The Beginning of Sparkle: Concept to Maiden Crash

A while back I was fascinated by Cirque du Soleil’s YouTube post of an informal concept project called Sparked https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C8OJsHfmpI and the technology behind the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YqUocVcyrE

Like any true hacker, I set out to create my own light and magic quad. The first challenge was that I really did not want to dismantle Tommy or risk my very reliable video platform. So honey, nothing else to do but buy a second Phantom 2, further tapping into the kids inheritance. Plus, I envisioned flying the light and magic P2 while capturing the undertaking with Tommy and the GoPro. And, thus I introduce you to Sparkle.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBPrJQi0CDk  Actually, two visions of Sparkle. (Yep, there is also a third 'costume'.)

I decided that I wanted the ability to change Sparkle’s ‘costume’ as I thought of more configurations of light. Since I assumed that Cirque used some Phantoms, I started to craft a lampshade starting with installing prop guards for the basic structure that would support the shade. After wandering around three hardware stores and a couple of crafts stores, I found a wreath wire at Michael’s. For cloth, I fought my way through the Halloween moms at Joanne’s. Both Michael’s and Joanne’s are among my least favorite environs.  (Plan on standing in line for a good 30 minutes.)

Here is the completed initial configuration with top fringe removed.

At this point I have to warn you that this beta Sparkle really had problems. My assumption was that if I kept all the cloth and fringe on the outside of the prop guard rings nothing would interfere with the props. WRONG! As it turns out, the props suck air from outside the ring and thus on the first flight of a completed lampshade, Sparkle sucked in the upper fringe and had what we will call a hard landing. A very hard landing but from only about five feet. (DJI Phantoms are tough.)

So, off came the top fringe. But, I needed lights. That was solved by HobbyKing who sells some great Turnigy LED strings. They come in red, green, blue, yellow and white depending on what is currently in stock. (BTW, you will pay dearly and wait dearly for orders coming out of China.)

Most of these add-on LEDs run off of 12v and thus the typical three cell LiPo battery. I did test using the P2's available power but quickly decided to run the LEDs off a separate battery Velcro’d to Sparkle’s bottom shell.  I use Willy hacked servo extension wires for the harnesses.

Finally, I had lights, camera and action as you have seen in the short proof of concept video. Just before the second ‘hard landing’. More on version 2 later.