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Competition Tests Student-Built Aerial Espionage Robots

Posted by samzenpus on from the eye-in-the-sky dept.

Zothecula writes "Some of the most advanced work in autonomous aerial robotics is not done by DARPA, or by massive corporations. Rather, it is accomplished by teams of university students who participate in the International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC). For the past 23 years, the IARC has challenged college teams with missions requiring complex autonomous robotic behaviors that are often beyond the capabilities of even the most sophisticated military robots. This year's competition, which was held in China and the United States over the past week, saw the team from Tsinghua University in Beijing successfully complete the current mission – an elaborate espionage operation known as Mission Six."

11 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. What could go wrong? by DavidClarkeHR · · Score: 3, Funny

    Seriously. What could go wrong?

    --
    - Nec Impar Pluribus, or so I'm told.
    1. Re:What could go wrong? by Xicor · · Score: 1

      well... they couldnt POSSIBLY use more drones than they already do

    2. Re:What could go wrong? by pegasustonans · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Seriously. What could go wrong?

      You're ten years too late.

      Whatever could possibly go wrong is already definitely going wrong.

      --
      And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. --Will
    3. Re:What could go wrong? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      Seriously. What could go wrong?

      Nothing. But a lot of things could fly wrong in this case.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    4. Re:What could go wrong? by xclr8r · · Score: 1

      What could go wrong? FPS Russia could get a hold of a real one with a machine gun and self destruction charge.

      www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNPJMk2fgJU

      --
      Beware of those who profit off the docile and persecute the unbelievers.
  2. Sorority Row Tested Yet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Fraternity Row asks,,,

    Coming to a campus near you soon, the modern replacement for the Blue Box, part time manufacturing and maintenance jobs for Geeks.

  3. Oh boy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Just what we need more of.

  4. Incredible battery life. Expensive? by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

    Wow-- looked like 4 "video camera" sized batteries hanging down from the robot.

    It seemed very slow and tentative- I bet in a few years it will be as fast as a human.

    Wonder if it could have some some kind of hovercraft effect to save battery life once it got inside.

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  5. Re:Incredible battery life. Expensive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Those aren't batteries. The battery is mounted horizontally under the center of the quadcopter. The oval white shape between the two red pieces of tape marking the front of the robot is a hole in the shrinkwrap tubing of the battery.

  6. Ender's Game by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

    Oh, come on. We were all thinking it.

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
  7. Re:Why did Slashdot take down the Lavabit article? by Fnord666 · · Score: 1

    Still available just fine as far as I cal tell.

    --
    'The tyrant will always find pretext for his tyranny.' - Aesop's Fables