MIT researchers develop autonomous glider that can land on a wire
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted July 23rd 2010 4:34AM
posted July 23rd 2010 4:34AM
The latest research at MIT is not only paving the way to more agile autonomous aircraft, but it's a reminder of how much catching up we have to do to match the complexity and skill of the common bird. In a project that's been ongoing since 2005, Rick Cory and Russ Tedrake have developed a mathematical model of how a bird lands on a wire and emulated the move with an autonomous glider. To control the glider, they developed a system that allows the craft to keep an eye on itself and the position of the wire using external cameras, sending control data if adjustments have to be made. As it is, UAVs are generally limited to the same set of maneuvers that piloted aircraft have, but the researchers don't feel that this has to be the case. For their next trick they plan to take the show outside, as well as develop vehicles with flapping wings. This is all great, but we're holding out for a device that pitches (and wisecracks) as well as Woody Woodpecker.
The front makes it look like a flying shark.
I was more interested in the awesome vid. I miss childhood sometimes. =)
@ZRod I sadly watched half of the video thinking it would somewhere show me the glider..
:(
@geekthree same here
@geekthree The video is at the source link, in black and white for some odd reason. Maybe to make the white glider stand out?
What pointless thing will they do next. Stay tuned folks.
@jackjumper85
Yeah, that's what people thought about electricity too until the lightbulb came out.
Flying shark, landing like birds.. and pigeons are confused. :-S
MIT needs to be making personal jetpacks, not birdbots.
@Nilithius
Can you imagine? Drunk flyers? Given people's idiocy, perhaps we ought to hold back on providing people with yet more ways to kill themselves/others.
@Gad Get
What wonderful logic. Stop progress because we might end up hurting ourselves.
What an incredible achievement. MIT never ceases to amaze me with what they are doing.
I guess the next milestone will be when one of these can crap on your windshield. Actually given current UAV technology, maybe they already can....
Now if they can develop an algorithm for finding freshly-washed cars and dropping a small payload onto them, they'll really be approaching bird-like behavior.
THE IS WHAT WE CALL CLASSIC LOVE IT
Was a video of Woody the Woodpecker really necessary?
@Myth of Echelon
Did you miss the joke at the end?