http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/ Engadget Comments for MIT's Flyfire paints images in the sky using micro helicopters, is apparently top-secret http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 10:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 10:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 10:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 10:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 10:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
They couldn't think of something like "Airborne Quantum Pixel" or something cool sounding?]]>Feb 19th 2010 10:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/]]>Feb 19th 2010 10:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/and you know that....
how?]]>Feb 19th 2010 11:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/and you know this.... how?]]>Feb 19th 2010 11:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 11:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://senseable.mit.edu/flyfire/
]]>Feb 19th 2010 10:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/A good concept, but if you're using helicopter blades next to each other it'll take some seriously fast corrective control to keep them all steady and a constant distance from eachother - especially if you put it in places like large shopping centres or conference halls where airflow is constant and turbulent - all that rising heat and circulating air around the walls & ceilings.
]]>Feb 19th 2010 10:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/"Probably pulled from the site 'cos they, or a student, wants to go on and market the thing"

Doubtful since the idea alone has been around for a while...Read Michael Crighton, it's even mainstream. Now the code describing how they pull it off, that's where the $$ is.]]>Feb 19th 2010 11:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
Insects and birds can fly in highly organized spatial arrangements. Schools of fish can swim in a very organized manner too. Bacteria can swim in an organized manner too.

Heck, you can place floating magnets in water and they will arrange themselves in a hexagonal pattern even when the water sloshes some.

So, the point is engineers (especially MIT geeks, I know a few), make things more complicated than they need to be. If you think about it, coordinate spatial flight is challenging, but not as hard as you think it to be.

]]>Feb 19th 2010 1:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
You're just bitter because your engineers botched the gas pedal.]]>Feb 19th 2010 2:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
Hehe.... yeah. ]]>Feb 19th 2010 3:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 10:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 11:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 11:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
...or something like that...

]]>Feb 19th 2010 11:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Yawn... call me when you don't need 1080000 batteries to run it.]]>Feb 19th 2010 11:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 12:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
This will be more useful and interesting in the distant future where everything draws power wirelessly, and the little orbs don't need rotors to fly...]]>Feb 21st 2010 8:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 12:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 12:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 12:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
Get yourself a proper coaxial helicopter w/ a gyro, and you'll very much be able to hover two next to each other with minimal practice.]]>Feb 19th 2010 12:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 12:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
You don't see how the tech behind the ability to control a swarm of drones can then be applied to other uses later? ]]>Feb 19th 2010 1:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
Actually it's been thought of before in the last 4 years. Should be about 8-10yrs before they show the 1st working prototype. Website is more hype than showing anything working.

Next...]]>Feb 19th 2010 1:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
]]>Feb 19th 2010 1:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
Good idea, but well, cost? seriously, this would cost a fortune to run and control, let alone the products, ]]>Feb 19th 2010 1:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 1:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 19th 2010 1:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
well, if these things really are beggars, not buggers, maybe they can get their own batteries.

would you give a AA to a little 'copter in need?]]>Feb 19th 2010 2:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
Time to get that whole wireless energy thing sorted out. I'm thinking drive-in movies. The whole country is invited.]]>Feb 19th 2010 2:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/
First, everyone knows our enemies are terribly afraid of cute little tiny flying lights.

Second, just imagine the psychological warfare possibilities.

Oh, Mr. Bad Guy, shoot at me will you? Your mistake; now, you will suffer the wrath of Golden Girls Season Two.]]>Feb 19th 2010 3:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Don't you mean 2073600000000 batteries?]]>Feb 19th 2010 7:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mits-flyfire-paints-images-in-the-sky-using-micro-helicopters/Feb 20th 2010 4:17AM