Getting hit on the head by a falling Mavic? Guess which is the best and worst way.

[Former Member]

Can anyone guess what would be the best and worst way to get a head strike by a Mavic? Also, any guesses as to your chances of surviving any of the below?

A) 50 mph frontal head strike
B) 50 mph rear head strike
C) 50 mph straight down on the top of your head

 

[noosaguy]

Can anyone guess what would be the best and worst way to get a head strike by a Mavic? Also, any guesses as to your chances of surviving any of the below?

A) 50 mph frontal head strike
B) 50 mph rear head strike
C) 50 mph straight down on the top of your head

 

[lightbg]

I didn't know any Mavic could do 50mph.....

Jake

 

[Drone_guy]

I didn't know any Mavic could do 50mph.....

Jake

Super Sport Mode....theoretically mine can go that fast but I've never had it over 43 mph....just was messing around once and didn't push it.

 

[Drone_guy]

Can anyone guess what would be the best and worst way to get a head strike by a Mavic? Also, any guesses as to your chances of surviving any of the below?

A) 50 mph frontal head strike
B) 50 mph rear head strike
C) 50 mph straight down on the top of your head

You should have made a poll!

As far as my guess? I think a side strike might be the worst and a top strike best.

Chance of death from a strike? No clue.

 

[lmel2005]

Best for our head, or for the gimbal?

 

[AeroJ]

None of them are going to end well, for either object involved, but I imagine A would be worst, given that's where your face is...

 

[AMann]

55mph airspeed or ground speed? I could fly my RC plane backwards sometimes when we were out on the windy parts of the coast, that was fun!

But ok, if it punctured a carotid or jugular with an arm in your neck, or hit the back of your head doing that, it could be bad.

There was a sad accident a while back of a kid getting killed by a RC helicopter- the blades hit his head when he tried to catch it. I think the blades were metal though, luckily ours are a lot safer.

 

[Broken Arrow]

A) would be the least damaging, the bone at the forehead is almost twice the thickness than the rest of the skull.

 

[designit777]

I just don't understand why anyone would ask such a silly question !

 

[JDawg]

Don't be giving our neighbors in Southeren Oregon any ideas.

Man Shot in Head With Arrow Suffers No Damage to Brain

 

[JDawg]

I just don't understand why anyone would ask such a silly question !

IPA? Science?
You choose.

 

[ac0j]

I guess from the top is worse, I say NO chance of death or disability would result. A concussion at best. If it were to happen. About as likely as a bus strike

 

[WAXMAN]

That's why I wear my Green Bay Packers Football helmet!!!!! lol

 

[Former Member]

I just don't understand why anyone would ask such a silly question !

Even though my question might have sounded silly to you, I was not the one who originally asked it. The question was asked by the FAA to a variety of universities in the USA in trying to assess risk caused by drones to humans. They were tasked with performing lethality studies on human subjects. We have all seen the videos posted here about what a Phantom can do to to the wing of a Mooney private aircraft traveling at 238 mph, and it took a big chunk out of the wing.

I started this thread as a response to a concerned, and justified, post by @noosaguy who wrote the following in the following thread:

Mavic Pro 2 Dropped out of sky!

"Reading this stuff gives me panic attacks. There are times when it's almost unavoidable to fly over people or roads etc. Should our drone 'fall out of the sky' at a time like that (unlucky I know but it potentially could happen) and hit a person and severely injure them, or worse kill them, we would be in major do do. Or should it fall out of the sky and hit a car causing a serious accident... same result. So, my question is, what are the chances of a catastrophic failure whilst flying? Does it happen very often or am I concerned about an improbable and exceptional circumstance?"

The correct answer, according to one university physicist, is that a blow directly to the top of the head by a Mavic would cause the least amount of damage to the person. The larger surface area of the heat sink plate would spread the impact load to a wider surface area. The worst way to get hit would be straight in the forehead, because the front edge of the Mavic would incise and penetrate the skull.

As far as my guess? I think a top strike best.

Correct sir!

I say NO chance of death or disability would result

You are also correct. I was shocked to learn of the low fatality rate of getting a drone slammed in to your head at 50 mph. Most strikes would cause a broken skull, a concussion, and maybe unconsciousness, but a very low number caused death.

 

[norman.hicks.35]

Even though my question might have sounded silly to you, I was not the one who originally asked it. The question was asked by the FAA to a variety of universities in the USA in trying to assess risk caused by drones to humans. They were tasked with performing lethality studies on human subjects. We have all seen the videos posted here about what a Phantom can do to to the wing of a Mooney private aircraft traveling at 238 mph, and it took a big chunk out of the wing.

I started this thread as a response to a concerned, and justified, post by @noosaguy who wrote the following in the following thread:

Mavic Pro 2 Dropped out of sky!

"Reading this stuff gives me panic attacks. There are times when it's almost unavoidable to fly over people or roads etc. Should our drone 'fall out of the sky' at a time like that (unlucky I know but it potentially could happen) and hit a person and severely injure them, or worse kill them, we would be in major do do. Or should it fall out of the sky and hit a car causing a serious accident... same result. So, my question is, what are the chances of a catastrophic failure whilst flying? Does it happen very often or am I concerned about an improbable and exceptional circumstance?"

The correct answer, according to one university physicist, is that a blow directly to the top of the head by a Mavic would cause the least amount of damage to the person. The larger surface area of the heat sink plate would spread the impact load to a wider surface area. The worst way to get hit would be straight in the forehead, because the front edge of the Mavic would incise and penetrate the skull.



Correct sir!



You are also correct. I was shocked to learn of the low fatality rate of getting a drone slammed in to your head at 50 mph. Most strikes would cause a broken skull, a concussion, and maybe unconsciousness, but a very low number caused death.

I wonder what the terminal velocity of various drone models might be? Probably not as high as that of ejected batteries... The domed shape of the top of the human skull likely evolved as a survival advantage from overhead impacts.

 

[AMann]

”I wonder what the terminal velocity of various drone models might be? Probably not as high as that of ejected batteries...”

Signor Galilei would be frustrated by this statement.

(Edit: if it was about a drone model with a battery vs the same one without.)

 

[Matchlock]

You're joking, right?
What "overhead impacts" are you suggestion during the evolution of the human skull, Pterodactyls, perhaps?

Bud

The domed shape of the top of the human skull likely evolved as a survival advantage from overhead impacts.

 

[AMann]

You're joking, right?
What "overhead impacts" are you suggestion during the evolution of the human skull, Pterodactyls, perhaps?

Bud

Along with most of our protruding brow ridges, they protect you from being hit by sticks over the head and across our faces.

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

Can anyone guess what would be the best and worst way to get a head strike by a Mavic? Also, any guesses as to your chances of surviving any of the below?

A) 50 mph frontal head strike
B) 50 mph rear head strike
C) 50 mph straight down on the top of your head

I've been hit all three ways (and then some). I'm prefectuly fine. I've also been hit all three ways. I'd only be concerned about a 50 mph frontal head strike, a 50 mph rear head strike or 50 mph straight down on the top of your head. A 50 mph frontal head strike, a 50 mph rear head strike or a 50 mph straight down on the top of your head won't do a thing. I've been hit all three ways (and then some). I also have a bike. It's blue.