My other blog, GeekDad, has a review of the new WowWee BladeStar, which is like a body-less helicopter. It's got a semi-autonomous mode, using IR sensors, that lets it avoid any obstacles, from walls, ceilings and furniture or anything you wave in front of it:
"If you desire, you can activate the autonomous flight function and literally navigate via waving your hands or a sheet of paper and triggering the BladeStar's IR sensors, causing it to move away. (I breathlessly referred to this phenomenon as 'gestural navigation' in my preview earlier this year.) It also packs a very impressive fly time, claimed at up to 15 minutes."
More here.
Comments
I have been thinking about this for a while now... couldn't find a solution myself.
How does this actually go in one direction?? Are the blades pivoting? Still looks like magic to me.
Anyone any thoughts?
Stefano