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Stanford's Flying Fish Glider

Posted by samzenpus on from the sailing-away dept.

Zothecula writes "Researchers at Stanford University have developed a small 'aircraft' that resembles a flying fish which can jump and glide over a greater distance than an equivalent jumping robot. Using a carbon fiber spring to take off, the jumpglider has a pivoting wing that stays out of the way during ascent, but which locks into place to glide farther on the way down."

12 comments

  1. I like it! by DeathGrippe · · Score: 2

    Sounds like it might benefit from a brushless motor, sartorial legs and RC control.

    1. Re:I like it! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

      Dear DeathGrippe (2906227),

        Typing your entire comment in monospace is like annoying.
        Please stop.

      Signed,
      -Everyone

    2. Re:I like it! by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 3, Funny

      Dear DeathGrippe (2906227),

      Typing your entire comment in monospace is like annoying. Please stop.

      Signed, -Everyone

      Be compassionate with font-blind users. He's typing it from Links2 on a 486SX over SSH. He doesn't see the difference.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    3. Re:I like it! by flyingfsck · · Score: 1

      Be excuse him and be a little more compassionate. The poor sod is using a Nokia Microsoft Phone.

      --
      Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
  2. The most important question. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Can it carry a coconut?

  3. Oh yeah, that's interesting too... by RandomStr · · Score: 1

    Upon reading the title I was expecting a cellular automaton glider.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_automaton

    The engineer in me can appreciate the effort though...

  4. See hand-thrown RC gliders by advid.net · · Score: 1

    Seen on international glider contest:

    A RC glider launched by hand upright stays high for minutes.

    some random example of glidder thrown upright

    The Stanford's has moving wings that lock but its design doesn't seem to help a lot when we see other fixed wings gliders performance.

    1. Re:See hand-thrown RC gliders by JStyle · · Score: 1

      The difference here is that the glider launches itself and carries the launching mechanism with it. It likely can't launch itself over and over without human input though. I'm sure they can learn a lot from RC airframe design.

  5. A picture is worth 1000 words by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    where's the video?

  6. Picking at nits by DeathGrippe · · Score: 1

    <quote>

    <quote><p>Dear DeathGrippe (2906227),</p><p>
    Typing your entire comment in <tt>monospace</tt> is like annoying.

    <tt>Please stop.</tt> </p><p>Signed,
    -Everyone</p></quote>

    <p>Be compassionate with font-blind users. He's typing it from Links2 on a 486SX over SSH. He doesn't see the difference.</p></quote>

    <blink>All of my Comments and posts are in the default fonts provided by Firefox on an Alienware laptop.  If you've got a problem with that, I'd appreciate direct advice as to how to type to meet your standards.  Or, are you unhappy because I'm not using html tags and you're reading the posts on a crt using Lynx?</blink>