Showing posts with label helicopter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label helicopter. Show all posts

2012-07-11

The E-Volo Volocopter

Blade Runner: 18-Rotor "Volocopter" Moving from Concept to Prototype: Scientific American

Inventor and physicist Thomas Senkel created an Internet sensation with the October 2011 video of his maiden—and only—test flight of a spidery proof-of-concept 16-rotor helicopter dubbed Multicopter 1. Now the maker of the experimental personal aviation craft, the European start-up e-volo, is back with a revised "volocopter" design that adds two more rotors, a serial hybrid drive and long-term plans for going to 100 percent battery power.


e-volo | What is a Volocopter?


The e-volo volocopter is a completely novel, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) manned aircraft, which cannot be classified in any known category. The fact that it was conceived of as a purely electrically powered aircraft sets it apart from conventional aircraft.

Through the use of its many propellers, the volocopter can take off and land vertically like a helicopter. A considerable advantage, apart from the simple construction without complex mechanics, is the redundancy of drives. This enables the safe landing of the volocopter even if some drives fail.

E-Volo | (VIDEO) E-Volo, after proof of concept let’s talk about production, VC Evolution! | Hybrid cars, green vehicles, electric bike: TechnologicVehicles.com, showroom and news

More than a one-off prototype, Thomas Senkel who founded the company has big ambitions, after presenting the prototype of the VC Evolution 1P at Aero shiw in Friedrichshafen he recently received the Innovation Award from the Lindbergh Foundation (LEAP), therefore the development of a production models is underway.


His flying machines are dubbed Volocopter, the 2-seater could emerge first, the VC Evolution 2P for which E-Volo announces a top speed of 100kph and 1 hour of range. The production model could be launched within 2 to 3 years after the test and development phases.




Labels: , , ,

2010-11-07

LaserMotive Laser-Powered Helicopter Sets Flight Record

Cosmic Log - Copter sets a laser-powered record

A pint-sized helicopter that gets its energy from a laser beam ran for more than 12 hours straight overnight, breaking an endurance record for laser-powered hovering.



Powered only by lasers, hovering drone flies for twelve hours straight - SmartPlanet




LaserMotive’s technology is fundamentally like a typical solar panel system. The laser beam is captured and focused onto a photovoltaic panel by a series of mirrors. As with many other solar devices, the Pelican has a small reserve battery, just in case the laser is obstructed for a short time. The main difference? This solar power is concentrated and directed, and has a massive potential range.

Here’s a video of the Pelican in action:




Oct 20, 2010 09:00 ET

LaserMotive to Demonstrate Laser-Powered Helicopter at Future of Flight Aviation Center; Will Mark Longest Duration Untethered Laser Powered Helicopter Flight on Record

"The demonstration will mark our first public display of a free-flying unmanned aerial vehicle powered by lasers, and represents an important step forward in the future development of flight," Tom Nugent, President and Co-founder of LaserMotive. "As such, we feel that the Future of Flight is the perfect place to hold this groundbreaking demo."

"We are very pleased to host this record breaking event, which could genuinely impact the future of flight," said Barry Smith, Executive Director of the Future of Flight Foundation. "For us, the innovation behind the technology is what makes this project so meaningful and we applaud LaserMotive's achievements as the leader in the field of beamed power."



Labels: ,

2010-10-31

CSAR DiscRotor -- DARPA/Boeing Retractable-Blade Helicopter

Boeing Develops Helicopter-Airplane Hybrid for DARPA



As part of a DARPA initiative, Boeing is developing a search-and-rescue aircraft that combines a helicopter's hovering capabilities with an airplane's long flight range. According to Aviation Week, Boeing will test a 20-percent scale model of the disc-rotor aircraft, called the CSAR DiscRotor, in a wind tunnel sometime next year.


The aircraft takes off vertically like a helicopter, with telescoping rotor blades extended, then converts to fixed-wing forward flight by retrating the blades into the disc, which is then stopped. The aircraft the flies on its swept wing and dual ducted propellers.



DARPA - Tactical Technology Office (TTO)



The goal of the DiscRotor Compound Helicopter program is to design and demonstrate the enabling technologies required to develop a new type of compound helicopter capable of high-efficiency hover, high-speed flight, and seamless transition between these flight states.
[...]
An aircraft capable of long range high speed (300-400 kts) and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL)/hover will satisfy an ongoing military interest, bridging the gap in helicopter escort and insertion missions by providing survivability, mobility, and responsiveness for troop and cargo insertion.


High-Speed VTOL Goes for a Spin


Developing a mechanism that will reliability and repeatably retract and extend the blades under flight loads (including centripetal forces) is the central technical challenge of the DiscRotor program,


The DiscRotor has an integrated propulsion system using two turboshaft engines fitted with fans so they can also generate forward thrust. Shaft power goes to the main gearbox to power the rotor and a pair of wing-mounted, cross-shafted ducted propellers that provide the majority of the thrust in fixed-wing mode.




Labels: , , , , ,

2010-01-07

Parrot's AR-Drone -- A Quadricopter Controlled by an iPhone

clipped from www.sfgate.com

SFGate

Flying Quadricopter Drone Controlled by an iPhone


Buzzing above the heads of marveled, camera-snapping media representatives at CES Tuesday was a weird looking, smooth-flying toy helicopter from Parrot that can be controlled with nothing more than an iPhone or iPod Touch and appropriate software.

The AR.Drone, a four-rotor "quadricopter" which is controlled by Wi-Fi signals, includes wireless cameras that can stream video to a iPhone or IPod Touch, thus allowing you to use your actual surroundings as "targets" in a "augmented reality" (that's what the AR stands for) video game. Want to take out those mean goldfish? You can hover the copter nearby, focus on them with the wireless cameras, target the dangerous beasts and "fire" away.

CES: Control this toy helicopter with your iPhone

Moving the iPhone or iPod Touch, which have built-in accelerometers, directs the toy helicopter forward and backward and turning and other directions. Buttons on the iPhone make it go up or down.

clipped from singularityhub.com
singularity hub logo

iPhone Helicopter from Parrot is Amazing (Video)

iPhone's never seen such a bad-ass accessory. Bad-ass-essory?
The AR-Drone is amazingly similar to the military drone controlled by an iPhone at MIT. The MIT drone has slightly better programming (it can run patrols or surveillance sweeps) but otherwise the two seem nearly identical.

blog it
clipped from ardrone.parrot.com
clipped from www.slashgear.com

Parrot AR.Drone WiFi helicopter gets augmented reality iPhone control

Parrot AR.Drone 540x256
clipped from www.youtube.com

Parrot AR.Drone : Flight Demo

clipped from www.youtube.com

Parrot AR.Drone : Augmented Reality Video Games Demo

clipped from www.engadget.com
ENGADGED AT CES 2010

Parrot's AR.Drone seeks us out, destroys us as we go hands-on

blog it

Sources:
  1. Flying Quadricopter Drone Controlled by an iPhone
  2. CES: Control this toy helicopter with your iPhone - USATODAY.com
  3. iPhone Helicopter from Parrot is Amazing (Video) | Singularity Hub
  4. Parrot AR.Drone - Quadrotor helicopter with wifi and 2 cameras - AR.Drone games for iPhone and iPod touch
  5. Parrot AR.Drone WiFi helicopter gets augmented reality iPhone control - SlashGear
  6. YouTube - Parrot AR.Drone : Flight Demo
  7. YouTube - Parrot AR.Drone : Augmented Reality Video Games Demo
  8. Parrot's AR.Drone seeks us out, destroys us as we go hands-on -- Engadget
Related:
  1. Parrot's AR.Drone helicopter brings military-style amusement to the iPhone -- Engadget
  2. Parrot AR.Drone hands-on at CES 2010 - SlashGear
Labels: , , ,

2009-10-19

Autonomous Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) Scans Indoor Environments


MIT's Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV)

A team of students from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence lead by Prof. Nick Roy developed an autonomous Micro Aerial Vehicle capable of autonomously mapping and navigating a complex environment.
The team participated in and won the AUVSI International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC) which was held on the campus of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM.)
MIT Machine
MIT Quad-Rotor Vehicle Entering Window
Mapping
MIT Map Generation and Vehicle Path
Air Vehicle
robot

  • (1) Hokuyo laser rangefinder

  • (2) laser-deflecting mirrors for altitude

  • (3) monocular USB camera

  • (4) inertial measurement unit

  • (5) GumStix processor with wiFi link

  • (6) ARM microprocessor running low-level control loop at 1000Hz

clipped from www.youtube.com

Autonomous MAV Filght in GPS Denied Environments


blog it

Sources:
  1. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics: MIT's Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV)
  2. International Aerial Robotics Competition
  3. MIT Micro Aerial Vehicle Team
  4. YouTube - Autonomous MAV Filght in GPS Denied Environments
Related:
  1. MIT Micro Aerial Vehicle Team
  2. Home - Ascending Technologies GmbH
  3. quad-rotor autonomous helicopter eschews gps in favor of lasers. laz0rz! on [technabob]
  4. quad-rotor autonomous helicopter eschews gps in favor of lasers. laz0rz! | Stupid Dog | Blog Syndication at it's Finest
  5. MIT create autonomous intelligent robot helicopter [Video] - SlashGear
Labels: , , ,

2009-05-08

PD-100 Black Hornet -- World’s Smallest Spy Helicopter

clipped from www.dailymail.co.uk
Mail Online

Fly another day: The James Bond inspired 'microcopter' that will come in packs of three

helicopter

The world's tiniest helicopter has been specially developed for spies and soldiers

Weighing in at just 0.5g, the tiny servos mean the PD-100 is even smaller than a toy battery helicopter.

Powered by an electric motor, the microcopter has 4in rotor blades, carries a tiny digital camera and flies at speeds of up to 20mph.

It has been tested successfully inside and outside in very light winds.

helicopter

The idea is that soldiers might carry a few Black Hornets in a pocket. If they fancied a look inside a building, over a hill or crest, down a tunnel or something, they'd simply launch an almost-silent palmtop microcopter for a recce. Should the tiny chopper come to grief due to flat batteries, a prang or perhaps a rolled-up newspaper, no matter - several cheap replacements could easily be carried. The standard package will come with three aircraft, a pocket controller and a charger.

clipped from www.youtube.com

PD-100 Prototype - Flight testing


blog it

PD-100 Black Hornet

PD-100 Black Hornet is a small video camera equipped helicopter not more than 100 mm long, weighing less than 20 grams. It can be carried in your pocket and launched within seconds to give immediate situational awareness. This new ultra small aircrafts is a valuable tool in situations where a closer look at a hostile area or inside a contaminated building is crucial.

Operational Concept


Deployment
• Complete PD-100 System Carried by One Man
• Ready to Fly – In the Air Within One Minute
• Requires No Prepared Surface
• Stealth – Small and Quiet
• Reusable with Fly Home Capability
• Low Cost
• Easy to Fly, Requires Little Training


Missions
• Look Behind Objects
• Birds Eye View of Areas of Interest
• Visual Information in Urban Operations
• Reconnaissance Inside Buildings
• Hover and Stare
• Object Identification
• Target and Damage Assessment
• Deployment of Special Payload


blog it

Sources:
  1. Fly another day: The James Bond inspired 'microcopter' that will come in packs of three | Mail Online
  2. 'Soon soldiers will have 3 tiny choppers in their pocket' • The Register
  3. YouTube - PD-100 Prototype - Flight testing
  4. Prox Dynamics - Welcome
  5. Prox Dynamics - Welcome-PD-100 Black Hornet
Related:
  1. World’s Smallest Spy Helicopter Rocks | Elite Choice
  2. PD-100 Black Hornet: Ride of the Valky-wee - Crave at CNET UK
  3. Tiny, silent RC spy helicopter for inch-high private eyes | DVICE
  4. PD-100 Black Hornet - Google Search
  5. Blogger: LinkNotes - Edit Post "PD-100 Black Hornet -- World’s Smallest Spy Helico..."
Labels: , , , , , , ,

2008-12-05

Boeing A160 unmanned helicopter

Special Operations Gets Hummingbird UAV
Special Operations Gets Hummingbird UAV
The United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is in the process of deploying its first Boeing A160T Hummingbird unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The new UAV, developed by Boeing in conjunction with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) looks like a traditional helicopter but it goes higher, stays airborn longer, travels farther, and runs more quietly than any helicopter in current use. Its biggest bonus – it doesn’t have a pilot that could be shut down.
clipped from www.youtube.com
clipped from www.boeing.com
The Boeing Company logoA160 Hummingbird

The A160 Hummingbird Unmanned Aerial Vehicle looks like a helicopter but is unlike any other helicopter on the market today. It can reach higher altitudes, hover for longer periods of time, go greater distances and operate much more quietly than current helicopters. And it features a unique optimum speed rotor technology that enables the Hummingbird to adjust the RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) of the rotor blades at different altitudes and cruise speeds.

clipped from www.darpa.mil
TTO
#

blog it
Related:
Special Operations Gets Hummingbird UAV
Boeing: Integrated Defense Systems - A160 Hummingbird
A160
A160 Hummingbird Warrior
Boeing Frontiers Online
$50M for A-160 Hummingbird UAV Concept Demonstrators
Labels: , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)