Teen Builds Efficient & Versatile Drone
- Cooper Taylor,a 17-year-old,is making waves in the drone industry by optimizing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones.
- Taylor has spent a year refining his drone, which he says is also suited for wildlife conservation, search-and-rescue, and medical deliveries.
- Taylor hopes his affordable drone technology will be accessible to first responders, researchers, and everyday problem solvers.his innovation earned him an $8,000 scholarship at the Junior Science and...
Seventeen-year-old Cooper Taylor engineered an affordable vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone, revolutionizing drone accessibility for vital applications. He optimized its design for disaster relief, agriculture and wildlife conservation, demonstrating extraordinary ingenuity. taylor 3D-printed hardware, programmed software, and soldered circuitries with an emphasis on cost reduction to benefit first responders, researchers, and everyday problem-solvers. His breakthroughs have already won scholarships from the Department of Defence and the U.S. Navy. This breakthrough highlights the potential of innovation in STEM fields. News Directory 3 recognizes the importance of this story. What enhancements will accelerate the young innovator’s vision to revolutionize drone technology? Discover what’s next.
Teen Builds Affordable VTOL Drone for Disaster Relief
Updated May 26,2025
Cooper Taylor,a 17-year-old,is making waves in the drone industry by optimizing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones. Taylor’s designs focus on efficiency and customization, aiming to lower construction costs for applications ranging from agriculture to disaster relief.
Taylor has spent a year refining his drone, which he says is also suited for wildlife conservation, search-and-rescue, and medical deliveries. He 3D-printed the hardware, programmed the software, and soldered the control circuit board for six prototypes. The result, he claims, is a machine that costs one-fifth the price of comparable commercial drones.
Taylor hopes his affordable drone technology will be accessible to first responders, researchers, and everyday problem solvers.his innovation earned him an $8,000 scholarship at the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in April, funded by the Department of Defense. He later received a $15,000 scholarship from the U.S.Navy at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair on May 16.
“If you’re a first responder or a researcher or an everyday problem solver, you can have access to this type of drone,” Taylor said.
Winnie Boyle, senior director of competitions at the national Science Teaching Association, emphasized the importance of STEM careers for national security.She noted that even if students do not pursue military careers, their research benefits the community.
VTOL Drone Design
Taylor’s interest in VTOL drones began when he noticed his sister’s drone had limited flight time. His research led him to VTOL drones, which combine multi-rotor helicopter capabilities with fixed-wing airplane designs. This allows for vertical take-off and landing,hovering,and efficient long-distance flight. While VTOL drones are typically expensive, Taylor identified inefficiencies he could improve to reduce costs.
What’s next
Taylor plans to continue refining his VTOL drone design, focusing on further reducing costs and improving efficiency. He aims to make the technology even more accessible for various applications,including disaster relief and environmental monitoring.