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Four-legged bot uses drone sidekick to avoid rough terrain
Even with a sure-stepping robot like DARPA's Big Dog, there is still plenty of terrain that today's robo-mules simply can't handle. That's why a team of researchers from ETH Zurich's Autonomous Systems Lab has devised a way to ensure these robots never get bogged down by impassible terrain: pair that robot with a forward-scouting UAV.
ICYMI: Drone architects, radar attachment for phones & more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-805596{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-805596, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-805596{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-805596").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Scientists programmed quadcopters to autonomously construct a basic rope bridge that could support the weight of a person, all part of an effort to use drones when distances or climbing might be necessary. A new Kickstarter campaign takes aim at antiquated radar guns for sports like baseball, adding a smartphone attachment that determines the speed of balls while simultaneously taking video and notes. And a new mini-cartridge startup is targeted at console game lovers. They look like a original Nintendo cartridge but connect into a smartphones audio jack.
GDU's Byrd quadcopter can (almost) deliver a baby
Leaf through the pages of the tech press of 2015, and you'll see the consumer-friendly camera drone slowly evolving. GDU Byrd is the latest frame in that flip book: a foldable quadcopter with up to 25 minutes of flight time, and an enough power for an impressive 4.5-pound payload (enough for a DSLR). It also looks a bit like a PSone.
California governor vetoes bill banning drones over private property
Legislation that would have restricted drone pilots in California has been struck down by governor Jerry Brown. The bill, spearheaded by state senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, would have banned quadcopters from flying below 350 feet around private properties -- at least, not without the permission of the building's owner, anyway. It passed both the state Assembly and state Senate in August, prompting opposition from GoPro and advocacy groups with ties to Amazon and Google. Brown has now dismissed the bill, however, because of its potential to "expose the occasional hobbyist and FAA-approved commercial user to burdensome litigation." He admitted the bill was "well-intentioned," but stressed that all parties need to discuss the issue further "before we go down that path." Jackson, meanwhile, has gracefully accepted defeat, meaning Senate Bill 142 is shelved for now.
Teacher arrested after drone crashes at the US Open
In a Grand Slam like the US Open, top tennis players have to be able to block out unwanted distractions. A crowd that's starting to side with your opponent is one problem, but a drone? That's something most competitors aren't prepared for. As the Guardian reports, a 26-year-old teacher has now been arrested after a quadcopter crash-landed into an empty section of the stands. Flavia Pennetta and Monica Niculesu were facing off on Thursday night when the 3DR Solo swooped in unannounced. Videos have emerged documenting the crash -- although no-one was hurt, it clearly broke the flow of the match and worried the players, their families and fans. Curiously, the intruding drone didn't appear to have a camera on board -- it's possible that it snapped off during the landing, but otherwise it's unclear exactly why the pilot was flying there in the first place. As we've seen in the past, usually drones sneak into sporting events to capture all of the action.
Disney is selling a Millennium Falcon drone starting tomorrow
Star Wars merchandise is big business. So big, in fact, that the films' stewards are streaming an unboxing marathon for all of the Force Awakens toys coming out on "Force Friday" tomorrow. We weren't going to pay much interest, but two items in particular have grabbed our attention: a remote-controlled Millennium Falcon and X-Wing starfighter. With minimal assembly, you'll be able to launch and fly both of these legendary spacecraft in your living room, pestering family members or reliving the final battle from Return of the Jedi. The Millennium Falcon is basically a quadcopter drone -- it has four tiny propellors built into the body, and is built from a "high density foam" to ensure it can take the odd knock and TIE fighter attack. Both the X-Wing fighter and Millennium Falcon are being manufactured by Air Hogs, a company with plenty of experience in remote controlled vehicles -- when we hear anything concrete around pricing and stockists, we'll be sure to let you know.
DJI's adding autopilot features to Phantom 3 drones next week
DJI pleased Phantom owners recently when it announced that much-needed autopilot features would be coming to its most popular series of quadcopters, and the Inspire 1. Today, we learn when (September 7th) and how (via a good ole' firmware update). The new flight features include Waypoints (map out a path in advance, and the quad will follow it), Point of Interest (the quad flies around a set object with the camera remaining fixed on it) and Follow Me (you can guess what that does -- only coming to Phantom 3, not Inspire 1). There are also two features specific for the Phantom 3 Standard which make it easier to fly the quadcopter back to you should you lose your orientation -- these are already available on DJI's other craft. Finally, Phantom 3 Advance owners get a nice bonus, with the addition of a 2.7K (2704x1520) camera recording option -- a solid bump up from 1080p.
Boeing's portable drone-destroying laser uses an Xbox controller
Drones are playing an ever-expanding role in modern warfare, so it's no surprise companies like Boeing are developing news ways to shoot them out of the sky. Its last laser was the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) -- a huge weapon mounted to the top of a truck -- and now it's touting something more portable. The Compact Laser Weapons System fits in four suitcase-sized boxes and can be mounted onto a tripod. It looks like a giant camera and, like the HEL MD, uses an Xbox 360 controller for targeting. As soon as you're in range though, the system can automatically take over and track the UAV, making sure you get a clean shot. Wired reports that, in one of Boeing's demos, it only took two seconds at full power to set a drone aflame.
ICYMI: Turbine sunbather, NASA stress test and an aquatic hedge trimmer
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-447825{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-447825, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-447825{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-447825").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It, Usain Bolt may be the "fastest man on Earth" but he can't outrun a cameraman on a Segway. An amatuer drone pilot stumbles across a sunbather 200 feet above the ground. NASA puts its 3D-printed rocket engine pump through a grueling series of tests. The UK showcases its amphibious weedwhacker and some delightfully demented genius has recreated the Pokemon theme song within Grand Theft Auto V. If you come across any interesting videos, we'd love to see them. Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd. And if you just want to heap praise on your handsome guest host, feel free to hit him up @mr_trout.
DJI's Phantom 3 has its biggest rival in Yuneec's 4K Typhoon drone
We'd understand if you're not familiar with Yuneec; we've only written about its products twice. However, it's fairly well-known in the quadcopter world, and best described as a direct rival to DJI. When I reviewed DJI's 4K Phantom 3 Professional drone ($1,259), a reader asked if we could compare it to Yuneec's rival Typhoon Q500 model (around $1,100, but with a lower-res 1080p camera). Days later, Yuneec announced an updated Typhoon with 4K shooting for $1,299, making the comparison much easier. It only seemed fair to grant our reader's wish, and check out what the new Typhoon had to offer.
Eagle takes umbrage with interloping drone
You know who hates drones -- I mean besides homeowners, fishermen, chimpanzees and the San Bernardino Fire Department? Eagles, that's who. When Melbourne Aerial Video recently sent one of its quadcopters over a wooded area to capture footage, a Wedge-Tailed Eagle with a 2-meter wingspan was having none of it. Within moments of taking off from its perch, the eagle had punched the UAV from the air and sent it tumbling to the ground.
Engadget giveaway: win a 3DR IRIS+ courtesy of InterDrone!
Drones are here to stay, so if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. InterDrone, the International Drone Conference and Exposition is coming up in September in Las Vegas and it will be the ultimate one stop shop for all things UAV. There will be over 100 panels, classes and keynotes to check out, along with drone building and flying conferences. 3DRobotics' Chris Anderson will be on hand for the keynote address, so it's not surprising that InterDrone provided us with a 3DR IRIS+ for one lucky Engadget reader this week. This quadcopter, once fitted with a GoPro and gimbal kit, will give you an eye in the sky, with modes for standard flight, hover and follow-along. The laws regarding flight may still be a grey area for some, but that's where events like InterDrone come in handy, especially if you're gearing up for commercial use. For now, you just need to head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this IRIS+ quadcopter. After that, the sky's the limit. Winner: congratulations to Tyler M. of Mississauga, ONT.
Flying R2-D2 will grace the skies over this year's Comic-Con
Otto Dieffenbach is famous for crafting drones that look like pop culture icons, and this one is no exception. Just in time for this year's Comic-Con, the self-described creator of "Identifiable Flying Objects" has created an R2-D2 model that can fly. From a distance, it looks just like everybody's favorite beeping pedal bin, but in fact it's just a hollowed-out casing for a quadcopter that'll hover over the skies of San Diego. So, if you're hanging out at the show, look up every now and again -- you might see something that'll bring back your memories of Attack of the Clone... actually, no, don't do that.
DJI Phantom 3 review: an aerial photography drone for the masses
Almost a year ago to the day, I wrote about the impact DJI's Phantom 2 Vision+ might have on our skies. Up to that point, drones (or quadcoptors/multirotors, for the purists) had been slowly edging their way into mainstream consciousness. DJI's ready-to-fly Vision series, with their built-in cameras and easy operation turbocharged that creep into a march. The Phantom 3 Professional is what would have been the new Vision (it's dropped that branding), and is the first in this consumer lineage to shoot 4K video. What's changed in the last 12 months? In some regards, not much. Governments are still figuring out how to legislate quadcopters, while people keep buying them. As for DJI, it's got a lot more competition, and higher expectations for what a drone should do. I was eager to spend time with the Phantom 3, and get a feel for how the company has evolved, and more importantly, where it's going — and it looks like taking over our skies is only one part of its plan.
GoPro is working on a spherical camera rig for VR, and a drone
In case you were wondering what the next move is for GoPro as it keeps its action cameras one step ahead of cellphones and DSLRs, we have answers: virtual reality and drones. CEO Nick Woodman announced both projects tonight during an interview at the Code Conference. GoPro showed off a spherical camera rig after it acquired Kolor last month, a company that specializes in stiching together the resulting footage so it can be experience in VR. The Six-camera Spherical Array should arrive later this year, and a GoPro-branded quadcopter is planned for next year. There's fewer details available about that, but rumors late last year pointed to a model priced between $500 and $1,000.
Tiny palm-top UAV folds itself up like an origami quadcopter
Tiny quadcopters that fit in the palm of your hand have been around for a few years now, but very few of those drones can also fit in your pocket; what with their easily snapped rotor spars. However, a pair of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology recently unveiled a clever and unique mini-UAV design that keeps the rotors safely tucked away until it's ready to fly.
Drones will deliver mail in Switzerland this summer
You know which organization doesn't want to fall behind Amazon, DHL and Alibaba when it comes to drone deliveries? The Swiss Post. Yes, Switzerland's postal service wants to deliver small packages using small drones. In fact, it will start using quadcopters developed by a company called Matternet to drop off its customers' parcels during a pilot program this summer. Matternet ONE can carry anything up to 2.2 pounds for over 12 miles on a single charge, and the Post will put it to the test delivering small things like medicine or documents.
DJI's Phantom 3 brings 4K recording to its most popular drone
DJI's Phantom series of read-to-fly quadcopters have been instrumental in bringing drones into mainstream consciousness. Particularly the Phantom 2 Vision+, which made silky-smooth aerial video possible for have-a-go pilots right out of the box (most other methods involve a fair amount of assembly). Today, the Phantom family grows again with two new members: the Phantom 3 Professional and the Phantom 3 Advanced. So what's new? And, more importantly, which one do you want?
New technology keeps drones from crashing and burning
Small drones could easily be blown off course by harsh winds or lose access to GPS while passing through somewhat closed-off locations. Since either scenario could spell disaster for delivery or service drones of the future, a research team from the University of Zurich has devised a system that autonomously sets them upright and finds them a good place to land. This technology requires drones to be equipped with a camera, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a distance sensor and a tiny smartphone chip that processes all the data for them. In order for the system to work, the drone has to look for and identify landmarks through the camera, while it's still flying steadily with a working GPS.
This RC Millennium Falcon may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts
No word on how many parsecs this Falcon makes the Kessel Run in, probably more than 12. Given how much fun this 18-mph home-made Millennium Falcon drone is to watch, we won't hold it against it. This, of course, is a quadcopter that drops the usual FPV and GoPro attire for something all Star Wars fans will enjoy. What's more, the creator has kindly shared all the details, so you can make your own. If you're more in tune with the dark side, the maker's next project is apparently a TIE Fighter -- so the two of those in action, we really can't wait to see. Make the jump over the break to watch it flying over Hoth (or somewhere a bit like it). In the meantime, we're running an errand to get some foam and paint.
