Posted on 02/04/2012 9:49:45 AM PST by Sprite518
Part I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQIMGV5vtd4
Part II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geqip_0Vjec
Part III
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-dkonAXOlQ
That said, they are a little freaky. Can you imagine those things weaponized?
You nailed it on the head! That’s exactly where these Smart Drones are going!
Looks like the military is going full Drones. I guess they are a lot cheaper than people. The only Civilian application I can see these things are as cops. It’s crazy to think about?
I’m having a tough time deciding which is more fascinating.
Mini quadrotors flying in formation, or a virtual cyber babe warning us about quadrotors flying in formation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF5LqKj6MMU
Gotta say she’s way hotter than Max Headroom. :D
This gets a lot wilder in a hurry.
While conventional formations like this are relatively easy to imagine, the goal of this is what is called “swarm technology”, which covers a heck of a lot of concepts.
1) Imagine hundreds of such devices flying in concert, yet avoiding collisions with each other and objects. They have a very complex formation, like a swarm of bees.
2) As a group they have one or more missions to accomplish, say with each of them carrying a small amount of high explosives, with each of dozens of targets getting a maximum of three collision explosions.
3) For a harder target, say an armored door or lid, 2 or three dozen may land and stick to it while others land. Then they detonate simultaneously.
4) Once outside of radio control, say in a cave or building, they become autonomous, with a seek out and destroy mission.
A lot of potential, here.
The flying car at last ?
Bingo!
This is probably our future military. I don’t know say 20 years from now.
Ping for later viewing.
Perhaps the microchips in these things might be used for future Smart cars?
Each video is less than 2 minutes.
Yep. She’s hot! I could handle being locked in an underground bunker with her.
I’m thinking maybe she’s more fascinating.
An almost perfect smile and squint after she says “conquer the world...”.
Someone’s done some pretty remarkable programming there. Seems the programmer has the capability for custom coding words and expressions quickly, to have already posted the Youtube response via the application with the virtual woman presenting concerns to us, based on the quadrotor video which is new.
Hat tip to the programmer. Impressive.
Very impressive.
Imagine a flight of unmanned attack helicopters!
20 years? Who says it isn’t here now?
Theories as to how this is done?
Note the very bright lights on the video. Most digital cameras are sensitive to IR light, and those emitters are there for a reason. While the quadrotors obviously have an IMU onboard, low-cost IMUs have so much drift they could not hold precision for more than a few seconds, and there is no precision GPS inside buildings like this. My guess is the craft are all controlled within a virtual reality space that is created by video cameras lining the walls. In other words, a very cool demo but not something you can scale up to work outdoors, etc, without bringing in a new form of spacial location technology.
Found this article that partially confirms my theory and shows what’s next:
Future experiments will replace the “indoor motion capture systems” with an on-board GPS with onboard GPS having 10-20cm accuracy and develop compensation for wind, RF interference etc. Definitely one of the coolest things I’ve seen!
This might be one of my most favorite Onion videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4eEVhoohtI
There was a movie like this a few years ago.
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