Create and Fund 'Project Caribou'

This vote is to approve or reject the creation of ‘Project Caribou' and the initial funding of phase 1 of the project charter.

If approved, an amendment to AIP-007 would be made to add ‘Project Caribou’ to the list of projects. Its current status would be listed as ACTIVE along with relevant information such as project lead, funding status, spending caps, start and expiration dates.

Technical requirements are reduced here due to Snapshot character limit. See Arrow DAO forum for details.

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1. Project Summary

Project Caribou is a heavy-lift hexacopter initiative. The goal is to develop a platform capable of lifting around 100kg. To achieve this cost-effectively, Caribou will focus on a mixed Steel, Aluminum, CF frame. Based on recent feedback, we will also explore scalable electronic architectures and frames that utilize less welding (e.g. CF tubes with 3D printed aluminum or stainless steel connectors). This makes the drone rugged, easily repairable in the field, and accessible to manufacture. The main operating fields will be Heavy Cargo Logistics (~100kg payload capacity) and Precision Agriculture (High-volume spraying).

2. Regulatory Strategy & Certification

Designing a 200kg+ MTOW aircraft places us in the “Specific Category” (EU) or requires heavy exemptions (US). Scope Limitation: This project lays the technical groundwork for flight permits on an individual basis. We are NOT pursuing a general “Type Certificate” in this phase, as the requirements for daily commercial operations vary significantly between regions:

• EU (EASA): Requires SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment) and LUC (Light UAS Operator Certificate) for scale.

• US (FAA): Requires Section 44807 Exemption and Part 137 for Agriculture.

Full commercial certification will only be assessed in a future project phase once specific partners are secured.

3.1. Phase 1: Proof of Concept & Electronics Integration

• Objective: Validate the structural integrity of the core frame and the power architecture. Focus on developing the electronic system and integrating it into an existing test frame.

• Test frame: Steel tube inner structure with aluminum motor beams. Beams will be detachable (see Design Reference).

• Design Studies: Alongside the test drone, create CAD studies for scalable frames that require less welding, utilizing CF tubes and 3D printed aluminum/stainless steel connectors.

• Milestone: Successful construction, power-on tests, and a stable tethered hover flight demonstrating the power architecture’s ability to handle the target loads. Phase 1 ends with a general test of the electronic system and a successful flight with the test drone.

3.2. Phase 2: Scalable Design Overhaul

• Objective: Transform the test frame into a deployable prototype. This phase kicks off with a DAO review of the new scalable frame concepts to reach a consensus on the best structural path forward, as well as exploring specific business targets for the prototypes (e.g., cargo, winch operations, agricultural dispensing, or firefighting).

• Tasks: Based on the DAO consensus, we will easily scale the system and potentially build two frames in parallel (e.g., 50kg and 100kg payload variants). The construction of a second prototype in the USA will be pursued (e.g. for Javelina) to gather more flight hours and obtain feedback on manufacturing.

• Design Improvements: Implementation of foldable motor beams, optimized battery placement, and electronics improvements.

• Payload Integration: Development of payload bay prototypes for cargo and liquids or other specific use cases.

• Milestone: Successful tethered hover flights carrying and operating:

  • Liquid Config: Incremental load testing (40 / 60 / 80 Liters of water).

  • Cargo Config: Demonstration of loading/unloading mechanics with multiple packages (e.g., 8 packages of 10kg each).

3.3. Phase 3: Field Readiness

• Objective: Refine the user experience and conduct initial real-world mission simulations.

• Tasks:

  • Minor structural improvements for weight reduction.

  • User-experience upgrades regarding the payload operation.

• Milestone: Production of 2 “Beta” units for testing with partners in real-world scenarios.

3.4. Phase 4: Documentation

• Objective: Finalize technical documentation to ensure a seamless transition to the next project steps (e.g., certification or commercialization).

• Tasks:

  • Create documents for flight logs and stress-test data.

  • Finalize Bill of Materials (BOM), assembly guides, operating manual.

• Milestone: Publication of the full Caribou Engineering Report.

4. Project Timeline

Target official project start date: April 1, 2026.

• Phase 1: Proof of Concept (Months 1-4)

• Phase 2: Design Overhaul (Months 5-10)

• Phase 3: Field Readiness (Months 11-16)

• Phase 4: Documentation (Month 17-18)

5. Budget Cap

Project Caribou operates in the heavy-industrial sector, requiring larger motors and high-capacity batteries.

• Labor Costs: $25,000/month

• Hardware Costs: $5,000/month

• Total Monthly Cap: $30,000/month.

• Note: Unspent funds do not roll over.

A multisig wallet will be established after approval to receive funds. The seats on the multisig will be; Project Lead (Julius) and GBC.

6. Governance Project Charter:

A GitHub repository will be established upon approval to host the project data. AIP-007 Amendment: Upon approval, Project Caribou will be added to AIP-007 as an ACTIVE project. After each project phase a public vote will take place to proceed to the next phase. These votes will also offer the opportunity to adjust the budget, timeline or deliverables.

7. Project Lead

I, Julius, will serve as the Project Lead. My responsibilities include architectural decisions, safety protocols for heavy-lift operations, and managing the development team.

8. Project Team

I, Julius, will assemble the project team under the approved project budget.

9. Deliverables

• Prototype UAVs: Development and refinement of UAV prototypes through each project phase.

• Engineering Reports: Prepared for each major milestone, clearly outlining technical specifications, decisions, and current project status.

• Design Files: CAD models, PCB layouts, and software repositories accessible for community collaboration.

• User Guide / Flight Manual: Comprehensive manuals detailing UAV operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

• Manufacturing Guides: Up-to-date instructions & bill of materials enabling community-built prototypes.

• Meeting Summaries: Documentation of meeting attendance, key decisions, and action items recorded and shared via GitHub.

• Structured Documentation: Documents assigned unique identifiers for transparency, consistency, and version control.

Concept presentation