Society of Robots - Robot Forum

General Misc => Robot Videos => Topic started by: Admin on August 04, 2009, 08:36:52 PM

Title: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: Admin on August 04, 2009, 08:36:52 PM
AeroVironment (http://www.avinc.com/) has recently received a DARPA phase II grant of $2.1 million USD (http://www.avinc.com/resources/press_release/darpa_awards_aerovironment_phase_ii_contract_extension_for_nano_air_vehicle) to continue work on their humming-bird like nano-AUV. I'm always amused at how the US military spends millions every year on projects like these, yet you can buy ornithopter toys at any Walmart starting at $30 . . .

Anyway, the video is impressive none-the-less.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cov7-XWUa18
Title: Re: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: wil.hamilton on August 04, 2009, 09:34:24 PM
i dont think your walmart toy has quite the control these are displaying :P

just wait, robotic hummingbirds with spy cams... big brother is watching....

could be interesting to see robotic humming birds used for pollination purposes.
Title: Re: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: SmAsH on August 05, 2009, 01:29:10 AM
i somehow think the funding that the us military grants for the robotics division is a bit overkill....
but at least its furthering research into robotics eh?
Title: Re: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: Admin on August 05, 2009, 06:55:18 AM
Ok to be fair, the funding also pays for science research.

The toys 'just work', while the research advances and improves the technology. And $2.1 million is just enough for 6 people to work on it for 4 years. ;D

That video doesn't really show how reliable the design was . . . the clips were fairly short . . .
Title: Re: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: paulstreats on August 05, 2009, 06:11:32 PM
also notice the clear plastic tarpaulin that was surrounding the set. There is obviously no autonomy haening to protect it from slight draughts and winds...
Title: Re: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: Razor Concepts on August 05, 2009, 07:09:02 PM
But.. it is a lot more exciting and gets more publicity than a 40-page research report  ;D
Title: Re: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: offy on August 14, 2009, 01:58:05 PM
also notice the clear plastic tarpaulin that was surrounding the set. There is obviously no autonomy haening to protect it from slight draughts and winds...

And you notice he is very careful on his movements when he lets it go. I also wonder if it can gain flight from the ground up. He always just let go of it in air.
Title: Re: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: gaurav.p on August 15, 2009, 07:55:01 AM
gr8 funding +gr8 brains=gr8 project
:p

gaurav
Title: Re: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: SmAsH on August 15, 2009, 04:29:27 PM
also notice the clear plastic tarpaulin that was surrounding the set. There is obviously no autonomy haening to protect it from slight draughts and winds...

And you notice he is very careful on his movements when he lets it go. I also wonder if it can gain flight from the ground up. He always just let go of it in air.
yeah, it looks like an extremely delicate piece of machinery, if it dropped onto the ground it would most likely break... i dont think it can take off on its own yet, not stably anyway :-\
Title: Re: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: parallax on August 17, 2009, 10:01:22 AM
I came across something entirely by accident the other day and I thought it might be of interest to anyone checking out this thread...

http://www.ornithopter.org/
^A website dedicated to building ornithopters (mostly RC models)

and...

http://www.ornithopter.org/video/toy.mpg
^A video of an ornithopter made by the site admin which has rather realistic bird-like flight.

Obviously none of these are robots, but it might inspire someone here to use the flight characteristics of these machines to build an autonomous robotic ornithopter. I would love to see that- maybe I will do it myself when I have enough experience  ;)
Title: Re: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: paulstreats on August 18, 2009, 05:38:00 PM
Quote
i dont think it can take off on its own yet, not stably anyway

Since it never gains any flight, meaning that its always heading on a downward trajectory kind of says that it could Never take of itself just yet let alone keep active flight going.

Though its quite disappointing, Remember that its fledgling programmes like this that eventually produce new technologies...
Title: Re: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: WhomBom on August 25, 2009, 03:34:55 AM
It's pretty early in the morning for me now, but in the end of the video it does seem tot take of on it's own...
Great project, just to bad it's being used for army purposes  :-[
Title: Re: tiny hummingbird-like robot
Post by: SmAsH on August 25, 2009, 03:54:32 AM
but in the end of the video it does seem tot take of on it's own...
yup, we missed that one :P