Self-Assembling Multi-Copter Demonstrates Networked Flight Control 48
cylonlover writes "Researchers at ETH Zurich have demonstrated an amazing capability for small robots to self-assemble and take to the air as a multi-rotor helicopter. Maximilian Kriegleder and Raymond Oung worked with Professor Raffaello D'Andrea at his research lab to develop the small hexagonal pods that assemble into flying rafts. The true accomplishment of this research is that there is not one robot in control – each unit in itself decides what actions to take to keep the group in the air in what's known as Distributed Flight Array."
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Or maybe if Slashdot stopped posting stale news then perhaps all those people could get a mention once in a while? Mind you, this statement is not related to this submission... for once.
So what you're saying is:
- Some news are old but not this one.
- Your post, written in this submission, is self-identified as old, as it actually belongs to an older submission.
Did you do it on purpose as a kind of allegory of your point?
Welcome! (Score:5, Funny)
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Not so fast... No application to sharks
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Does seem an interesting way to deliver multiple explosive charges over a small area.
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As the site is called "Gizmag" i urge all UK residents to read it while they still can. As I'm 100% certain that this will blocked under new anti porn laws that our Glorious Dictator will soon be installing.
It's a very misleading name, I couldn't find any Giz shots anywhere!
what's giz? I've never ran into it on teh internets as a term for anything. jizz yeah.. but surely they can spell? some other reasons might put gizmag on the banlist though..
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I think this is the first correction of spelling to ruin a pun that I've seen on Slashdot. Bravo. And, whoosh. Can I call you a "whoosh Nazi"?
Replicators! (Score:2)
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That might explain why my doctor found a worm in my stomach with the x-ray this morning.
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That might explain why my doctor found a worm in my stomach with the x-ray this morning.
Nah, that worm was probably from the Tequila.
So what happens when it things some thing is in it (Score:2)
So what happens when it things some thing is in it way? will it self sacrifice an unit to knock some thing down with out even thinking about what damage that can do to others?
energy and commands by cable (Score:3)
For example, to make imagery for cartography from the height of 1 or 2 kilometers. The problem of a battery is very short flying time. A cable from
A single quadrocopter has not enough stability for a cable.
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Re:energy and commands by cable (Score:4, Interesting)
The same about wi-fi; it is 50 - 70 meters into the air and "signal is lost".
To send a satellite into the space for cartography costs millions. But a stable quadrocopter with a cable of 1 kilometer or at least 500 meters would allow to make aero-imagery suitable for cartography cheap and fast
Balloons with helium are messy and unstable.
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I'm not sure what kind of wire you have in mind, but that's almost 30kg for a 1km 12 gauge wire.
You'll probably want a + and -, so make that 60kg.
you might as well just add a couple of car batteries to it if it can lift that much.
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Oh, and I forgot about the weight of insulation for the cables.
You might say lets use a thinner wire. We'll just put a high voltage on it, and down convert it at the top.
Then you get into tensile strength issues and increasing resistance.
And then you've just added a bunch of weight for a power converter to your flying device.
I have to say it's not looking good for your cable idea.
Re:energy and commands by cable (Score:5, Informative)
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Cable is heavy, but there will be no batteries' weight. And by cable we can send up unlimited amount of energy, say, from a running car lighter socket.
Cable would interfere with photography on a normal quadrocopter, but if it is assembled from several ones as it is shown on video then cable will be at the side.
What we need is to lift it into the air in a calm clear day and make aerial images of a city district. To do it via satellite costs millions or
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But, can it fly with 1km of power cable hanging off it? My guess is about 125g / m, but even 1/5th that you can get 25g / m or 25kg of additional weight. That's as much as my 9yo son and I'm pretty sure the current rig couldn't lift him. Where are my numbers wrong or do you really think this is doable? I realize the flight time of current batteries is low, but there aren't many other options. Perhaps supplemented with solar energy or at worst a gas-power motor with an alternator.
Maybe a pure cable would be too heavy, but Edison showed us that an aerodynamic cable would work. His aerodynamic cable was a kite on a wire. Insulate and hang on tight.
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A turbine engine can also be a generator if you build it that way. Microturbines are becoming fairly efficient...
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Technology marches on (Score:4, Insightful)
While this may not bare a commercial application in itself, it is still a big step forward in studying how robots can learn to react to each other as individuals while cooperating as a team. Again, while this implementation of the idea at hand may not directly have any obvious use other than research, it is that research and the basic premise behind it that will carry on into future applications we may not even understand yet. I know that there is a lot of research into autonomous cooperation between robots to achieve a goal, but this is stepping up the game.
As the years go by I am constantly fascinated as innovations and advancements in technology accelerate increasing rapidly. We are almost there, however, it has already become beyond impossible to understand just what 'there' will turn out to be. I think we'll know sooner than later.
the units talk to each other.. (Score:2)
so.. there's some central control. when they snap together they have comms going between. obviously, to make it fly any well at all.
Re:the units talk to each other.. (Score:4, Interesting)
Consider reading my above comment Technology marches on [slashdot.org]. It leads with a suggestion specifically addressing those who don't RTFA - take a look and follow the advice.
Today's SF theme: (Score:2)
The Invincible, by Stanislaw Lem [wikipedia.org]
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Obligatory - Legend of Voltron (Score:2)
Keith: Let's go, Voltron Force!
Keith: Form feet and legs; form arms and body; and I'll form the head!
Basically... (Score:2)
Someone watched the terminator movies and thought "self assembling robots that act as a team, have the ability to fly and determined to wipe out the human race? How can I get on the ground floor of this exciting new venture!"