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Archive for the ‘drones’ category: Page 148

Nov 3, 2016

Who really invented Iraq’s ‘Al Robot’ combat drone?

Posted by in categories: drones, robotics/AI

https://youtube.com/watch?v=wn0ylHNCr0c

Iraqi militia forces debuted an unmanned ground combat vehicle this week — but was it really invented by two nameless Iraqi brothers?

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Oct 30, 2016

Boeing Unveils Amazing, Slightly Terrifying New Electromagnetic Pulse Weapon — The Motley Fool

Posted by in categories: drones, military

With pinpoint accuracy, this electronic warfare drone can black out opposing forces at will.

Bds Champ Boeing’s “CHAMP” (Counter-electronics High-powered Microwave Advanced Missile Project) is a one-missile, flying blackout. Image source: Boeing.

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Oct 29, 2016

Video Friday: Russian Android, Swarm User Interface, and Robot Drone Man

Posted by in categories: drones, robotics/AI

Your weekly selection of awesome robot videos.

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Oct 23, 2016

This artificially intelligent camera drone can follow its subjects around

Posted by in categories: drones, robotics/AI

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Oct 22, 2016

A Bird’s Eye View Courtesy of Virtual Reality

Posted by in categories: drones, virtual reality

Check out the world from a drone’s perspective.

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Oct 20, 2016

Drone receives wireless power, on the fly

Posted by in categories: drones, energy

Given that the battery life of most multicopter drones typically doesn’t exceed 30 minutes of flight time per charge, there are many tasks that they simply can’t perform. Feeding them power through a hard-wired tether is one option, although that only works for applications where they’re hovering in place. Scientists at Imperial College London, however, are developing an alternative – they’re wirelessly transferring power to a drone as it’s flying.

For their study, the scientists started with an off-the-shelf mini quadcopter. They proceeded to remove its battery, add a copper coil to its body, and alter its electronics.

The researchers also built a separate transmitting platform that uses a circuit board, power source and copper coil of its own to produce a magnetic field. When placed near that platform, the drone’s coil acts as a receiving antenna for that magnetic field, inducing an alternating electrical current. The quadcopter’s rejigged electronics then convert that alternating current to direct current, which is used to power its flight.

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Oct 13, 2016

Quantum film sensor stops delivery drones crashing into things

Posted by in categories: drones, military, quantum physics

A sensor that uses infrared laser light and quantum film detects objects up to 20 metres away, helping drones to dodge collisions.

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Oct 7, 2016

Verizon trials drones as flying cell towers to plug holes in internet coverage

Posted by in categories: drones, internet, robotics/AI

Verizon has joined the likes of Facebook, Google and fellow telecommunications giant AT&T in exploring the potential of internet-connected unmanned aircraft. While its vision involves expanding 4G coverage across the US, it has an immediate focus on shoring up communications for first responders in emergency situations, and recently carried out trials to that effect.

Verizon has dubbed the initiative Airborne LTE Operations (ALO) and says it has actually been in the pipeline for around two years. The company has been working to integrate internet connectivity into unmanned aerial vehicles and hook them up to its 4G network, daisy chaining coverage and beaming it down to unconnected areas in the process. This is similar to how Facebook hopes its Aquila drones will work.

Verizon recently teamed up with company American Aerospace Technologies to see how using drones as gliding cell towers could have an impact in disaster relief scenarios. In a simulated mission in New Jersey, the team set a drone with a 17-foot (5.2 m) wingspan in flight to put the onboard technologies through their paces.

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Oct 6, 2016

Project Originally Funded By DARPA Seeks To Replace Bees With Tiny, Winged Robots

Posted by in categories: drones, food, information science, internet, military, mobile phones, robotics/AI, transhumanism

Got a bee shortage? No problem, DARPA has you covered.


Following the news that the honeybee is now officially an endangered species as “colony collapse disorder” accelerates, it seems that a Harvard research team has the solution – robotic honeybees. Instead of attempting to save the bees by reducing the use of pesticides or revising safety standards for cell phone radiation, the focus has shifted to replacing the bees altogether. Harvard University researchers, led by engineering professor Robert Wood have been tweaking “RoboBees” since their initial introduction in 2009. The bee-sized robots made of titanium and plastic represent a breakthrough in the field of micro-aerial vehicles. The size of the components needed to create flying robots were previously too heavy to make a such a small structure lightweight enough to achieve flight. Current models weigh only 80 mg and have been fitted with sensors that detect light and wind velocity.

Researchers claim that the bees could artificially pollinate entire fields of crops and will soon be able to be programmed to live in an artificial hive, coordinate algorithms and communicate among themselves about methods of pollination and the locations of particular crops. In addition, RoboBees have been suggested for other uses including searching disaster sites for survivors, monitoring traffic, and “military and police applications.” These applications could include using RoboBees to “scout for insurgents” on battlefields abroad or allowing police and SWAT teams to use the micro-robots to gather footage inside buildings.

Continue reading “Project Originally Funded By DARPA Seeks To Replace Bees With Tiny, Winged Robots” »

Oct 5, 2016

The UK military wants your ideas for how to build swarms of attack drones

Posted by in categories: drones, military

https://youtube.com/watch?v=8FukTsKmXOo

What’s that buzzing sound?

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