Robotics  

Working like a pair of aerial spiders, a newly released video shows how quadrotor drones could be used in construction. Working with the flying robots, researchers created a functioning rope bridge that they could walk across.

A research team at Switzerland's ETH Zurich has used quadrotor drones in an experiment that might hint at the future of robotic construction. A video released by the team (below) shows quadrocopters autonomously assembling a rope bridge. This is part of a body of research in aerial construction, a field that addresses the construction of structures with the aid of flying robots.

In the video, a rope bridge that can a person walking across is built by quadrotors, showing for the first time that small flying machines are capable of autonomously realizing load-bearing structures at full-scale and proceeding a step further towards real-world scenarios.

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Except for the required anchor points at both ends of the structure, the bridge consists exclusively of tensile elements and its connections and links are entirely realized by flying machines. Spanning 7.4 m between two scaffolding structures, the bridge consists of nine rope segments for a total rope length of about 120 m and is composed of different elements, such as knots, links, and braids.

The rope used for these experiments is made out of Dyneema, a material with a low weight-to-strength ratio and thus suitable for aerial construction. Of little weight (7 g per meter), a 4 mm diameter rope can sustain 1300 kg.

The drones are equipped with a motorized spool that allows them to control the tension acting on the rope during deployment. A plastic tube guides the rope to the release point located between two propellers. The external forces and torques exerted on the quadrocopter by the rope during deployment are estimated and taken into account to achieve compliant flight behavior.

The assembly of the bridge is performed by small custom quadrocopters. The arena is equipped with a motion capture system that provides vehicle position and attitude measurements. Algorithms are run on a computer and commands are then sent to the flying machines via a customized wireless infrastructure.

SOURCE  Federico Augugliaro

By 33rd Square

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 Drones  

Amid the controversy surrounding military drones, other drones have a lot of potential uses, like delivery and as life saving aids in disaster situations. We are only just beginning to understand how this technology will affect our lives.

Drones, which are also called "unmanned aerial vehicles" or UAVs, are aircraft that don't have a pilot onboard. They can be controlled remotely by a pilot on the ground or in another aircraft. Increasingly, however, they are controlled by computers, and they have many uses:

Military Purposes

Drones, as most people know, were originally designed and used by the military. The earliest drone-like devices made were Remote Piloted Vehicles or RPVs which date back to the first half of the 20th century. They were used to train anti-aircraft gunners.

These very early unmanned planes had automatic pilot systems that used gyroscopes, timers and weights to guide them to their destination. Unmanned aircraft were also used during the Vietnam War.

The Israeli military developed the first modern drones in 1973. The Israelis devised the first live video data-link systems that enabled them to steer and control a jet in real time. By 2013, over 50 countries had and used drones.

Governments

Civilian governments of all levels use drones. In Australia, various environmental agencies use drones to monitor illegal dumping and fishing operations. Other agencies have used drones to measure landfills.

Businesses

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Some businesses have used drones to make deliveries. In 2013, one pizza company in Russia tested the feasibility of using drones to deliver pizza. Other pizza companies are investigating the possibilities of drones delivering pizza.

Amazon, the online shipping company, is developing drones to deliver packages to customers—in under 30 minutes. The drone service, which is called Amazon Prime Air, is expected by some to one day replace delivery trucks.

Humanitarian Aid

After the recent earthquakes in Nepal, a Canadian team of rescue workers used drones to locate people who were trapped in inaccessible areas. They also used the drones to determine how badly buildings were damaged.

Personal

Private citizens can use drones, too. Some private use drones have cameras and tracking devices built into them. The user will wear a personal tracker around their wrist, thus enabling the drone to follow their every move.
The drone will follow the user, no matter where they go or what they do. It can follow people who are snowboarding or climbing mountains, and it will film them the whole time. Other personal drones are being developed to fetch groceries and drop off forgotten items to their owners.

While there is a lot of controversy surrounding the military drones, civilian drones have a lot of potential as useful additions to our technology-enhanced lives. Some of those uses, like locating trapped disaster victims, could save lives. Others will simply make people's lives a bit easier.


SOURCE  Drones ETC.

By Emma Sturgis

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Author Bio - Emma is a freelance writer currently living in Boston, MA. She writes most often on education and technology. When not writing, she enjoys watching old movies and indoor rock climbing.