(Source: popsci.com) There’s a reason it’s Spider-Man and not Superman who climbs up the walls of buildings: Superman can fly instead. But the KAIST Urban Robotics Lab in South Korea wants to turn flying quadcopters into wall-crawling robots that could wash windows and inspect infrastructure. The result is kind of awkward. While dedicated wall-climbing robots may do the … [Read more...] about Watch This Drone Climb a Wall
Popular Science
The Threat Drones Pose to Airplanes is Smaller Than You Think
(Source: popsci.com) We already know what happens when a bird hits a drone, and we know what can happen when birds hit airliners, but what about a drone colliding with a commercial jet? Published last December, a study theorized that small drones--those weighing about the same as birds--posed no more risk to airplanes than the birds themselves. (That study was … [Read more...] about The Threat Drones Pose to Airplanes is Smaller Than You Think
China Shows off Holographic Ground Control System for Drones
(Source: popsci.com) AVIC, China's top aerospace manufacturer, is finding unexpected but sci-fi inspired ways to push the drone technological envelope. The Holographic Ground Control System (GCS) displays a holographic image of the drone, making it easier for the controller to intuitively understand UAV operations, by fusing together flight parameters, payload monitoring, … [Read more...] about China Shows off Holographic Ground Control System for Drones
Snake Robots And Quadcopter Frankenstein-ed Together
(Source: popsci.com) Rescue robots are better when they travel in packs. Snake bots, slithering like their reptilian namesakes, are great at crawling through narrow spaces, but they're fairly slow. Quadcopter drones can quickly fly over and around obstacles, but once on the ground they can’t too much besides take off again. A new chimera-like creation, from the Modular … [Read more...] about Snake Robots And Quadcopter Frankenstein-ed Together
That’s Flying Teamwork: Drones Working in Swarms
Although it may sound like a summer blockbuster (no doubt starring Jason Statham) the concept of “The Drone Swarm” is not as scary as it sounds and may even improve quality of life. Swarming, insect-sized UAVs can be deployed (sometimes autonomously) for search-and-rescue, agriculture and may even one day replace human-directed military actions. The University of … [Read more...] about That’s Flying Teamwork: Drones Working in Swarms
