Revenge of the quadrocopters: now they move in packs (video)

In case you didn't find the original quadrocopter chilling enough, the GRASP Lab out of the University of Pennsylvania has gone and added a bit of cooperative logic to the recipe so that now multiple little drones can work together. Also upgraded with a "claw-like" gripper that allows it to pick up and transport objects, the newer quadrocopter can team up on its prey payload with its buddies, all while maintaining its exquisite balance and agility. Skip past the break to see it on video.

[teabee Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:07AM]

It reminds me of Zero's "New Model Army" mission in GTA San Andreas :D

[TheAmazingWJV Posted Jul 13th 2010 6:46AM]

@teabee That mission made me quit San Andreas. They were uncontrolable...

[teabee Posted Jul 13th 2010 6:50AM]

@TheAmazingWJV You're right it was not easy to control. I wish we could have controlled those with a smartphone's accelerometer :)

[NikAmi Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:01PM]

@Gibson And what about Catholic extremists?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100712/ap_on_re_eu/eu_northern_ireland

I just hope I can live to see the day when most of mankind can evolve past this arcane need to believe in a higher power or an afterlife to give our miserable existences meaning. I'm not saying that all the worlds problems are caused by religion, but a large portion of them are.

[NoFaQ Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:02PM]

@Gibson
Wow, that was a huge leap to get to the culture bashing. Bravo.

@The AmazingJWV
That's what made me quit San Andreas as well, could never get past it.

[NoFaQ Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:06PM]

@NikAmi
It's not religion that causes the problems, it's the multitude of religions and people thinking differently.

All this would be solved if everyone would just think the way I do.

[Brokinarrow Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:48PM]

@Darkroom - A bunch of 100 year olds invaded zion??

[DrScope Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:24PM]

@NoFaQ But then there would be no diversity just a bunch of human robots

[TickLe MY eLMo Posted Jul 13th 2010 7:20PM]

@Gibson

i lol'd

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:10AM]

Half Life 2

[Neotyguy40 Posted Jul 13th 2010 10:46AM]

@(Unverified)

I was just thinking that...

[Timerider Posted Jul 13th 2010 11:43AM]

@(Unverified)
****ing Manhacks. Hate those things.

[LIve2Lin Posted Jul 14th 2010 1:54AM]

@Timerider: A problem easily solved with a crowbar, though.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:11AM]

Half Life 2.

[exNewt Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:11AM]

I welcome our quadrocopter masters...

[Element115 Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:47AM]

@exNewt *servitudefail

I for one welcome our quadrotored overlords!

@story quiet a feat!

[mrpixel Posted Jul 13th 2010 8:29AM]

@exNewt If only it could open a fridge to get to my beers.

[Smart People Play Tuba Posted Jul 13th 2010 8:43AM]

Christian Bale is sitting there in the future, shaking his head.

[Kangal Posted Jul 13th 2010 8:48AM]

@Element115

Now we need a swarm of them (1-4) with built in cameras all controlled by an Android App via 3G of one smartphones!

[GaryZ Posted Jul 13th 2010 3:26PM]

give them lasers, PLEASE!!!

[TheSpoonyBard Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:11AM]

One step closer to my dream of having my own killer robot bee army.

[SuperCharly Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:11AM]

I love it !

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jul 13th 2010 7:33AM]

@SuperCharly

Dude, I've been looking for you. Where we're you at the party?

[Brokinarrow Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:50PM]

@cdf74dc9 - where we are you at the party .. wha? ooohh... you meant where WERE you at the party... seriously though, how do you mess that one up?

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jul 13th 2010 7:54PM]

@Brokinarrow

Sadly, Engadget fail to have an edit button.

[credo Posted Jul 13th 2010 8:05PM]

@cdf74dc9
you can't edit reality.

[Wiggy Fuzz Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:16AM]

i need these things in my life.

[wemustcontrolpeople Posted Jul 13th 2010 6:40AM]

@Wiggy Fuzz Agreed, life feels empty now. It's like seeing Robert Pattinson and realizing you can't have him. *sigh*

[ryandavid1a Posted Jul 13th 2010 7:03AM]

@wemustcontrolpeople
lmao! XD

[Firehazel Posted Jul 13th 2010 10:38AM]

@Wiggy Fuzz I have applications for these... like waterbombs... AIR STRIKE!

[ArcticWolf Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:16AM]

Awesome! I can already envision a pack of these safely flying an injured soldier out of a battlefield.

[Kangal Posted Jul 13th 2010 8:50AM]

@ArcticWolf

Don't you mean delivering grenades to the enemy?

[CRA1G Posted Jul 13th 2010 3:17PM]

@Kangal

Step 1) Deliver grenades to the enemy (along with terrifying nightmares of grenade-carrying bees)
Step 2) Bring back injured soldiers to base
Step 3) Re-equip with more grenades
Step 4) Repeat steps 1-3 until they need to be attached to the remote control unit via that little cable for some recharging

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:18AM]

SkyNet is already spreading

[Kangal Posted Jul 13th 2010 8:48AM]

@(Unverified)

not to season 3 though ... *sigh
please sign the petition for more Sarah Connor Chronicles

[korbas12 Posted Jul 15th 2010 3:25PM]

@Kangal That was my favorite show, ever...well, since Knight Rider. And A-Team. I guess I'm showing my age...

[IkariPt Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:19AM]

Behold the power of Skynet

[asheryaqub Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:20AM]

sigh. now these things will become self aware and tie up with google (skynet) and then come and kill us... as prophesized in termintor 3...

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:31AM]

Wow. Just wow. Their previous video with the quad copters flying through windows was awesome and this one is perhaps even more amazing.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:32AM]

hehe there's a bunch of JR or spektrum DX7 on the ground.

it looks like as if they just command them using the PPM input jack, based on the camera's vision :)

[Ziv Posted Jul 13th 2010 8:04AM]

@(Unverified) I think that they are for emergency, if you can identify those radios you know how dangerous is a heli gone rogue.
they use a single radio to control the "master bot" and he relays commnds to the rest of the quads.

[wickerman045 Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:39AM]

im terrified. they sound like massive bees... or vuvuzelas

[Vylen Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:41AM]

It wont be long before we see larger ones patrolling the streets picking up dissidents in a Big Brother society.

[Dakine99 Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:46AM]

So it uses those red lights to navigate?! I see a weakness in the killer droid army!

[ferrara101 Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:55AM]

When I first saw this, I thought they were man-hacks off Half-life 2...

[Amusednow Posted Jul 13th 2010 6:01AM]

Sigh time to dust off the crowbar.....

[salamander Posted Jul 13th 2010 6:11AM]

I remember when all we had to worry about was mobile dustbins with sink plungers and a sore throat that couldn't handle stairs

[Ducman69 Posted Jul 13th 2010 7:17AM]

Combine that with the facial recognition software they use in airports, and voila, new way to serve warrants that whisk you away like superman! O_O

[FMinus Posted Jul 13th 2010 7:43AM]

Woah reinventing the helicopter, nice waste of money.

And don't give me BS, Airwolf was flying without a pilot in one episode!!!

[Ziv Posted Jul 13th 2010 8:00AM]

@FMinus
No. not reinventing the helicopter, advancing quadrocopter technologies and autonomous swarm handling in air both of which are fields that are still in their infancy.