perocity
06-09-2010, 06:54 PM
It conjures up a rather frightening vision of a future where intelligent robots work in packs without the need for human intervention.
But scientists are developing robots which can 'dock' with each other and fly together in a swarm.
Using infrared beams the drones are able to find each others' location and connect with one another using magnets, completely autonomously.
Scroll down to watch a video of the robot swarm in flight
7212
The four drones takeoff under their own power and exchange information using infrared
The robots exchange information and combine this with their own sensor measurements to determine how much thrust is needed for take-off.
When the flight is over, the robots are able to simply detach their magnetic docking system and separate and drop to the ground where they can drive away.
Even if the robots were attacked they are able to detach from each other and then find one another and reform on the ground.
If the array’s level flight is disturbed, each vehicle individually determines the amount of thrust required to correct for the disturbance based on its own position.
While it is only a research project at the moment the 'Distributed Flight Array' can, in theory, be scaled up to contain any number of individual robots.
The system would be extremely useful for carrying large loads that are too heavy for individual robots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iHZKMDvdNI
The individual vehicles - or quadrocopters - have fixed propellers that can lift them into the air, but the resulting flight is erratic and uncontrolled.
But once they are joined together these relatively simple little robots evolve into a sophisticated multi-propeller system capable of coordinated flight.
Each helicopter unit has its own motor, computer, and sensors.
As well as a mini-propellor duct system for flying they also have little wheels underneath to let them crawl around the ground and find each other.
The group is able to keep itself level by using altitude sensors in each robot which speak to each other using infrared to make sure the flight is even.
Even if one of the robots in the swarm fails, the others are able to reposition themselves to keep the aircraft flying.
The exciting breakthrough is being developed by researches at the Swiss Institute of Technology in Zurich.
7213
The self-contained modules can join together for take-off before separating to continue on the ground
But scientists are developing robots which can 'dock' with each other and fly together in a swarm.
Using infrared beams the drones are able to find each others' location and connect with one another using magnets, completely autonomously.
Scroll down to watch a video of the robot swarm in flight
7212
The four drones takeoff under their own power and exchange information using infrared
The robots exchange information and combine this with their own sensor measurements to determine how much thrust is needed for take-off.
When the flight is over, the robots are able to simply detach their magnetic docking system and separate and drop to the ground where they can drive away.
Even if the robots were attacked they are able to detach from each other and then find one another and reform on the ground.
If the array’s level flight is disturbed, each vehicle individually determines the amount of thrust required to correct for the disturbance based on its own position.
While it is only a research project at the moment the 'Distributed Flight Array' can, in theory, be scaled up to contain any number of individual robots.
The system would be extremely useful for carrying large loads that are too heavy for individual robots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iHZKMDvdNI
The individual vehicles - or quadrocopters - have fixed propellers that can lift them into the air, but the resulting flight is erratic and uncontrolled.
But once they are joined together these relatively simple little robots evolve into a sophisticated multi-propeller system capable of coordinated flight.
Each helicopter unit has its own motor, computer, and sensors.
As well as a mini-propellor duct system for flying they also have little wheels underneath to let them crawl around the ground and find each other.
The group is able to keep itself level by using altitude sensors in each robot which speak to each other using infrared to make sure the flight is even.
Even if one of the robots in the swarm fails, the others are able to reposition themselves to keep the aircraft flying.
The exciting breakthrough is being developed by researches at the Swiss Institute of Technology in Zurich.
7213
The self-contained modules can join together for take-off before separating to continue on the ground