Posted 01.19.2011 at 12:52 pm
7 Comments
GRASP Lab's Quadcopter Constructs
Whenever a new video emerges from UPenn’s GRASP lab (that’s General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception), it’s usually awesome, and this one is no exception. A team there has been developing innovative quadcopter tech that not only maneuvers impressively well, but also works autonomously and in teams of multiple quadcopters. Coupled with a gripper designed to pick things up, the quadcopters have in past videos exhibited the ability to work in concert to pick up heavy objects, so it was only a matter of time before the quadcopter crews started building things autonomously.
That’s exactly what they are doing in the video below. A team of quadcopters working from a preset algorithm is shown constructing a cubic tower structure using specially designed parts that snap together via magnets when placed in the proper arrangement. The only human intervention is the design itself; once the algorithm is set, the ‘bots go to work. They can even judge the quality of their own construction, checking to make sure a piece is properly in place before moving on to the next segment.
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Technology, Clay Dillow, GRASP Lab, quadcopters, robotics, robots, university of pennsylvaniaUntil that day dawns, we’re more than thrilled to watch these quadcopters do the heavy lifting around the lab. Several more GRASP Lab vids are available via team member Daniel Mellinger’s YouTube channel.
[YouTube via New Scientist]
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screw cranes, all we need to build the worlds tallest building is a huge swarm of quadrocopters.
Quadcopters are amazing. If only I could get my hands on one! Why hasn't anyone built a full scale Quad that can carry a person? They could possibly use small light weight Wankel engines on each blade.
Until then, here is what I would like to see. Use the Quads to perform the first non-pyrotechnic pyrotechnic display. It would probable require around 200 Quads to do. Attach lights and speakers to the Quads and have them simulate a fireworks display. Something similar to the Sheep-Powered LED Display Lights Up Welsh Hillside.
What would truly be spectacular would be to simulate the spider effect fireworks and then have it run backworks to simulate a collapsing universe - the collapsing universe effect!
They sound like bees. Could they work with a piled "mess" of parts instead of the organized area, same goes with the building location?
All4it, someone has. Israel is developing a quadcopter car for their police force and rescue teams.
To answer your question, xalar, of course they can.
and here we have the future of the constellation program :D if not quadcopters then robonauts
C'mon boka. A messy stockpile of components would enormously complicate the problem. They'd need sensors to id parts, grapplers to put them in the order needed for assembly, and so on.
Can it be done -- sure, but it would probably be much more efficient to have the parts organized and laid out for easy access. .