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biomimicry

 
July 20, 2010
 

Tinkerbell and bird-like UCVs

Flowvis-top

 

Fascinating article on some work being done at MIT to create an automated algorithm that would allow an airplane to land like a bird on a wire. MIT Associate Professor Russ Tedrake, a member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and Rick Cory, a PhD student in Tedrake's lab are pioneering the work.

While it's still very early in the development process, I really enjoyed the quote from Mr. Cory at the end of the article because it sums up the power of the creative/innovative mind:

Cory will be moving to California to take a job researching advanced robotics techniques for Disney, [but] he hopes to continue collaborating with Tedrake. "I visited the air force, and I visited Disney, and they actually have a lot in common," Cory says. "The air force wants an airplane that can land on a power line, and Disney wants a flying Tinker Bell that can land on a lantern."

And this is exactly right.

More interestingly, this also makes a strong statement about the innovativeness of Disney, which is looking at the same technology the Air Force is, only they just want to entertain people with it.

Video
Image via Jason Dorfman (MIT/CSAIL)

Filed under  //   Air Force   Disney   MIT   UCV   airplane   aviation   biomimicry   innovation   technology   unmanned combat vehicle  

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February 22, 2010
 

Flyfire

Flyfire

I'm sure there are some non-commercial and useful applications of this but I just can't think of any right away. (Please just no helicopter drone-based ads for Celebrex covering over the few remaining stars I can still make out through Atlanta's ambient light.) Still, the attempt at bio-mimicry is is noteworthy if only because the natural phenomenon is so captivating.


Flyfire aims to transform any ordinary space into a highly immersive and interactive display environment.It sets out to explore the capabilities of this display system by using a large number of self-organizing micro helicopters. Each helicopter contains small LEDs and acts as a smart pixel. Through precisely controlled movements, the helicopters perform elaborate and synchronized motions and form an elastic display surface for any desired scenario.

I have to think that non-linear wind gusts might wreak absolute havoc on any attempt at tightly synchronized aviation/displays, though.

Image via MIT

Filed under  //   Flyfire   MIT   biomimicry   co-cocooning  

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