Amazing "NanoCopters" flying in formation.

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #1 02-02-2012, 06:59 AM

Wow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=YQIMGV5vtd4

iceman (Mike) · #2 02-02-2012, 07:07 AM

Brilliant!

multiweb (Marc) · #3 02-02-2012, 07:08 AM

Very cool. That figure 8 routine was impressive.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #4 02-02-2012, 11:03 AM

The things people do when it's cloudy. LOL
Very clever.

vanwonky (Dave) · #5 02-02-2012, 11:22 AM

So cool. Clever buggers!

astroron (Ron) · #6 02-02-2012, 11:22 AM

Very cool

,like a swarm of bees

Cheers

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #7 02-02-2012, 11:37 AM

What I'd like answered is a question regarding how they navigate. It's all easy to fly a remote copter by remote control and make it go left, right, forward, back, up and down - but making them literally snap to a point in 3D space is incredible. Even more so is making several snap to points adjacent within that 3D space. How do they know where they are from millisecond to millisecond in relation to the ground and each other? They have to navigate, otherwise they'd never be able to accurately fly in any sort of formation. I'd hard a guess and say it's controlled optically, and I also guess that they say it somewhere on the site. Mebbe I should stop right here and go and have a look...

troypiggo (Troy) · #8 02-02-2012, 11:42 AM

Don't let Doug/Hagar see this...

multiweb (Marc) · #9 02-02-2012, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omaroo

What I'd like answered is a question regarding how they navigate. It's all easy to fly a remote copter by remote control and make it go left, right, forward, back, up and down - but making them literally snap to a point in 3D space is incredible. Even more so is making several snap to points adjacent within that 3D space. How do they know where they are from millisecond to millisecond in relation to the ground and each other? They have to navigate, otherwise they'd never be able to accurately fly in any sort of formation. I'd hard a guess and say it's controlled optically, and I also guess that they say it somewhere on the site. Mebbe I should stop right here and go and have a look...

There is no doubt that the whole flock of units is driven by a central computer. If you look around the rim of the room ceiling you'll see two rows of IR cameras. Same model used in motion capture volumes. I suspect each unit has a marker that is accurately located within the volume. Because of the multitude of cameras in the array there is always a line of sight and an accurate position measurement. The rest is just realtime sync executed many frames per second by a MOCAP software of sort.

EDIT: there 4 markers per unit. They are located close to the propellers on each arms. Little reflective white balls. Makes sense to have at least 3 so they map the unit plane in 3D and take orientation into account. 4 is for balance I guess.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #10 02-02-2012, 06:46 PM

Wow! That is excellent!!!

Imagine a flock of them in a war zone for snooping out advance locations.

But this one shows REAL syncronisity:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=gE2OjvyJmjE
They just keep coming . . . and coming . . AND COMING!!! AAAGGHHHH!!!! DUCKS!!!!!!!!!

strongmanmike (Michael) · #11 02-02-2012, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

Wow! That is excellent!!!

Imagine a flock of them in a war zone for snooping out advance locations.

But this one shows REAL syncronisity:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=gE2OjvyJmjE
They just keep coming . . . and coming . . AND COMING!!! AAAGGHHHH!!!! DUCKS!!!!!!!!!

You Quack me up Ken

The quad thingy's are amazing

Mike

Kevnool (Kev) · #12 02-02-2012, 09:28 PM

The technology today is amazing...incredible.
Thanks Chris for posting.

Cheers Kev.

gary · #13 02-02-2012, 09:33 PM

Hi Chris,

Thanks for posting this which we enjoyed. I am sure there would be that thin line
in the robotics department where it would be hard to tell whether the researcher
was working or playing.

Ric · #14 03-02-2012, 07:53 AM

Wow they are awesome

I wonder how it will be until they are in the toy shops.

acropolite (Phil) · #15 03-02-2012, 03:44 PM

Just imagine the possibillites.... Live and physical 3D space invaders...

troypiggo (Troy) · #16 03-02-2012, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acropolite

Just imagine the possibillites.... Live and physical 3D space invaders...

This is close to making that reality:
http://ardrone.parrot.com/parrot-ar-.../ar-freeflight

These things look awesome. Friend of mine has one.

Davi5678 (Dave) · #17 05-02-2012, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Imagine a flock of them in a war zone for snooping out advance locations.

Imagine a massive swarm of them, with a hive mind, all with 100g's of PE going kamikaze!

Hagar (Doug) · #18 05-02-2012, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troypiggo

Don't let Doug/Hagar see this...

Troy. Thanks for the concern but I have parked the chopper on the heliport for the moment. I'm now building a fleet of cars which will be up for hire at snake valley this March. These will make money, once people see what these things can do, They will all want a try. Just ask Darren (desler). I think he will shortly be a new owner driver.