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First Look: Hellfire for iPhone / iPod touch
Ahhh, there's nothing quite like taking your helicopter gunship out for a spin to wake you up first thing in the morning! Astraware has announced the immediate availability of their newest action game for iPhone and iPod touch, Hellfire (click opens iTunes). This US$4.99 game puts you in the pilot's seat of a helicopter gunship, ready to take on one of 16 missions.Control is provided through both the accelerometer (steering, speed) and touch-screen controls (throttle, weapons) as you fly US and Soviet-era helicopters through the missions. There are various levels of challenges, with missions in locations throughout the world. Some missions provide multiple objectives, such as taking out enemy defenses, then rescuing hostages and returning them to a base. The helicopters are pre-rendered and very realistic, and the gunships fly over 3D terrain that is rendered on-the-fly. The soundtrack and sound effects can be switched off for play during meetings, and your own music can be substituted if you prefer.There's a YouTube video showing Hellfire in action, complete with Alison's camo green nail polish. Click the Read More link to view it.
WowWee's Lightstar flying blade reviewed: a cheap thrill
Looking for something to pass the time, scratch that robotic itch and come in at under a Jackson? Look no further than WowWee's Lightstar, the latest and greatest addition to the outfit's growing FlyTech family. The robot lovers over at RobotsRule were able to get their grimy hands around this here flying blade, and while they weren't expecting much for just $20, they came away delightfully enthralled. Essentially, there's no way to steer the chopper, but you can vary the acceleration and bounce it off of walls in order to keep your brain stimulated and a grin on your face. The real excitement kicked in when all the lights were flipped off and the Pink Floyd was cranked to 11. For a look at what we mean, check out the demonstration vid just past the break -- looks like $20 well spent from here.
Video: Taiyo's voice controlled Voice-Heli RC helicopter: "attack!"
We love RC helicopters. What self-respecting nerd doesn't? Add voice control and our dorktalic sensorloin careens into the red. Taiyo Co. plans to release a 7.2-inch radio controlled helicopter with 10-foot range sometime in 2009. At launch, the Voice-Heli will respond to commands such as "start engine," "up," "hold," "down," and "stop." Presumably, it'll recognize "quit spinning out of control you piece of Walmart shiznit!" in future versions. Taiyo says that it is targeting middle-aged men who would play with the toy rather than their children. Stop Taiyo, please, for your own sake, stop... you had us at voice controlled. Check the video after the break.[Thanks, Vincent]
Stanford's autonomous helicopters learn new tricks by watching
While a great many scientists are attempting to create autonomous bots for uses in surgery, a team of Stanford whiz-kids are having a bit more fun with it all. The crew in question has concocted an artificial intelligence system that "enables robotic helicopters to teach themselves to fly difficult stunts by watching other helicopters perform the same maneuvers." Dubbed a demonstration in "apprenticeship learning," the robots can actually learn by observing rather than having to be programmed, meaning that entire airshows could be reeled off by planes that simply keep an open mind when warm-ups are underway. Of course, they could also be used for more serious applications -- mapping out hot spots of California wildfires, finding land mines in war zones, etc. -- but even if none of that pans out, we're cool with inventions being used purely for entertainment.
Martin Jetpack officially unveiled, lifts off on video
One of mankind's most adored gadgets (yes, the jetpack) is moving one step closer to mainstream today with the unveiling of the Martin Jetpack. Revealed in front of a crowd in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this human transporter is technically defined by the FAA as an "experimental ultralight airplane, equipped with a gas-powered, V-4 piston engine and two ducted fans that provide the lift." Currently, the $100,000 machine can only hover for around 30 minutes and rise to 8,000 feet, and those who sign up to purchase one will first have to complete 15 hours of flight training as well as a "safety screening." Check out an all-too-short video after the jump to see the device lift off, float around and land -- totally underwhelming, but the optimistic few will surely see promise.Read - Martin Jetpack unveiling, videoRead - Details on Martin JetpackRead - More photos from EAA AirVenture
Grand Challenge seeks to boost robotic prowess of British military
From what we've seen, the British military is pretty savvy on its robotics. Apparently mechanical beings aren't integrated enough, however, as the British Ministry of Defense has launched its first ever Grand Challenge, which "encourages participants to turn their ideas into prototypes for machines the army can use in urban environments." The six finalists that were chosen each received around $600,000 in order to construct their contraptions, and this August, we'll see an unmanned buggy that can analyze a gunman's movements, a self-propelled, remote-controlled camera and minuscule helicopters used for reconnaissance missions. Best of all, these creations won't just be propped up on some shiny display -- oh no, they'll be taking part in a mock battle in Copehill Down, with even more loot and an enviable trophy on the line.
Libelula rocket-powered helicopter backpack redefines danger
Sure, you can get yourself a personal helicopter or, if you're particularly daring, a jet pack, but what about those that crave yet more danger in short 30-second bursts? As in, rocket-propelled helicopter blades a few inches from your head-type danger. Thankfully, the folks at Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana (makes of some of the aforementioned jet packs) have come to the rescue (so to speak), with their latest high-flying concept, the Libelula rocket-powered helicopter backpack. Apparently, the rockets on the tips of the blades are necessary to keep the whole rig counter-balanced, a job that would normally be done with a tail rotor on an ordinary helicopter. Of course, as you can no doubt surmise by the detailed illustration above, this one's still a ways away from getting its first test flight, but the folks at TAM do have a proven track record, so we wouldn't put it completely past 'em to get it off the drawing board sooner or later.[Via Tech Digest]
Flying Santa sans reindeer
You'd be sporting the very same expression of horror if your jolly ass was strapped to a Brando remote controlled helicopter. The rechargeable unit features a "super wide" IR remote and spare tail prop for $25. Rudolph's wrath: free.
Petit Copter flying over the Pacific
Aksys appears to be the default U.S. publisher for Arc System Works's Japanese releases. In addition to the wonderful DS games they're localizing, they have picked up Sonic Powered's mini-flight sim, Petit Copter. The American release will be titled MiniCopter: Adventure Flight. This is the first American release for a game in the Petit Copter series, which has entries on the PS2, Xbox and other systems.Now that we know we'll get to play it, we're somewhat more interested in the title than before. The graphics are pretty rough, yes, but flying around in an oversized world, manipulating objects and carrying out objectives with air missiles and suction cups at least sounds unique. Of course, we'll be a lot more "somewhat more interested" in a budget-priced MiniCopter.
When good toys go bad VIII: Scoble attacked by autonomous helicopter
Generally speaking, we tend to give autonomous vehicles the benefit of the doubt, but we should really come to grips with the fact that not all robotic flying machines have positive intentions. Apparently, one such ill-willed creation managed to lose control of itself and plow right into Robert Scoble's leg while he was out photowalking at Stanford University. Thankfully, no humans were maimed and the chopper did manage to recover from the crash and proceed on its normal, non-threatening flight path, but we're sure Mr. Scoble will be watching any unmanned crafts with extra caution from here on out.
Petit Copter: medical aviation in action
The Wii is all about innovation and new gameplay experiences. Like swinging a controller like a tennis racket, or pantomiming cooking motions, or even standing on things. Sometimes, however, the innovation comes not in the interface, but in the content of the game, as in Petit Copter. Petit Copter will allow you to experience something that you've hopefully never done: flying a tiny model helicopter around in a hospital. Of course, the tiny helicopter probably has an important mission to carry out in the hospital, so that's just fine. Only fly model aircraft in hospitals when you really need to.[Via NeoGAF]
Next President's trick new Marine One copter is better than yours
There's a new presidential helicopter in town, and while George W. will have to run for a third term to get a shot at it, the next president of the United States is a lock for showing up on the White House lawn in this new ride. The Marine One VH-71 is a good many years in production, and will finally show up in 2009. There's seating room for 14 passengers, along with a kitchen, bathroom, high-speed communications suite, sound and vibration reduction and missile protection. The new choppers -- Lockheed Martin is building 23 of them by 2018 -- have a 350 mile range, compared to the current 100 miles of the VH-3Ds, and are being billed an "Oval Office in the sky." There was really never a better time to throw your hat in the ring for "leader of the free world."
Spain turns to helicopters to crack down on speeding
We've already seen speed cameras pop up in a few unusual places, but Spain now looks to be trying to extend their reach even further, with the country set to launch a fleet of helicopters aimed at cracking down on speeding in its major cities. According to theNewspaper.com, the helicopters will be equipped with Wescam MX15 forward-looking infrared cameras that'll take pictures of the target vehicle's license plate, while a separate radar system calculates the speed of the vehicle. Officials say that makes the system accurate from an altitude of 1,000 feet and distance of one kilometer (or 0.6 miles). While there doesn't appear to be a fixed timeline for getting things off the ground, Spain's Direccion General de Trafico hopes to eventually have helicopters deployed in seven cities, including Madrid, Valencia, and Seville, where we're guessing conventional speed camera detectors will soon be of little use.[Thanks, Richard]
Petit missions in Petit Copter
Famitsu's got some much clearer screens of Arc System Works and Sonic Powered's Petit Copter, and it looks great! But we love the aesthetic of Dreamcast games. Those of you expecting next-gen may be less enthused about the visuals. We're pretty sure, for example, that those rings are supposed to be ring-shaped.As low-key as the graphics may be, we think the mission types are even more so. The article reveals three kinds of missions: Taking off, flying somewhere, and landing Picking up something with a suction cup and dropping it off Shooting at some targets with a puff of air Combined, these three activities could make for some really interesting missions! Alone ... no. Outside of tutorial missions, we have to believe they'll mix it up. The article mentions shooting at switches to manipulate things in the level, which sounds like it opens up all kinds of missions around the house!
HotSeat Chassis' plane and helicopter flight simulators
When we hit up a press event, we're looking for two things (besides free refreshments): unannounced products and unreleased devices that we can get you some hands-on shots of. Well save for the snazzy MX Air that we picked up from Logitech, last night's Digital Life preview in New York was a total bust -- nothing but Foleos and non-working robots as far as the eye could see -- so instead of schmoozing with our colleagues or getting our egos stroked by publicity-happy vendors, we watched uncoordinated journalists attempt to master the controls of HotSeat Chassis' latest immersive simulators. While the company also makes a full line of driving rigs, the demo machines were both of the flying variety: the $6,000 Combat Sim and $7,000+ Heli Sim. The former contraption features two monitors and traditional "dogfight" controls that work with most any software, while the latter offers just a single control stick to help you live out those Airwolf fantasies. If you're interested in checking out gaming equipment that costs more than a used car (and even some new ones), hit the gallery below... %Gallery-4826%
Boeing's unmanned A160T Hummingbird helicopter takes flight
It's been a few ticks since we've seen Boeing send an atypical aircraft into the friendly skies, but the firm's latest helicopter has successfully completed a 12-minute test flight without so much as a pilot on board. The A160T Hummingbird unmanned rotorcraft is a turbine-powered "warfighter" that aims to provide "intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance coverage" in locales that could make even the most calloused veteran queasy. During its time in the air, it reportedly met every objective set for it, and while we've no idea how soon this thing will be lifting itself up, it'll eventually reach speeds of up to 140 knots and stay airborne for up to 20 hours before returning to base for a pat on the wing.[Via The Raw Feed, image courtesy of SkyControl]
Best RP quest chains pre-Outlands
So you leveled your main into the late 50s and are ready to jump into the time-sucking goodness that is the Outlands. But before you head in, you want to experience any good pre-BC quest chains you may have missed. One player on the official forums is in this exact situation and wants to know: what quest chain should she do that has good XP and an interesting storyline before heading into the Burning Crusade content?Many players have chimed in so far with their fondly remembered misadventures. Tirion Fordring's Redemption chain out of the Eastern Plaguelands gets many recommendations. As does the Marauders of Darrowshire chain in which you have to find a little girl ghost's missing dolly and along the way relive a critical moment in the history of the lands.You can also summon a helicopter out of Azshara, get killed on purpose out of Un'goro and learn the history of the Moonkin which takes you to the same area where you can quest for a mechanical yeti. But there is one quest that is getting the most enthusiastic recommendations.
FireScout robot deathcopter passes engine testing
The Army's FireScout robotic helicopter passed its engine tests today, marking another step on the road for the US armed forces to move away from the sort-of-cute "RC car with a big gun" school of military robotics to the sort-of-terrifying "Skynet becomes self-aware at 2:14 A.M., August 29th" school of deathbots. The robochopper, based on the commercially-available Schweizer 333 helicopter, can stay in the air for eight hours autonomously (five with a weapons payload) and has successfully landed itself on warships at sea. The Navy is considering deploying up to 200 of these things beginning in 2008, and the Army is interested in variants for work in Iraq -- the bird can be towed behind a Humvee and used to scout for explosives. No mention of who gets authority to fire the optional Hellfire missiles, but let's hope that decision stays with the humans for a while longer.[Via The Register]
Hovercraft helicopter hybrid UAV attracts interest of US military
Geoff Hatton, a British engineer that previously worked on hovercraft designs, has designed an unmanned aerial vehicle that has attracted the interest of the US military and its very healthy budget allocation. The design is based around the melding of a hovercraft with a helicopter, and manages to take some of the best characteristics of each. For one thing, the saucer shaped UAV can fly high in the air (unlike a hovercraft) but also doesn't have a large rotor blade (unlike a helicopter.) The concept takes advantage of the "coanda effect" -- which says that a fluid will tend to stay attached to a convex surface -- with control surfaces at the base of the UFO-like vehicle used to alter the course of the UAV. One of the main reasons that the military is interested is that the design means there's much less of a problem with collisions because the rotor isn't as big or as exposed on other reconnaissance vehicles, although Geoff points out that there are "a lot of prospects besides the military": because civilians can be klutzes when it comes to unmanned aerial vehicles too.[Via The Raw Feed]
Mini heli-bot with insect brain could improve UAV flight
While lacking a certain amount of grace, flying insects manage to do a whole lot with quite a little. Each compound eye of a housefly picks up about 3,000 pixels of info, and that data, paired with a few neurons of a brain, manages to keep the fly aloft and (for the most part) from crashing into anything. Nicolas Franceschini and his colleagues in France have been studying the tiny brains for 30 years, and their latest robot could provide some advancements to the navigation technology being used in robotic aircraft. The bot is a three ounce miniature helicopter with a 200 milligram electronic brain and a visual sensor that's pointed downward. The helicopter mimics the insect processing of visual cues to figure out how far above the ground it is and how fast it's going, and according to Franceschini "it never crashes." It's rather ironic to be planning to "upgrade" UAVs with such minimal computing power in place of the pricey and computation-heavy instrumentation they currently carry, but the technology sounds promising all the same.[Via The Raw Feed]
