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Open source video blimp controlled by an iPad
So far, we've seen a car, a helicopter, and even a Dalek controlled by an Apple device, so here's another form of transportation: a blimp, this time controlled by an iPad. Bonus points for making the video interesting and fun, too -- we get a well-edited and shot video montage of how the iPad got hooked up via code to a blimp, equipped with a propeller, a camera, and even some lights. The blimp is actually a "Blimpduino," a low-cost open source blimp design connected to an arduino controller. This blimp's controller is connected to an iPad's accelerometer, so tilting the iPad determines the blimp's movement. Plus, it looks like they even threw in some basic augmented reality through the camera, too, just for the heck of it. Very cool. Speaking of augmented reality, Yelp's Ben Newhouse suggested a while back that the relatively inexpensive iPad could be used for all sorts of tasks that previously required much more specialized computers, and something like this proves that the iPad makes an excellent and cheap touchscreen and accelerometer-based interface for any kind of remote control. I don't know if we'll be flying real blimps with iPads in the future, but any sort of remote interface could definitely make use of a quick app that hooks up our actions to mechanics on the other end. [via MacStories]
New Saboteur screens show heartless, blimp-hating hero
Okay, Mr. Saboteur. You're not going to listen to reason, are you? We asked nicely -- so very nicely -- that you stop blowing up those beautiful, elegant and endangered dirigibles. However, the latest batch of screenshots from your self-titled game have revealed that you haven't heeded our advice, and continue to detonate airships at the drop of your dusty, brown flat cap. That's how you want to do this, huh? Well, you can expect our harshly worded petition to surface within the next few days. Nope, sorry pal. Too late for apologies. This just got real, sir. %Gallery-77896%
New Saboteur trailer displays intolerable blimp cruelty
Listen, Mr. Saboteur. We appreciate what you're going for here. Liberating France from Nazis is about as noble as goals get -- but your methods are questionable. Did you know that fewer than 100 zeppelins exist in the world today, placing them near the top of National Geographic's "Top 10 Most Endangered Means of Transportation" list? Well, it's true, and every time you buffet a blimp with a ballistic missile, that number dwindles even more. Oh, don't try and deny it. We caught your latest act of blimp violence on camera, and placed it in the latest trailer for your self-titled video game, The Saboteur. We're fine with the street racing and the Nazi shooting -- but let's try to keep the rigid airship exploding to a minimum, okay?
US looking to deploy long-endurance hybrid airship over Afghanistan
We may see more airship proposals than actual airships 'round these parts, but it looks like this massive dirigible from Lockheed Martin will indeed be taking flight sooner rather than later, and could see action in Afghanistan by mid-2011. Dubbed the LEMV (or Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle), the airship is apparently "optionally manned," and can stay aloft at 20,000 feet for up to 21 days at a time, while also carrying a payload of up to 2,500 pounds. That relatively fast deployment is aided in part by the fact that the airship is basically a larger version of Lockheed's P-791 (twice as big, in fact), which has already flown six times and, as you can see in the video after the break, is pretty massive in its own right.[Via The Register]
DARPA, Air Force develop hydrogen-powered spy blimp
The Air Force has announced that it will do its part for economic stimulus by spending $400 million on a dirigible designed to float 65,000 feet above the Earth, where it will provide constant surveillance of an area (such as the Afghanistan-Pakistan border). ISIS (Integrated Sensor Is the Structure) is being billed as a cross between a satellite and a spy plane, kept aloft by helium and powered by hydrogen fuel cells that are recharged with solar panels. The thing will remain in place for up to ten years providing, as one Air Force scientist gushed, "constant surveillance, uninterrupted." If successful, the Air Force would like to see a whole fleet of these things. DARPA has signed on, agreeing to deliver a prototype by 2014.
BAE's GA22 unmanned blimp makes its debut, we love blimps
We're not sure what's going on here, but we're not going to complain: Blimps are making a comeback. There are powerful hauling blimps, sure, but BAE is hopping on the autonomous systems bandwagon with its nimble GA22. The 22-meter (72 feet) dirigible is meant to carry high-tech surveillance equipment weighing up to 330 pounds at an altitude around 6,500 feet. The unmanned craft could also be used for sporting events, floods, and forest fires, says BAE. Right now the vehicle is radio-controlled but the ultimate release will be completely autonomous. Unfortunately, this means we can't take a ride, but, as we said, it's still a blimp, and blimps are just straight-up cool.[Via Danger Room]
Boeing's Skyhook JHL-40 blimp gives us hope for yesterday's future
We love dirigibles and we're not about to apologize for it, so that's why Boeing's new Skyhook JHL-40 airship has us ooh'ing and aah'ing in wonder. The eight-engine blimp is being developed for 40-ton 200-mile hauls in adverse environments such as wildernesses and what Boeing calls places "no other kind of transport can go." It is also slated to have a minimal impact on the environment with a carbon-minimal footprint as it won't require new roadways in remote areas. Of the eight engines, four provide lift while the other four control direction. Two production prototypes are under development at its Rotorcraft Systems facility in Ridley Park, PA. Can we sign up for a test flight? Maybe? Just a little?[Via Coolest Gadgets]
DirecTV Starship takes NFL Network to Bright House customers
You're already quite aware of how the NFL Network feels about cable companies (and vice-verse) who refuse to carry the channel or stash it on a special programming tier, but DirecTV is giving Bright House customers in Florida a way to tune in without switching content providers. In a move that's as propagandistic as it is bold, the satellite provider will be giving cable customers in the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Orlando, Florida areas a chance to catch NFL Network telecasts as well as a healthy serving of promotional material. Starting tonight with the Broncos - Texans matchup, citizens of Tampa will be able to peer up at the Starship and "enjoy the game," after which it will head to St. Petersburg for the Bengals - 49ers game on Saturday. Next week, those in Orlando can check out Steelers - Rams and Cowboys - Panthers, and hey, don't fret about missing out on this thing -- we're pretty sure you'll notice that 2,100-square foot screen hovering above your city.[Image courtesy of DTV101]
Swiss researchers developing muscular swimming blimp
It's not everyday we see innovations in blimp technology, but a team of researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research are keeping the helium-filled dream alive, developing a blimp that effectively swims through the air like a fish. According to New Scientist, that's done with the aid of some artificial "muscles" that expand and contract when given a jolt of electricity, allowing the vehicle to wiggle its way through the air, cutting down on the noise in the process. While it can currently only stay aloft for 20 minutes at a time, the team thinks the technology could eventually see a wide range of uses, including sending airships far up into the stratosphere, possibly as platforms for wireless communication. From the looks of it, however, it seems like we could be seeing the blimp in toy form well before that happens -- at least we hope so.
Lockheed Martin to build High Altitude Airship for homeland security
Although it's not exactly shocking to hear of yet another homeland security application that seems to border on Big Brother, Lockheed Martin's High Altitude Airship could keep an elevated eye on 600 miles of US countryside at any given time, and if all goes as planned, we'll have 11 of these things floating over our everyday activities by the end of the decade. The HAA prototype is a ginormous airship that measures 17-times larger than the Goodyear rendition we're all used to seeing above sporting events, and is designed to hover 12 miles above the earth in order to keep tabs on what's happening below. The airship is slated to be solar-powered and should stay in a geocentric orbit for "up to a year," and if equipped with high-resolution cameras, a single one could cover everything "between Toledo, Ohio and New York City." While Lockheed Martin is thrilled with the $40 million project they've been awarded, it's certainly understandable to get a little worried about how these blimps will actually be used, but a company spokesperson suggested then an entire fleet could actually be used for "border surveillance" -- and hey, we need a little help down there anyway, right?[Via Fark]
The Skyacht "practical" personal blimp
While we're still waiting for our jet pack and saving up for our Moller Skycar, it looks like we may soon have another flying machine at our disposal once the Skyacht personal blimp hits the market. The blimp's been in development since 2002 (including some makeshift wind tunnel testing) but just recently underwent its first tethered test flights and is set to make its first untethered flight later this month. Unlike traditional blimps, the Skyacht simply uses hot air instead of helium, and employs a "virtually silent" motor for propulsion. The use of hot air makes the Skyacht cheaper to operate than other blimps but, as you can see, also requires a much bigger balloon. Rest assured though, it is the world's first "practical" personal blimp.[Via MAKE: Blog]
