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Japanese Military Invents Tumbling, Flying Sphere

Posted by Soulskill on from the didn't-darth-vader-have-one-of-these dept.

thebchuckster writes "A Japanese developer has released a cool, new sphere that is billed as being able to go where humans can't. The sphere is 17-inches, features eight movable rudders, and can hover in the air for at least eight minutes. While reaching speeds of up to 37 miles per hour, the sphere deftly moves through the air without much effort. It doesn't take much to get it up in the air and moving, and it will be adept at going into tight areas."

9 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. And for "Medical" Uses... by TheWanderingHermit · · Score: 4, Funny

    And if you stick a really nasty looking syringe on it, it makes a great Deathstar interrogation system.

    1. Re:And for "Medical" Uses... by Databass · · Score: 4, Funny

      Soon we will have nothing to fear but sphere itself.

  2. One man, consumer parts by mtrachtenberg · · Score: 4, Interesting

    TFA sounds like this is one guy working with consumer parts. I wonder what an American military subcontractor would want to develop this.

    1. Re:One man, consumer parts by mtrachtenberg · · Score: 4, Insightful

      When one failed, you could roll out the next. Or you could triple the price to better the specs.

      $1,390 is less than the cost of taking a congresscrook to "dinner" to show them your proposal for a $100 million version of this.

  3. I saw this thing and immediately thought... by kylemonger · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ... of the copseyes from Niven's "Cloak of Anarchy". Add some of these to incapacitate and you've got a menacing little bot.

  4. Quiditch anyone? by kmdrtako · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now we just need flying broomsticks.

  5. Re:Trojan on linked site by Soulskill · · Score: 4, Informative

    Updated with a new link, just in case.

  6. Re:Invention? by l0ungeb0y · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Oh FFS, so he's supposed to mine for rare earths and smelt his own exotic materials in order to say he INVENTED something?
    Look, he DESIGNED and ASSEMBLED something that did not exist before. If you don't consider that inventing, you're just a dumb-ass.

    BTW: what have you invented?
    I got good money that says fuck all.

  7. Re:hmm by countertrolling · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Well, let's see... A quadrotor requires four motors to fly.. The chances failure of any one of them is far higher, and will ruin your whole day. The props are exposed. That's obviously a problem. On the other hand, with this you can lose a few, or even most of the rudder servos and keep on going. All the works, especially the props are protectively caged from foreign objects. The center of gravity makes it more stable, A sphere is nice, but a cube would work well also. Either way, this design looks to be the simplest, most reliable you will find. Don't knock it.

    --
    For justice, we must go to Don Corleone