http://www.suasnews.com/2012/02/12471/double-o-drone-grasp-lab-plays-bond/
Quadrotors designed and built at the University of Pennsylvania perform the James Bond Theme by playing various instruments including the keyboard, drums and maracas, a cymbal, and the debut of an adapted guitar built from a couch frame. The quadrotors play this “couch guitar” by flying over guitar strings stretched across a couch frame; plucking the strings with a stiff wire attached to the base of the quadrotor. A special microphone attached to the frame records the notes made by the “couch guitar”.
These flying quadrotors are completely autonomous, meaning humans are not controlling them; rather they are controlled by a computer programed with instructions to play the instruments.
Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science is home to some of the most innovative robotics research on the planet, much of it coming out of the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab.
This video premiered at the TED2012 Conference in Long Beach, California on February 29, 2012. Deputy Dean for Education and GRASP lab member Vijay Kumar presented some of this groundbreaking work at the TED2012 conference, an international gathering of people and ideas from technology, entertainment, and design.
Comments
Jaan, I was asking myself the same question, especially after seeing the recently posted TED-Talk: http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/ted-talk-on-u-penn-swarming-qua...
At about 9:45min he talks about "decentralized control" (and also later again about autonomous), which sounds like onboard processing. Would be really interesting to know what information is shared in which direction. Since at least the position is measured externally (Vicon) there has to be some external processing. It would really be great to know that these small quads have the onboard power and intelligent programming/coordination to coordinate their movement based on general instructions and only gps like external information. This would actually mean a great achievement (apart from a great TED show :-). Anybody know papers explaining technology?
Well who said quads would never be usefull !
More than a year ago:
Hmmm, a nice video again.
Now we just need Vicon everywhere and we can do something useful with these systems...
That makes me happy
It almost looks like the quads are "enjoying" that.....
Biomimicery (if thats how you spell it) it's the future.
The team unveiled that at the TED conference, where I am. Went over great!
The DARPA/Aeroenvironment humingbird team was here, too, so I got to see that fly and look at its innerds. The most impressive electromechanical intergration I've ever seen. Thing Swiss watchworks with hearing aid electronics. Stunning. (Sadly, they're not allowing pictures of the insides)
They look more biological than mechanical in this role.