Ecofriendly Air-Powered Seed Rocket for Reforestation image

Ecofriendly Air-Powered Seed Rocket for Reforestation

Project Overview

Designed and built an air-powered rocket to disperse seeds in hazardous or difficult-to-access areas, using biodegradable materials and additive manufacturing. Combined SLA, SLS, and FDM printing to fabricate different components, and validated performance through open-source rocket flight simulations, achieving ~70 m horizontal travel.

Skills Used

Additive Manufacturing (SLA, SLS, FDM) Rocket Design & Simulation Materials Selection (ABS, Tough 2000, PA12 Nylon) Prototyping & Testing

Background

Seed dispersal in hazardous or inaccessible environments (e.g., post-wildfire zones, steep slopes) is difficult to achieve using conventional replantation methods. This project aimed to design an air-powered, biodegradable seed rocket to deliver seeds over long distances with minimal environmental impact.

Design

  • Nose Cone (SLA, Tough 2000): parabolic profile for low drag and weight balancing.
  • Seed Payload (SLS, PA12 Nylon): complex internal geometry with no supports required.
  • Fins & Launching Base (FDM, ABS): self-supported geometry, integrated for stability.
rocket.jpg


fdm.jpg


sls.jpg


sla.jpg


Delivery Method

  • Spiral screw-style payload release for passive mid-flight seed ejection.
  • Optimized fin shape (clipped delta with rounded leading edge, wedge trailing edge) to maximize stability.

Cost & Time Summary

| Part | Process | Material | Print Time | Cost | |—————–|———|————-|————|———| | Fins & Base | FDM | ABS | 9 hr 15 m | $144.10 | | Nose Cone | SLA | Tough 2000 | 3 hr 23 m | $17.29 | | Payload Section | SLS | PA12 Nylon | 8 hr 30 m | $159.26 | | Total | — | — | ~21 hr | $320.65 |

Simulation

  • Simulated using open-source rocket flight software.
  • Parameters: wind speed = 2 m/s, AoA = 45°, launch impulse = 10 Ns.
  • Result: Achieved ~70 meters horizontal distance.
sim.jpg