friends. The lack of reliable long-distance communication in the immediate aftermath of a major disaster was deeply concerning, as it prevented us from exchanging critical information about everyone's safety and well-being. This experience made me realize the importance of having personal or community-based emergency communication infrastructure.

RapidMesh offers a straightforward solution to simple and safely attach a Meshtastic relay to almost any consumer drone, providing a large and reliable aerial relay.

How does it work?

A 3D-printed, lightweight frame is attached to the drone's body using battery straps commonly used for FPV drones. The frame holds a Heltec V3 module running Meshtastic, allowing for a lightweight and power-efficient flight. This mounting solution offers broad compatibility across many drone manufacturers and prevents physical damage to the drone. It also has a minimal impact on the drone's flight and does not interfere with it's onboard sensors.

How do I build this?

A bill of materials is provided in the Hardware Components section of this page. You'll also need a way to print the casing, either by using an at-home printer or by using printers available at many libraries and universities.

Both files are available below, and the source for these files is here. Both models should be printed with their flat side down and with tree supports enabled. For the casing, enable supports for critical sections only.

After printing, remove supports and clean the model if needed. Then, screw the antenna that came with the Heltec v3 into the main casing and place the battery in between the antenna and screw post. Align the Heltec v3 inside the alignment holders and push into to hold in place. Next, place the lid on top of the assembly and insert four M2 nuts into the casing openings. Finally, screw the lid in using four M2x16 screws to hold the two casing parts together.

The battery strap will fit neatly inside the opening of the casing. Now you should have a build that looks similar to this.

Have fun growing the mesh!