by bvonahsen » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:35 pm
via boingboing<br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/2905/imagesfourvehiclescloseupnn2.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><br>Wednesday, September 27, 2006<br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2006/09/27/micro_air_vehicles_t.html"><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Micro air vehicles that cooperate</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--></a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br>MIT researchers are using tricked-out model helicopters, each about the size of a seagull, to demonstrate swarming behavior in unmanned micro-air vehicles (drones). According to Aeronautics and Astronautics professor Jonathan How, they're focusing on techniques for "persistent surveillance." A group of drones could act as a distributed eye-in-the-sky for a military convoy with the vehicles taking turns landing on a truck for recharging in a docking station. <br><br> From New Scientist:<br><br> In the indoor tests, up to five radio-controlled helicopters are being used to collaboratively track small ground vehicles and land on the back of small moving platforms.<br><br> A video shows one of the vehicles landing on a moving truck, while using a camera to lock onto the target and landing pad.<br><br> In another experiment, each UAV was programmed to automatically land on a stationary recharging station when running low on battery power. Another video shows two aircraft working together to track a moving ground vehicle. The UAVs automatically take turns tracking the target at low altitude.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <br><br>Reminds me of this:<br><br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/2038/guardianqf0.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><br>and this:<br><br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/854/orbhighlightsv2dj7.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><br>Remember, they are always at least 20 years ahead. <p></p><i></i>