Robot dragonfly gets outfitted with camera, plans to record uprising from every possible angle
By Donald Melanson 
posted Jul 23rd 2008 7:43PM
posted Jul 23rd 2008 7:43PM
The folks at the Technical University of Delft have already done their part for the robot cause by building a dragonfly-type bot, dubbed the DelFly Micro, with a wingspan of just four inches, but they've now gone one step further and strapped a tiny camera onto it. What's more, they've also developed some image recognition software that promises to let the bot recognize objects, which could potentially let it locate individuals in a disaster area, or sneak up behind you when you least suspect it. Of course, the researchers aren't satisfied with things just yet, and they're promising to make an even smaller DelFly Nano bot that'd have a two-inch wingspan and weigh just a single gram. Until then, you can check out the current model in action in the video after the break.
[Via Protein Feed]
[Via Protein Feed]
Muahaha
Bit random?
I'm just envisioning evil uses for this. XD
I can't quite tell if this is fake or not. The camera video definitely lags behind that of the flying machine. It could be that some guy just took a camcorder and ran around the room to get the "birds eye view", or it might just lag. I'm not going to say either way.
hmm low ranked, and not even a reason as to why. Interesting.
it's because you double posted, engadget posters are insane lol.
Your ranked low because your a skeptic to a quite obviously genuine creation.
does everyone on engadget like to think everything is fake? like that golden shellback thing too?
You are low ranked because your theory is bullshit.
You are low ranked because your theory is bullsh*t
prepare to be low ranked in 3...2...1...
I can't quite tell if this is fake or not. The camera video definitely lags behind that of the flying machine. It could be that some guy just took a camcorder and ran around the room to get the "birds eye view", or it might just lag. I'm not going to say either way.
If that was camcorder footage, then they also went to a lot of work to post-process it so that it looks blurry and unrecognizable. I hope the final incarnation features a camera with actual resolution, and that somebody is smart enough to do a demo where they actually try to get the dragonfly to hover and focus on something.
the server sure is slow to post comments today
Oh god here comes the serious sally blogger police! The "First" was a joke, hence the LOL. Dont get your panties in a bunch..anyways..
As far as the camera, seriously is there NOT a way to add some stablization to it? Whos gonna be able to watch that let alone spot somethin out?
why dont u go make your own if its so easy.
Oh god here comes the spit police! "Spitting in your mother's face" was a joke, hence the LOL. Dont get your panties in a bunch.
...see how just saying "it was a joke!!!" doesn't actually make it funny, or any less annoying?
weird, huh?
Oh god of course how could I make such a mistake? I mean we all know the word "First" and the act of spitting in someone's mother's face are practically one in the same! Im going to go hang my head in shame! Shame, shame, shame........
elitist pricks....
I see your new to engadget. Heres some advice, dont post "first" stuff. It really pisses people off.
seriously jkr? Lag between two superimposed video streams means absolutely nothing and do you think that a research team capable of constructing robotic dragonfly would then run around like a bunch of retards waving the camera in the air?
and I forgot to click reply
wow
I guess I can't talk about stupid
dude, I didn't say it was fake, I said I couldn't tell if it was fake. And yes, I could see people trying to fake a claim, just read engadget about all the photo shops and stuff.
Thats the same f'in thing you dumbass.
I didn't say it was fake, I just said i'm not sure if its real... Isn't that the same idea? .drateR uoY.sdrawkcaB tsuJ
@Tyler Ransom
I'm not sure if there is a God.
There is no god.
you tell me if they mean the same thing. One is a statement of fact, and can be refuted (possibly). The other is a statement of perception, and is irrefutable. go to an English class some time.
@Tyler Ransom
"I'm not sure if there is a god."
"There is no such thing as god."
you tell me if these two statements mean the same thing. One is a statement of fact that can be arguably refuted, and the other is a statement of perception that can't be refuted. Take and English class sometime. What I am saying is I don't know if it is real, I don't know if it is fake. It could be real, and if so, nice piece of engineering from these guy's. But it also wouldn't be the first time I've seen something faked, like the marine coating that allows your computer to work underwater, or the plastic armor that allows your phone to come out of a blender w/o a scratch. Both of those were fake, and posted here. Be not the first to try the new, nor the last to lay the old aside. A grain of skepticism is worth more than a lb. of belief.
more than 30 min for a post to actually post, engadget, your servers got some issues, I can't tell if you lost my post or not, so I end up double posting, while I'm waiting for my post to get put up
God just drop it. Haven't you failed enough already?
Shit.
Triple post, here I come.
Fuck this, I'm agreeing with the troll.
It's way too easy to double post.
The government is already using this technology...
Know any info or just think that probably are..
No, he's one of those guys that thinks that the government is already using every new technology that comes out... You know what! I bet the government has been secretly using 3G iPhones for several years now.
How does an iPhone help you spy on someone? Good job at bringing the iPhone into yet another post.
I was making reference to the fact that if the private sector is using smaller technology then you can bet the government has already had this or smaller technology in use for years now.
GET THE FOIL HATS
More like get out the tennis rackets, then the foil hats.
@ retro77
Are you serious??? I don't even OWN an iPhone, and I don't even really like my Macbook Pro that much... It wasn't the iPhone reference that was the point, it was me making fun for saying a brand new technology is already being used by the government... Get it? You know, the iPhone 3G just came out? It's brand new...? Government has been using it for years? If you need a more in depth explanation, let me know.
If you googled a bit you'd see that indeed the US army/government is developing these things and have conferences on the current state of affairs, in fact i think enngadget reported on it.
Scary just as though that someone could spy on you with this kind of thing.
You couldnt know.
Just scary.
Actually i make it a habit to smash any bugs flying inside my house or near me.
Murderer.
are they gonna shove an intel atom inside?
No just an atom bomb with a remote self destruct to destroy the enemy and any evidence of spying.
the only thing more annoying than FIRST! is FIRST! LOL
Well at least say something usefull when you post first not a monkey ass joke.
So sorry...didnt mean to offend anyones delicate blogging nature!
I call BS.
It was a half joke...there SHOULD be some sort of stability placed on it. You cant make out a thing!
on a roll...
at 25 sec it sounds like he says
"super pissed off"
hahahaha
He is saying "Super, Pistof, super super super." His friends name is Pistof. =)
super super super
it does! lol!
And the first gust of wind....
...and the first gust of wind, they screamed, 'Jump, George! We'll catch you! Jump!'
This could be used for some very important research, like upskirts et al.
Im sure that women wouldnt even notice this HUGE noisy flapping robotic inscet going up there skirt!
I, for one, welcome out new robotic dragonfly overlords.
our*, even
Feel free to rank me lowest.
ok, i low ranked all 3 comments. hope everyone else does too.
fo shizzle
battery life? like 2 min?
but i would much prefer a minihelicopter, then you get a more stable view.
+1
How do they control where it goes? The potential is amazing..and a bit scarey..I guess I'm a bit paronoid but ...I' m also amazed .
I'm surprised it wasn't introduced as a kid's toy pet.
Danny Dunn, Invisible Boy!
Yup, was just thinking that. A book a good, what... 30 years ahead of it's time?
Hey Sinjinn- I never said it was "easy" and I would definately work on it myself, however im not a developer. I do know however that flapping wings are not ideal for stability. Why not a propeller like suggested earlier?
because dragonfly's dont use propellers
"I do know however that flapping wings are not ideal for stability."
Have you ever seen a real dragonfly? How about a hummingbird? Two of the best animals at hovering, both with flapping wings. Hummingbirds btw are by far the most agile fliers that I have ever seen.
Because propellers are horribly inefficient at that scale. They have trouble getting enough thrust to keep the thing aloft, let alone provide for maneuverability.
Flapping wings take advantage of a lot of the disadvantages of flight at that scale (such as using the large vortices to generate more lift), so there is merit in using them.
and last time I checked this WASNT a real dragonfly. Is the point of this device to be a device to possibly save lives or to be a dragonfly lookalike novelty? Think about it!
Ok cool article, but seriously...the whole "robot uprising" thing on EVERY F---ING article about anything remotely robotic is so 2007.
I would think a company like Silverlit ( micro heli makers) would jump on this in an instant. this could be the next big erm micro indoor r/c toy. that coupled with a night vision cam with image stabilization and you have a multi-million seller. I want one of these for sure. Have 3 of the Micro/havoc heli's. This would be great in the back yard on those clear nights. Make the neighbors think that UFO's are flying around their houses. Well kinda do already but this is totally kewl.
Luckily my cat will fight for freedom and snatch them out of the air, as will birds thinking it's a bugsnack.
And then there's the windshield of cars of course.
First of all I love that this is based on an existing biological creature. Its almost like reverse engineering (the wing flapping motion).
Secondly, continuing on those lines, this thing would be infinitely better if it could hover like a real dragonfly.
The army is involved in projects to insert electronics into real insects and to be able to steer them, saves some effort in developing stable flight and batterylifetime I suppose.
I can strap this thing to shoot eletro pluse tiny darts to brainwash people into submission. Global domination is no longer a dream!
I, for one, think that FIRST! is a good comment. That person got there before you did, so they have a right to brag about it. If that makes you mad, you're obviously jealous.
Bunch of retards... first to low rank is a big G...Y !!! :)
Check out this other video for a more footage of it "hovering"
Although this looks like an earlier, larger prototype, it may give you a better idea of how it works. Plus, it's got that really cool, really overplayed song from the matrix in it (Clubbed to Death.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_qaHw1V1m0&eurl=http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/23/robot-dragonfly-gets-outfitted-with-camera-plans-to-record-upri/2
Video can be viewed in high quality.
I've seen this in person, TU Delft brought a few of their DelFly's to the US last fall. They didn't have the camera on the small one, but they had it on a larger one. The Delfly flies amazingly well, it can hover and fly backwards at extremely slow speeds. They flew it around an auditorium and displayed the camera output on projectors.
These guys and Univ. of Florida are leading the way in Micro Air Vehicle development, IMO. The Air Force is still catching up, but a hovering vehicle like this that could perch and survey an area is highly desirable.
Dere's a leak in der dyke! Dere's a leak in der dyke!
Schtick your vinger in der dyke's hole right avay!
It's a little loud to use in the girls locker room.
I want one, that's sweet! :)
Is the camera wireless ?