This drone, reportedly a prototype for the Japan Self Defense Force, has a single rotor and is said to be capable of 40 mph flight. And as the video shows, it’s quite nimble. The catch? An 8-minute battery life. But the idea of enclosing the whole thing in a spherical frame so it can maneuver and land heedless of the orientation of the blades is pretty brilliant.
The New York Times has produced an entertaining recap vid of last month’s Autonomous Vehicle Competition, hosted by our pals at SparkFun. It’s narrated by WIRED’s Chris Anderson, who is also the founder and chairman of DIY Drones. The contest embraces three classes of autonomous outdoor vehicles–roughly, wheeled, winged, and with rotors.
If the ccTLD is correct, this remarkable CrazyFlie micro-quadcopter project originates from the South Pacific island nation of Niue. The video reports a 20 gram weight, a 4.5 min flight time using the battery on the underside of the board, and a 12×12 cm footprint. [via adafruit]
