Unmanned Aircraft Clustered via Bluetooth

Posted by timothy on Monday May 16, 2005 @05:12PM from the zip-around-the-room dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers at the University of Essex are using Linux and tiny embedded computer modules to build fleets of unmanned aircraft that fly in flocking formations like birds, while performing parallel, distributed computing tasks using Bluetooth-connected Linux clustering software. The Gridswarm project includes model trainers that can fly 120mph, while a parallel Ultraswarm project uses co-axial helicopters. A prototype of the later is believed to the world's smallest flying web server. The aircraft will run Linux on embedded computing modules from Gumstix."

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this is cool by qurk · 2005-05-16 18:52 · Score: 0, Troll

As long as it isn't being run on a Microsoft Windows platform. I'd have issues if this flock of aircraft was being run on the same OS that asked me repeatedly if I was sure I wanted to do this, then did the opposite, wiping out all my data. Please, lord, please, don't let the drones and whatever aircraft of the future be run by microsoft software. PLEASE. Q