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A Drone Helicopter That Can Land On a Moving Truck

Posted by timothy on from the perfect-for-the-next-terminator-movie dept.

garymortimer writes with a story (the accompanying video is worth watching) of an unmanned helicopter than can automatically land on a moving surface. Though it's shown landing on a bed of a moving truck, the real purpose is for sea-based use: "This automatic system for take-off, landing and deck-landing of UAVs is the fruit of the joint expertise of Thales and DCNS. Thales is responsible for the positioning system and its interface with the UAV system, the supply of a UAV demonstrator system and slaving of the flight path along a trajectory. DCNS is responsible for predicting the vessel motions, the harpoon system as well as the interface and integration with the vessel."

3 of 60 comments (clear)

  1. perspective by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    http://xkcd.com/652/

    "We live in a world where there are actual fleets of robot assassins patrolling the skies. At some point there, we left the present and entered the future."

  2. So what... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    We at Higheye b.v. did the exact same thing with DCNS years ago..
    at sea...
    on a moving barge...
    and our HE80 VTOL UAV.

    The test was largely successful even under rougher than expected sea, yes this was in international water by the coast of France.
    If you are looking for the website we are dutch.

    EJ Goeree
    Former Chief Engineer
    Higheye b.v.

  3. Re:Nice start by RicktheBrick · · Score: 5, Interesting

    1. Attach cable from ship to the helicopter. 2. Helicopter goes to full throttle. 3. Make cable as taut as possible. 4. Pull the helicopter down onto the deck. Under these conditions if the deck suddenly rises up a couple of feet the helicopter will respond by rising up a couple of feet too. This is how the US Navy does it today.