our painting rig used a canvas suspended from the ceiling and supported on the ground.
the drone was placed in a takeoff box supported by prop guards.
TRACKING ERROR
during painting tests, we found that the cameras around the space would often lose track of the drone object for split-second intervals, causing the drone to receive erroneous flight instructions.
this is partially because the large canvas prevented the subset of cameras behind it from tracking the drone.
after various tests with many changes in reflector positioning, we found that the drone actually flew most smoothly using a single raised reflector, as camera loss of all reflectors (in this case, one) meant that no instructions, correct or incorrect, would be sent.
PAINT CHOICE
we tested various types and viscosities of paint mixtures, including spray chalk, spray paint, and acrylic paint.
ultimately, we used thinned acrylic paint, as the paint would need droplets when being sprayed; aerosolized particles would be affected by the drone's propellers and downwash.
we decided on a thinned mixture which would retain the proper color and opacity that would flow and avoid clogging the spray mechanism.
SERVO POWER
initial tests found that, despite using thinned paint, the servo would not always receive enough power to fully actuate. we solved this by mounting a second, smaller battery to the frame solely for the servo.