What can the propeller of an innocent drone cause? It should come as no surprise that a quick spin of a blade can cause serious injury (even if said blade is made of a flexible material such as plastic or carbon).
Researchers at Aalborg University's Drone Research Laboratory tried to discover the damage that can be caused by the propellers of different drones in a large comeye pork (which has similar consistency to human skin and muscle).
Let us mention that the laboratory has tested the drone's propellers under very specific controlled conditions. In other words, if you try it with the drone you have in your home you will cut your hands.
How do propellers fall on pork when traveling with about 20 mph?
The carbon propeller nails the pork with minimal effort speed (carbon fiber is known for its strength), while the plastic propeller struggles a bit on impact:
Considering the video shot with a high-speed camera at 3200 fps, it may seem like the drone does not move too fast. So the lab also published, and a video at normal speed:
Of course this is not the first time someone has tested drónes for possible injuries.
Mythbusters tested several new drone models last year and came to the conclusion that small and mid-sized drone models are generally safe.
But larger drones can occasionally cause real damage:
Naturally, laboratory conditions can not be fully proportional to real conditions, but these investigations may eventually lead to safer propellers that break before serious damage is caused.
