ELEV-8 Prop Guards help reduce damage to your ELEV-8 v3 Quadcopter and surrounding objects while you are learning to fly. The ELEV-8 v3 Prop Guard Kit is available to purchase here [1]. It is also also included in ELEV-8 v3 kits made beginning April 2018.
WARNING! The ELEV-8 Prop Guard Kit is NOT a safety device. The Prop Guard Kit CANNOT prevent all property damage nor is it designed to prevent injury to operator or bystanders. Know and follow all applicable laws, safety precautions, and good UAV citizenship practices [2].
The guards are designed so that the outer rim is at the same level as the propellers. So, if the quadcopter moves horizontally into an object at low speed, the propellers will be protected from shattering on hard objects. Even in a crash, the guards might be damaged but save your quadcopter from a more expensive repair.
It is important to understand that the ELEV-8 has a control system that will try to maintain steady and level flight - however the shock and vibration caused by a collision may confuse the ELEV-8's sensors and control system, which could in turn cause the ELEV-8 to tip and/or accelerate dangerously. As always, it is best to THROTTLE DOWN or CUT THE THROTTLE when you sense that you are losing control of your ELEV-8.
But what about making contact with softer objects?
If your ELEV-8 v3 moves horizontally into a softer object, the propeller guard may in some cases prevent property damage, if the outer rim is positioned between the propeller and the object.
However, if the quadcopter makes contact with objects in the space between the propeller guards, or approaches from above or below, the propellers can still make contact and cause damage:
So, we will say it one more time:
WARNING: The Prop Guard Kit is NOT a safety device. The Prop Guard Kit CANNOT prevent all property damage nor is it designed to prevent injury to operator or bystanders. Know and follow all applicable laws, safety precautions, and good UAV citizenship practices [2].
Links
[1] http://www.parallax.com/product/80310
[2] https://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/robot/elev-8/uav-safety-laws-and-good-citizenship