PROJECT FDL
3D Printed
High Performance
Foam Dart Launchers
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Project FDL is the culmination of years of taking things apart and putting them back together. A perfect storm of hobby technology and geek creativity, it is a project for makers and tinkerers. It's for modders and designers. It's for 3D printing enthusiasts and robotics dabblers. It's for the kid in all of us that wished all their toys had turbo buttons.
MAKER MEETS MODDER
Project FDL Components
Every FDL design shares a core set of components. This provides a starting point for each new design and the ability to swap out parts between blasters.
Sparkfun MicroView Microcontroller
At the heart of an FDL is it's microcontroller. The FDL-2X and FDL-3 both come equipped with a Sparkfun Microview. It is the FDL's brains and nervous system controlling its every move and sensing the state of its mechanics. Your FDL can be finely tuned to fit your exact need and playstyle.
Brushless Outrunner Motors
Found on drones and RC cars of all sizes, brushless motors give a FDL it's muscle. They are capable of spinning at extremely high speeds and are very well balanced. In conjunction with electronic speed controllers, they can spin at a wide range of rpm's. Outrunner means that the outer bell of the motor spins rather than a shaft through the middle of the motor. This allows a FDL's flywheels to be mounted directly to the bell of the motors in a more safe and secure manner than a friction fit on a typical motor shaft.
Lithium Polymer (LiPo) Battery
Each FDL is powered by a 3 cell LiPo battery very similar to batteries found in drones and RC cars. LiPo batteries are capable of delivering a large amount of power in a short period of time. Perfect for a gadget that needs to spin motors quickly in short bursts. 3 cell LiPo's deliver a voltage usable by both the brushless flywheel motors as well as the stepper motors. The electronic speed controllers, ESC's, that control the flywheel motors also convert the power from the battery into that usable by the Photon microcontroller.
LiPo batteries do require proper charging, discharging, and storage practices. Under normal use they are very safe and powerful but with great power comes great responsibility. Please read up on LiPo batteries and how to take care of them before creating or purchasing your FDL.
3D PRINTED
Aside from their hardware and electronics, each FDL is completely 3D printed. Each is designed piece by piece to be printed on most consumer 3D printers.
FULLY AUTOMATIC
Launch an entire clip standard or short length foam darts in a matter of seconds with a single pull of the trigger.
ROBOTIC
Controlled by a microcontroller, switches, and gear motors, FDL's are robotic. They can be fine tuned to perform to their user's ideals.
HIGH POWERED
Capable of launching foam darts extremely hard out of the box. No cutting or modding necessary.
WEB ENABLED
With wifi built directly into their microcontroller, some FDL's can be controlled and programmed from virtually anywhere.
OPEN SOURCE
All the files and schematics needed to print and assemble your own FDL are available free of charge.