Posted on 02/02/2012 4:55:44 AM PST by ShadowAce
The General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab, located at the University of Pennsylvania, is already well known for its work with quadrotors. In the past the quadrotor research team has managed to get a quadrotor flying aggressively, meaning it could land on angled surfaces and maneuver through small windows at high speed. Then the quadrotors were taught to work together to build a tower structure.
A new video posted by the GRASP Lab shows that development of quadrotors isn’t slowing down. Alex Kushleyev, Daniel Mellinger, and Vijay Kumar have advanced the quadrotor’s behavior to the point where they now can carry out some quite complex autonomous swarm behavior.
In the video below, teams of up to 20 nano quadrotors demonstrate movement in multiple formations. First of all we get to see formation flight where each autonomous quadrotor manages to hold their position in the formation perfectly during movement. Formations can also transition between many 3D shapes.
The intelligence of the swarm is such that formation flight can take into consideration obstacles. So, for example, 20 quadrotors flying in a 4 x 5 formation will automatically adjust their positions to travel through a small gap such as a window. Once through the gap they will move back into formation.
The nano quadrotors have been developed by KMel Robotics, but few specifics are known about their make up. The aggressive movement of the quadrotors is impressive, but it’s their ability to work autonomously and as a team that will get most people, and companies, excited.
Could be used to infiltrate a building and deliver shaped charges to vaults, entry points, eliminate personnel, detonate explosives or deliver tear gas. Maybe for surveillance of hostages of elimination of threats in a hostage situation by delivering a taser shot.
Does anyone know contact info about KMel Robotics?
I want to go work for them
this is too cool
You think that machines sophisticated enough to be a threat to us would be unable to operate a power plant, factory, etc? Or compel humans to do so for them?
Well, that is what I thought.... Sort of like the little red wagons that our grandparents played with in the 30’s. They were called Radio Flyers, because well, radio was the new hot thing.....
http://kmelrobotics.com/
kmelrobotics@gmail.com
Don't a lot of sci-fi/horror movies start that way?
Yes.
There’s one in every crowd. The middle one in the second column from the left in the top picture is evidently an individualist flying to his own drum.
Shades of Eureka
Cheers!
See “The Matrix”.
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