DJI Neo 2 Smallest Crush-proof Case
I wanted a DJI Neo 2 case that could disappear into a backpack without the drone getting crushed by everything piled on top of it. The result is a 3D-printed case measuring 163 × 185 × 47 mm, including room for the drone and the small spares I actually need. It may be the smallest crush-proof case for the Neo 2 out there.
The flexible radio-module antennas remain outside, avoiding the empty case volume that enclosing them would require.
The load goes around the drone
Making the shell rigid wasn’t enough: under enough pressure, a thin shell would bend until it loaded the prop guards or the drone body. The important part of this design is inside. Vertical columns in the case halves pass through the open spaces in the prop guards and meet when the case closes. Pressure on the top is carried through those columns to the bottom shell instead of through the drone.
The columns occupy otherwise unused space inside the prop guards. The radio module antennas pass through the cutout at the front.
Leaving the two antennas outside saves a surprising amount of space. They’re flexible and don’t need the same crush protection as the drone, while making the enclosure large enough to contain them would add a lot of mostly empty volume.
Everything in 47 mm
The white bottom half carries two spare props, four spare prop screws and a short USB-C cable. The Neo 2, with its battery installed, nests over them. The halves close with magnets, which pull them into position and keep the case securely shut without an external latch.
Before the drone goes in, two spare props and a short USB-C cable clip into the bottom half; four spare prop screws are packed with them.
The 75 kg test
The point of the columns is load bearing, so I tested the case accordingly: I closed it with the drone inside and stepped on it. I weigh 75 kg. This isn’t a calibrated load rating, but it’s a considerably harsher compression test than the case should encounter at the bottom of my backpack.
Seventy-five kilograms on the closed case, with the drone inside.
I don’t currently plan to sell these. If there’s enough interest, I’ll reconsider.