And now, a holiday greeting from our quadrocopter overlords
This impressive demonstration is by researchers at the Flying Machine Arena, part of the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control at ETH Zürich
Flying
Hovering flapping flight of a 3D-printed mechanical insect
Charles Richter and Hod Lipson created this sweet little flapper that is so robust it can stay in the air for over a minute. This project has focused on developing a flapping-wing hovering insect using 3D printed wings and mechanical parts. The use of 3D printing technology has greatly expanded the possibilities for wing design, […]
Rockets of the world
This is an illustration from physics professor Peter Alway’s 1995 book Rockets of the World. That little black-and-yellow smudge in the second row, that’s the V-2. Hit the jump for mega-size. Click on the picture to zoom or download the full 3,322×5,079 image here. It’s quite amazing what a monster the Saturn V still is, […]
Stunning compilation of high-speed shuttle launch footage
Matt Melis and Kevin Burke of Cleveland’s NASA Glenn Research Center narrate this remarkable 45-minute video highlights compilation of some 30 high-speed clips recorded by the 125 cameras–most of them film-based—that documented each space shuttle launch. Most of this footage was recorded for engineering purposes and, as part of an ongoing effort to commemorate the shuttle program, is now being re-cut for public appreciation. Space, engineering, and photography enthusiasts will completely geek out over this video, and anyone with a pair of eyes is certain to at least enjoy it. If you can, you should watch the whole thing. If you don’t have time, you should at least scan forward to 21:00 to watch the super-slow-motion close-range shot, taken from the support structure, of the entire vehicle as it passes by. Also, I’d personally recommend the wide-angle footage at 31:10 for absolute aesthetic beauty, as well as the booster plumes passing in front of the sun at 34:50. [Thanks, Rachel!]
SpaceX launches commercial space flight
Founded by Elon Musk of PayPal and Tesla Motors fame, Space X has become the first company to successfully build and launch a spacecraft into low Earth orbit and have it return safely. Launched from Cape Canaveral, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lifted its Dragon cargo capsule into orbit, performed extensive test maneuvers across two orbits, and splashed down just after 11 a.m. PST on December 8, 2010.
Kinect-powered autonomous quadrotor
Man, and I thought the hacks on the Wii sensor bar came fast and furious. Amazing what people are doing with the Xbox Kinect and how viral all of these hacks quickly become. This one, an autonomous quadrotor, uses the Kinect Sensor for navigation and obstacle avoidance. It was done as part of the STARMAC […]
Parrot AR.Drone quadcopter teardown
The iFixit crew recently disassembled a fully functional Parrot AR.Drone to see what makes it tick. From the teardown you may notice that the hardware seems pretty accessible. The gear’s just begging for a mod.
