DragonFly
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King of Fighters Online footage features familiar faces, isometric places
King of Fighters Online, the Thailand-only PC MOBA set in the KOF universe, entered beta last week on September 4, and as a result match videos are starting to crop up online. As we can see from this 30-ish minute demonstration, the game features all the expected MOBA trappings (click-to-move, action bars, loitering next to turrets, etc.) in addition to familiar KOF characters and their signature moves. The game is being developed by South Korean studio Dragonfly, and is published in Thailand by True Digital Plus. The client is available to download on the official King of Fighters Online website, with the only barrier to entry being that of language. So far, no announcements have been made with regards to expanding KOFO into other markets, but we're keeping an eye on it just in case.
BionicOpter dragonfly drone flutters about, blows minds
Festo isn't quite the household name that Boston Dynamics is. (And, really, we're not entirely sure Big Dog is a regular topic of conversation at dinner tables yet.) But, it certainly deserves just as much attention for the work they're doing with robotics. After crafting a machine last year that soared around like a herring gull, now the company has created BionicOpter. The 17.3-inch long dragonfly drone can flutter through the air in any direction, and even hover, just like its biological inspiration. Its four carbon fiber and foil wings beat up to 20 times per-second, propelling it through the air as if it were swimming rather than flying. Actually piloting the robo-bug is achieved through a smartphone app, but an on-board ARM-based microcontroller makes small adjustments to ensure stability during flight. There are a few important pieces of information we don't have just yet. For one, it's not clear how long the two-cell lithium ion battery will last, and pricing or availability are missing from the brochure (at the source link). Chances are though, you'll never be able to afford one any way. Thankfully you can at least see this marvel of engineering in action after the break.
CIA dragonfly drone almost beat modern UAVs by 40 years, was swatted (video)
US intelligence agencies were just as obsessed with drone spying 40 years ago as they are nowadays -- only then, it was pipe-smoking entomologists and watchmakers who were in charge of building prototypes. Back in the '70s, the CIA needed some kind of miniature flyer to deliver an audio bug, and after considering (and rejecting) a faux bumblebee, decided that a robotic dragonfly would be the best option. The wee UAV used a "miniature fluidic oscillator" as a motor and was propelled by a small amount of gas. It was somehow guided by a laser beam, which served double-duty as the "datalink for the audio sensor payload," according to the CIA Museum. Unfortunately, the insect-based mech proved too difficult to control, especially with any degree of wind, and was eventually scuppered -- all that's left of the now-declassified project is in the video after the break.
Keepin' it real fake: because in China, even websites aren't safe from knockoffs
When you've gone and built yourself an imitation MacBook Pro, a Magic Mouse-equipped pseudo-iMac, and an upcoming iPad-esque tablet, there's little reason left to be shy with your website. That must be the thinking behind the design of Dragonfly's web portal, which seems to have taken plenty of inspiration from Apple's home on the internet. Upon visiting the Qing Ting address, users are confronted with a glamorous product shot, set against a black backdrop and accessorized only with some bold words -- which happen to be as inane as the overreaching exaltations Apple likes to post up. So full marks for realism, but these aspiring KIRF merchants seem to have omitted the most important aspect: there's no online store! How are we supposed to get our Q Pad now?
Dragonfly jet-powered helicopter runs on H2O2, shuns traditional tail rotors (video)
Your average whirleybird is driven by a big motor in the middle, spinning the blades one way and, as per Newton, rotating the body of the craft the other. A tail rotor counteracts the force, but a more efficient solution is to have the rotors power themselves, which is exactly how the Dragonfly DF1 works. It has tiny, hydrogen-peroxide jets on the blade tips, spinning them up without pushing the body of the helo in the other way -- though a small tail rotor is still needed to turn the craft. It's much like the tech that propelled James Bond toward his waiting DB5 in Thunderball, but unlike that jetpack this copter can fly for up to 50 minutes. It's the product of Swisscopter Americas and, while they've been playing with the DF1 for many moons now (demonstrated in a video below), the company is also working on the DF2 shown above, a rather more civilized version that seats two. The DF1 is certified for flight in the US, looks to be available for sale and, while no price is listed, they are said to be much more friendly to the environment than traditional helicopters. That'll surely add to the premium.
CTD's incredulous Dragonfly concept in the flesh -- needs a few more years in the oven
Don't get us wrong, we're completely enamored with the idea of having a real laptop-style keyboard in a pocket-friendly form factor, but based on our quick look at a very rough mockup of the device today, we're not so convinced that CTD's "crossfolding" Dragonfly MID will be the one to bring it to market. We spoke with Edward Bullister, an MIT grad with a PhD and some Intel connections, who is hard at work on the device, and while we admire his enthusiasm and DIY ethic, we'd say he seems a little overly optimistic when it comes to the tech necessary to pull this off.His plan is to stick a Moorestown chip inside, with Windows XP as a primary OS, but perhaps a dual-boot option to Moblin. He's totally serious about the two fold-up LED backlit LCDs, though he admits the dual-sided screens depicted in the renders will have to wait for a later generation. More incredulously, he claims the device will have "all day" battery life, and be ready to ship by the end of the year. Yeah... we doubt it. No manufacturer is lined up currently, and he seems pretty distant from even having a working prototype. Still, we can't deny how great the form factor would be for pounding out a writing assignment on a plane, or wowing friends and family members (though we're not stoked about his ideas for using an external mouse as a primary input). So, best of luck Edward -- we'd love to be proven wrong on this one.
Video: CTD's MID concept fits comfortably in freakishly large pockets
Sure, this isn't the sexiest MID render we've ever seen, but it does make for a fun little video. Cambridge Technology Development, known around MIT and environs for fluidic device design, CFD analysis, and a number of other things we know less than nothing about, have designed a collapsible, pocketable PC that they call the Dragonfly. This bad boy can take the form of a flip phone, a straight-up netbook, or it can lay flat, in "table mode," ideal for pen and touch input. Of course, this isn't a real device -- and there's no telling when or if it'll become available. But when it does, how about floating us a review unit? Check 'er out yourself after the break.
Robot dragonfly gets outfitted with camera, plans to record uprising from every possible angle
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]
Solar-powered dragonfly throws ball back in WowWee's court
Make no mistake, our hearts were fluttering when we finally witnessed WowWee's FlyTech Dragonfly buzzing about, but there's just something about this creature that really wins us over. Designed and constructed by James G. Watt, this robotic insect reportedly includes a number of solar cells which provide enough power in sunlight to make the critter's wings flap. Granted, we aren't told whether or not it's mighty enough to deliver loves notes in math class, but we're digging the concept, regardless.[Via MAKE]
WowWee Dragonfly bots being hunted by hawks
We wouldn't have believed it, either, but the WowWee Dragonfly is attracting some unusual attention -- owners are reporting their bots are being attacked by hawks. WowWee says 45 people have reported hawk attacks in the past two months, and there's even a few pictures of the birds with their robotic prey out there -- like this one taken by fifth-grader Danny McGorry. We always knew the Dragonfly was fun, but this takes it to another level -- all we need now is a remote squirt gun mounted on the thing and we'll be ready to go. Check the whole article below. %Gallery-16649%
We never thought we'd see a hot pink, duct tape case ...
This case may be made out of duct tape (like some others we've seen before), but its hot pink color along with the dragonfly actually make it look rather nice. Who knew duct tape could be so stylish? Of course, you'd have to really love pink to rock this Etsy creation, but isn't pink supposed to be the new black these days? Or something. We don't really keep up with fashion at DS Fanboy, and knowing some of our taste preferences, you may want to try to avoid any fashion advice we give altogether.
Wowwee Dragonfly chopped in half for your perusal
We've followed Wowwee's fluttering Dragonfly bot from FCC to hands-on to review and finally to the obligatory release, so it only seems fitting that we publish a photo of one whose owner sliced it in half. Not exactly your classic dissection -- we like lots of gory pics -- but it still gives you a good feel for what's going on inside your $50 toy. Big bonus points to the first commenter who posts the complete list of parts visible in the picture.[Thanks, Leif]
WowWee's FlyTech Dragonfly reviewed
We've already seen some first impressions of WowWee's newly-launched FlyTech Dragonfly "toy," but PC Magazine has now thankfully provided a slightly more in-depth review for those of us more curious about the little critter's capabilities. As you might expect, they found it to be "loads of fun," with easy to use controls and a surprisingly durable design, which helped the unit withstand a number of head-on collisions with the walls and floor. The unit's downsides are also about what you'd expect, with a wide open space with no wind pretty much required to fly it. They also found that it took a bit of effort to extract the charging cable from the Dragonfly's body, which you'll have to do fairly frequently as you'll only get about seven minutes of flying time on each charge. We somehow doubt that'll be a deal-breaker for most, however, especially given that it only costs fifty bucks.
WowWee: snakes, dragonflies, and bears -- oh my!
And now, back to Wowgadget's comprehensive coverage of all things WowWee. The tricky Robosapien folks chose not to display some of their hottest bots at CES Unveiled -- probably because they won't be released in the US for the forseeable future -- but we managed to sweet talk them into hooking us up with some images and a few deets about this unannounced swag. First up is Robopanda, a Teddy Ruxpin-like doll for tots four-and-up that sports "many advanced sensors" along with a head-mounted IR sensor and stereo sound. Besides the usual back-and-forth we enjoy with WowWee's products, 'panda also reads bedtime stories (we hear that it's fond of Bearinstein Bears), interacts with a MiniMe version of itself, and of course, delivers mad bear hugs to love-starved tykes. Also on the docket is Roboboa (we like "Roboa" better, but whatevs), a companion snakebot that performs the varied functions of "smart desk light, wake-up alarm, room guard, disco marquee, roving tank, safety light and playful cannon." Hey, we've always wanted a toy like that! Snakey will be available somewhere in the world, sometime this year for $119, while the roboteddy is expected to retail for $229. Check out the gallery for pics of both of these fine new additions to the robotic zoo, along with a few images of the RS Media, Dragonfly, and that Roboquad spiderbot we saw yesterday... WowWee: snakes, dragonflies, and bears -- oh my!
Wowwee's FlyTech Dragonfly in action
While the Robosapien, Roboreptile, and basically all of Wowwee's gizmos demand an (understandable) level of respect, the FlyTech Dragonfly (quite literally) takes this "robotic toy" gig to another level. While the FCC got its paws on the fluttering animal not too long ago, it now appears that citizens over at T3 got a chance to give it whirl, and the results are indeed impressive. Relying on "brute flapping-power to remain airborne," this creature reportedly worked "amazingly well," and the rechargeable battery pack will purportedly keep it in flight for "around 15 minutes." Although the bug should draw a crowd at next month's CES, there's no need to wait around to get a sneak peek at what this tombo is capable of, as the kind folks at T3 are delivering a hands-on video (after the break) to make us all green with envy.
