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Self-Assembling Multi-Copter Demonstrates Networked Flight Control
cylonlover writes "Researchers at ETH Zurich have demonstrated an amazing capability for small robots to self-assemble and take to the air as a multi-rotor helicopter. Maximilian Kriegleder and Raymond Oung worked with Professor Raffaello D'Andrea at his research lab to develop the small hexagonal pods that assemble into flying rafts. The true accomplishment of this research is that there is not one robot in control – each unit in itself decides what actions to take to keep the group in the air in what's known as Distributed Flight Array."
Isn't this how Prey started out?
I don't have any particular reason to shit on this, since I think it's pretty cool, but I want to be a Slashdot hipster so I hate this and the people who made it are stupid and this is nothing new and I'm sure someone here made this back in 1996 but kept it quiet because they aren't an attention whore.
I for one, welcome our new self assembling robot overlords.
Wonder-Team-Multi-Copter SELF ASSEMBLE!
Distributed Flight Array = DFA aka Death From Above
Game over, man!
As the site is called "Gizmag" i urge all UK residents to read it while they still can. As I'm 100% certain that this will blocked under new anti porn laws that our Glorious Dictator will soon be installing.
It's a very misleading name, I couldn't find any Giz shots anywhere!
I am pretty sure they stole the idea from Stargate!
So what happens when it things some thing is in it way? will it self sacrifice an unit to knock some thing down with out even thinking about what damage that can do to others?
It is very interesting in a sense that it may allow to supply energy to the drone by cable from the ground.
,say, a car cigarette lighter socket is another story.
For example, to make imagery for cartography from the height of 1 or 2 kilometers. The problem of a battery is very short flying time. A cable from
A single quadrocopter has not enough stability for a cable.
For those who don't RTFA, I suggest you at least look at the 'summary' youtube video towards the bottom of the article, it's only a couple minutes long and is pretty awesome.
While this may not bare a commercial application in itself, it is still a big step forward in studying how robots can learn to react to each other as individuals while cooperating as a team. Again, while this implementation of the idea at hand may not directly have any obvious use other than research, it is that research and the basic premise behind it that will carry on into future applications we may not even understand yet. I know that there is a lot of research into autonomous cooperation between robots to achieve a goal, but this is stepping up the game.
As the years go by I am constantly fascinated as innovations and advancements in technology accelerate increasing rapidly. We are almost there, however, it has already become beyond impossible to understand just what 'there' will turn out to be. I think we'll know sooner than later.
Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
so.. there's some central control. when they snap together they have comms going between. obviously, to make it fly any well at all.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Does seem an interesting way to deliver multiple explosive charges over a small area.
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
The Invincible, by Stanislaw Lem
for one, welcome our new self-assembling, flying overlords.
"with no central leader and no command authority"
EXCEPT THE PERSON BUILDING AND PROGRAMMING THE ROBOTS.
"swarms of robots could enable a wide range of applications"
EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN *COULD* ENABLE A WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS
"there is no vulnerable central control unit"
ONCE AGAIN THE CENTRAL CONTROL UNIT IS THE PERSON DEPLOYING THE ROBOTS AND WHO HAS ROOT ACCESS TO THEM.
I'm sooooo very sick and tired of these cliche's about self-assembly and autonomy and "nature's wonderful organic spaghetti code." It's merely a transcended metaphor for socialism which remains permanently unfulfilled. There is no need to invent a strawman daydream for socialism. It already exists in every nation to varying degrees and in varying fields. Collectivizing our police forces will not improve them. See also The Tyranny of Structurelessness http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tyranny_of_Structurelessness
chaanel, y+ou might failure, its corpse
Would this have implications for networking real helicopters to lift loads too large for a single one to handle?
Keith: Ready to form Voltron! Activate interlocks! Dyna-therms connected. Infra-cells up; mega-thrusters are go!
Keith: Let's go, Voltron Force!
Keith: Form feet and legs; form arms and body; and I'll form the head!
Someone watched the terminator movies and thought "self assembling robots that act as a team, have the ability to fly and determined to wipe out the human race? How can I get on the ground floor of this exciting new venture!"
These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
I expected von-Neumann killer robots.
Why not pesticides, or irrigation or anything remotely constructive?