Slashdot Mirror
Hummingbird-Size Wing-Flapping Drone Unveiled
garymortimer writes "AeroVironment, Inc. has demonstrated a tiny new drone called a 'Nano Hummingbird.' The hand-made prototype aircraft has a wingspan of 16 centimeters (6.5 inches) tip-to-tip and has a total flying weight of 19 grams (2/3 ounce), which is less than the weight of a common AA battery. This includes all the systems required for flight; batteries, motors, communications systems and video camera. The aircraft can be fitted with a removable body fairing, which is shaped to have the appearance of a real hummingbird. The aircraft is larger and heavier than an average hummingbird, but is smaller and lighter than the largest hummingbird currently found in nature."
It's amazing how much control they appear to have over the thing. I feel lucky when I can get my RC helicopter to go anywhere near the general direction that I want. And especially outdoors! The very slight breeze outside makes toy helicopter impossible to fly, but it seems like they have complete control.
It's chunky, but not obese.
The largest hummingbird species are bigger and heavier than the drone, but the average of all the hummingbird species is smaller and lighter than the drone. So, while it's bigger than what a hummingbird is likely to be, it is not so big that it couldn't possibly be disguised as a hummingbird.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
Car metaphors are so last week, so here's a fast food metaphor:
It's bigger than a medium but smaller than a large.
Thanks for clearing that up for me.
Will these be available for Christmas this year, or next year?
"The aircraft is larger and heavier than an average hummingbird, but is smaller and lighter than the largest hummingbird currently found in nature." --- I don't really get that sentence, can someone explain?
If the average hummingbird is 1 unit in weight, and the world record heaviest hummingbird is 2 units in weight, the mechanical one weighs 1.5 units.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
The aircraft is bigger and has more mass than the mean(average) hummingbird. The aircraft is not quite as large as the largest hummingbird, nor does it mass more than the heaviest hummingbird.
Based on the current crop of micro RC helicopters, I'd be surprised if this gizmo has enough battery life for more than 10-15 minutes of flight. Any real-world James Bond types out there care to chime in as to whether this is going to be sufficient to support a real-world mission?
Sounds like it would be a lot of fun for messing with coworkers in the cube farm though.
These could be used to follow around truant kids and determine whether they are going to school or not.
There are multiple species of hummingbird. A few of them are common in north america, but there are less-common species, as well. Hummingbirds are rather remarkable, being the most maneuverable group of birds (ever seen a bird fly backwards?)
--TheOrangeSquid Is it any wonder things seem so awry? We swim in a sea of confusion and don't have to think to survive
Hummingbirds range in size from very small to not so small. While this aircraft is larger than the average size hummingbird found in nature, there are real hummingbirds that are larger.
. ---> o ---> O
hb aircft big hb
African or European coconut?
The number hummingbird?
--- If the bible proves the existence of God, then Superman comics prove the existence of Superman.
What next - video fruit-flies that can shoot tiny rockets?
Video fruit-flies that upload to a large and persistent database of surveillance footage, indexed by your identity, location, and time.
You will really get creeped out when they unveil the robotic tape worms.
I thought nano meant, like, really small i.e. nanometers....this thing sounds pretty large, for calling it nano...
They should make one with weapons capability, like something you'd expect to see in a James Bond film. they could use some kind of laser, but I don't think it would have enough power to life the necessary shark. Maybe they could strap a Colt 45 to it (no not the drink, the gun). That would be cool (BLAM!! followed by a spray of hummingbird shaped parts).
Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
One step closer to developing actual man hacks, from half life two. All that has to happen now is for the military to get a hold of this tech.
It means it's larger than the European Hummingbird but smaller than the African Hummingbird...
not really it will probably be the only way to cure obseity in america.
The robot tape worm destroys the food while it is in your system allowing you to eat and drink more with less effects
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
Jesus Christ look at that HUGE hummingbird! Why does it have a muffler? ... DUCK!
Tiger Blooded Bi-Winning Machine
Could two of them carry a coconut?
And the size comparisons, were those for African or European hummingbirds?
Let's say that hummingbirds come in sizes (or weights) 1 to 5.
Average sized hummingbird would then be the sum of those sizes, divided by the number of sizes available. I.e. (1+2+3+4+5)/5 = 3
So the "average hummingbird size" would be 3, while the largest hummingbird size would be 5.
So, if this artificial hummingbird is "larger and heavier than an average hummingbird, but is smaller and lighter than the largest hummingbird currently found in nature" - that means that it's size is somewhere between 3 and 5.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
So, while it's bigger than what a hummingbird is likely to be, it is not so big that it couldn't possibly be disguised as a hummingbird.
And in particular, there are quite a few hummingbird species of about that size, and the largest species, the appropriately named Giant Hummingbird is significantly bigger. So "smaller than the largest hummingbird" isn't some kind of cop-out phrase where there's one such example in the Andes mountains but everywhere else it's too big to be a hummer.
But in some places it certainly would be too big. For example in the Eastern United States, the only hummingbird is the small Ruby Throated, and seeing something about twice its size flitting and hovering around would probably just draw more attention to it. So how well it blends in will depend in part on where it is deployed. Oh, and whether or not there are any bird-watchers around to say "gee that thing is bigger than I expected, let me take a closer look with binoculars". Somehow I doubt they're expecting their subterfuge to work in that kind of circumstance.
In any case, this drone is pretty freaking sweet.
The enemies of Democracy are
Here's a youtube video of the drone meeting several of these criteria. http://youtu.be/a8ZbtZqH6Io
Bleem x 2
Different species of hummingbirds come in different sizes. An "average" hummingbird is smaller than this drone, but at least one species of hummingbirds is capable of growing larger than the drone.
Seems pretty logical to me.
I'm honestly shocked that "more than average, less than maximum" is confusing so many people. Okay, maybe the sentence is difficult to parse (I didn't find it so, but whatever), but it is not illogical in the least.
The enemies of Democracy are
A genetically engineered fruit fly designed to injects prions into a selected target (assassination a-la carte).
You're right, it does look wrong when it's flying forward quickly. It's appearance when flying slowly, or up, or backwards, etc, which are essentially variations on hovering, aren't that bad, but certainly if you watched it for any length of time it's unnatural nature would be apparent.
The enemies of Democracy are
Regardless, if I see a hummingbird this big, I'm getting a net. They just aren't common around my secret lair.
Nope. That sentence was perfectly constructed.
... Iran has recently placed orders for thousands of high speed oscillating fans to, "keep their government buildings free hummingbird infestations".
//TODO: create a signature
No real world James Bond would need it for more than 15 minuets, nor want to be engaged in operating an expensive remote machine manually for any extended period of time. Real world james bond's have a way of being where they need to be only long enough to get what they need and get out. The plain light as well be equipt with a physical object acquisition hand as well, sense the trouble of navigating it back to you should be most worth while. Having it Auto fly back to it's handset or have options of loiter or disperse would really truly make it most usefull. Auto emergency land when it's out of battery... and ultimately any code or weightlessness avaliable to leverage the advanced mechanical nature of the device. Including helium and mylar. if the added drag wouldn't reduce the benefit. AND auto power collection. Via ambient quanta solar. Hide functionality... basically if it were like a mechanical bat that would be perfect. I've always dreamed of such a machine. Package has been intercepted. This Vialectronic Homing Pigeon will self destruct, speak password... self destructing... speak password... three... two... two and a half....
The grandparent post is, however, a perfect example of Star Trek "logic" which most of the time is, in fact, illogical.
I mean, come on. Half the time they interpret "logical" as meaning "only do things that have a 100% chance of success, do nothing otherwise" (if there's a 50% chance we'll blow up after reticulating the deflector array, that's still the logical course of action if the only other option is a 100% chance of explosion from not dispersing the negative space wedgie!), and the other half of the time it means "emotions don't exist, despite the measurable effect of crew morale on ship efficiency".
God, that always pissed me off so much.
Wish I had the mod points for it.
Tweet, tweet.
That looks like an awesome skeet target. And I'm sure anyone being observed by one in a warzone will agree.
[End Of Line]
This can be a pretty life saving thing for the good guys, and devastating to the other side -- who's going to shoot at a bird? Sure, they'll figure it out, but that's not an easy target, and shooting also tells you where the bad guy is pretty close.
Why guess when you can know? Measure!
Methinks it's time to dust off the crowbar again :)
Once I was a four stone apology. Now I am two separate gorillas.
Ever seen hummingbirds fight? They're likely engineering a larger hummingbird that can out-joust the smaller formerly largest hummingbirds.
I've seen too many dead hummingbirds with beak-sized holes through their throats to think otherwise.
"The aircraft is larger and heavier than an average hummingbird, but is smaller and lighter than the largest hummingbird currently found in nature." [I think] This qualifies it as USDA organic...
"has a wingspan of 16 centimeters (6.5 inches) tip-to-tip and has a total flying weight of 19 grams (2/3 ounce)," Color me bad, but I think that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry may be able to claim prior art: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quidditch#Golden_Snitch
That is both horrifyingly plausible, and obscene.
Could the thing perhaps package up the food and deliver it to starving people?
"The aircraft is larger and heavier than an average hummingbird, but is smaller and lighter than the largest hummingbird currently found in nature." --- I don't really get that sentence, can someone explain?
Sure, it means that he aircraft is larger and heavier than an average hummingbird, but is smaller and lighter than the largest hummingbird currently found in nature.
Or cross between Harry Potter and James Bond.
I'm honestly shocked that "more than average, less than maximum" is confusing so many people. Okay, maybe the sentence is difficult to parse (I didn't find it so, but whatever), but it is not illogical in the least.
"Not illogical", eh? The writer was trying to give us a sense of the scale of this device. Usually, this is done by referring to something simple and direct—like maybe the traditional "smaller than a breadbox, bigger than a pack of cigarettes". But our author strikes directly for familiar ground—the average and extreme weights of hummingbirds. Right, I know all about that. On the one hand, you have those really small, pip-squeak hummingbirds that you can mistake for wasps. On the other, we have Ricky The Ridiculously Obese, a Hogwart's courier who weighs in at 18.3756 ounces (unloaded), and delivers his messages for a very small charge, as he is completely flightless. OK, now how big is the flying machine? Um...who knows? Smaller than Ricky I guess. Bigger than a bug.
Great men are almost always bad men--Lord Acton's Corollary
I believe, good sir, that if you were to examine the bong in your hand you would observe the following warning label: "Caution: Usage of the wacky tobbacky may alter one's sense of what is or isn't logical."
And if there isn't one, it was clearly an omission on the part of the Surgeon General and you should add it yourself. :)
But in not entirely all seriousness, there isn't exactly a tremendous range of hummingbird sizes, and anyone with any humming bird experience should have at least a ball-park idea of how big this machine is, which is being compared to a hummingbird because that's what it's supposed to be. Oh and Ricky isn't obese, he weights 18.3756 grams and is a Giant Hummingbird and quite a capable flyer, thank you very much.
The enemies of Democracy are