If you are an avid fan of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, then surely you would have seen the MQ-27 Dragonfire drone that is surely one of the more interesting vehicles in the game itself. This is an unmanned flying drone that makes an appearance when you participate in mission Protect P.O.T.U.S., where it will also see action in Strike Force missions and Multiplayer matches. Truth is stranger than fiction, and this time around, we have a remote controlled version of the MQ-27 Dragonfire drone making an appearance on the FCC after picking up collective nods of approval for it riding on the 2.4GHz wireless band. (more…)
Beach season may be over in the United States, but in Australia (and the rest of the Southern Hemisphere) it’s just getting started. And in preparation for the oncoming hordes of beachgoers heading to Queensland, Australia, lifeguards are prepping remotely piloted drones to monitor the beaches.
Surf Life Saving Queensland has chosen Aerobot’s Ring Drone to patrol the beach, and drop buoys on those swimmers struggling to keep their heads above water. The drones will also have horns installed, to warn swimmers of dangers like sharks.
Maybe the inevitable Baywatch reboot will feature nerds with remote controls, instead of Pamela Anderson. I’d watch that! Video of the drone model, not fighting sharks in the full post (more…)
Drones have been commonly used for military purposes. They are lightweight compared to conventional aircrafts and can be remotely controlled. However, they can be put to other uses than military strikes.
For instance, a drone can be used to carry emergency relief provisions to such areas which have been struck with a catastrophe. Such humane applications of drones are being studied and tested out by a humanitarian group called Ideate. (more…)
If AscTec’s Hummingbird quadrocopters continue to fly around in your nightmares, you might not want to watch their latest video — even if they resemble hypnotic robot fireworks. Ars Electronica Futurelab and Ascending Technologies teamed up for this latest show, programming 50 LED-equipped quadrocopters to frolic over the Danube last week. Watch them dance after the break.
The newest model of the Parrot AR.Drone can be controlled via the iPad. Fancy eh? Well, researchers at Zhejiang University have come up with a way to control the quadcopter using a person’s brain waves. That’s telekinesis, Kyle.
Or not. Even though the dude above looks like he’s got a Professor X thing going on, the real magic isn’t in his DNA but on a PC. An EEG wired to his head reads his signals, which is processed on his laptop, which in turn wirelessly sends the equivalent command to the drone. The goal is to help disabled people be more independent and to be able to explore their surroundings, but there’s no reason normal people can’t enjoy this technology as well.
Combine the FlyingBuddy 2 with the ShockDrone and you have one hell of a party game.
Hey Range, you wished for a taser-equipped quadrotor drone right? Hack a Day has served as your genie. The folks who run the site managed to modify a Parrot AR.Drone to deliver a shock on contact.
Hack a Day ran two strips of aluminum tape along the outline of the indoor variant of the Parrot AR.Drone. The tapes were connected to the capacitor of a disposable camera. When the parallel strips are connected – like when they come into contact with human skin – the circuit completes and electricity flows through the tapes, resulting in this:
That’s right: the current will turn you into a white dude’s forearm. Seriously though this thing can pack a punch, but fortunately not a Fist of the North Star caliber punch. Watch it chase and tase in the video below:
Head to Shock Hack a Day to find out how to build your own TaserDrone.
Activision never disappoints when it comes to limited edition Call of Duty release bundles, and for the upcoming Black Ops II, it actually may have outdone itself. Besting the RC-XD from its predecessor, $180 will let you snag the Care Package edition for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. This massive bundle is actually boxed as an in-gamed care package (aerial drop-off not included) that’s loaded with a remote controlled MQ-27 Dragonfire quadrocopter drone (!) — we really wish we’d picked up those Modern Warfare 2 night vision goggles now (not at all for full-fledged, after hours recon of our Aol office-mates…). Naturally, it also comes loaded with the requisite DLC goodies; namely, two extra maps (Nuketown Zombies and Nuketown 2025), exclusive weapon camo, a pair of Player Card backgrounds and copy of the soundtrack. Furthermore, PS3 owners will get a pair of dynamic themes, while those with 360s will receive an XBL Zombie avatar and Claw prop. Lastly, you’ll also receive a couple more tangible items in the way of an art book and a duo of “Challenge” coins.
Not looking to terrorize your local airspace? Shave off the $100 premium for the drone and case (not too shabby if the AR.Drone is too expensive for your budget) and you’ll be able to grab the Hardened edition packed with everything else. Last, and seemingly least in this case, Activision is putting out a Digital Deluxe for PC users — similar to the Hardened variant, but with a download code for the aging World at War in place of the physical goodies and PSN / XBL content. Wallet already prepared for the future of secret warfare? You’ll find details to place your own pre-order ahead of the November 13th launch at the source links below and trailer courtesy of Joystiq after the break.
Drones seem to be everywhere these days, but in most cases they can get expensive and most remote spy planes are used overseas. Aerospace engineer algorhythmic decided to see what sort of vehicle he could cobble together on a limited budget.
The Xaver Mk.2., his remote-controlled, roving surveillance vehicle, doesn’t look very imposing, but its compact frame is packing a night vision camera and a Raspberry Pi. The drone was hacked together from bits and pieces, including a PlayStation 3 Eye camera as well as a Wi-Fi module. An Arduino controller directs a motor that allows the camera to move. It’s been configured to stream video from the camera via the Internet, and the whole rig is operated remotely by a PS3 controller.
Algorhythmic promises to create a series of videos on how to construct it and how he will tailor his prototype on his website.
If you’re flying a robot indoors, chances are it’s a quadrocopter. The ability hover and maneuver on a dime is essential to whipping around the confined spaces of a lab. Researchers have figured out a way to overcome such obstacles with a fixed-wing aircraft, using laser range finders, sensors and an Intel Atom processor to churn through all the data. To demonstrate just how accurate the on-board navigation systems are, the team of scientists took the autonomous plane to a parking garage with ceilings just 2.5 meters high. Why is that important? The vehicle has a wingspan of two meters — leaving little room for error. To see the plane in action, check out the video after the break.
The US Army’s not-so-secret Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) spy blimp is better at staying hidden than we thought… if unintentionally. Although it was due to fly the friendly skies of Lakehurst, New Jersey in mid-June, Northrop Grumman’s usually unmanned surveillance was only just caught floating over the Jersey Shore as part of a maiden flight on August 8th. The conspicuous, delayed test run proved that the LEMV could take off, steer and land smoothly, and started a series of exercises that should culminate in combat trials over Afghanistan at the start of 2013. Northrop’s KC Brown Jr. tells Wired that there’s a possible (if purely coincidental) consolation for missing another deadline — the airship could be used in a pinch for carrying as much as seven tons of supplies without getting into harm’s way, albeit at a fairly glacial 30MPH. The successful first flight won’t be much consolation to Mav6, whose Blue Devil 2 was scuttled at the last minute after technical issues; it’s nonetheless a relief for US troops, who may get weeks at a time of constant intelligence on enemy movements. Catch a short snippet of the early LEMV journey after the break.
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If you are an avid fan of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, then surely you would have seen the MQ-27 Dragonfire drone that is surely one of the more interesting vehicles in the game itself. This is an unmanned flying drone that makes an appearance when you participate in mission Protect P.O.T.U.S., where it will also see action in Strike Force missions and Multiplayer matches. Truth is stranger than fiction, and this time around, we have a remote controlled version of the MQ-27 Dragonfire drone making an appearance on the FCC after picking up collective nods of approval for it riding on the 2.4GHz wireless band. (more…)
