Elephant in the room - Quadcopters...

whatever said:
A recent shark attack ( a few days ago) in western australia, the authorities went out and killed the shark.
A much better solution is prevention of attacks via quadcopters, heres a very nice video from east coast of nsw australia,
showing a couple of large sharks near an unaware lone surfer. Low cost involved in this type of surveillance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRu4fKBo-aY

Not just Shark spotting but MultiRotors (MR) can offer quick and efficient methods to deliver life preservers and other types of survival equipment for people stranded in hazardous locations/situations.

The potential is amazing but there will be growing pains and special interest power grabs along the way.
 
Hehe... Trust Larry Page (co-founder of Google) to "big it up":
larry-page-flying-car.jpg


Seen here:
http://www.ibtimes.com/google-found...ying-car-companies-zeeaero-kitty-hawk-2380033

Per patent pending "lift rotors are driven by electric motors". Well. DUH. hehe

In one embodiment a single propeller is used in a hybrid-electric system having a small hydrocarbon-based fuel engine to provide power in forward flight and/or to recharge the battery system.

Oooops. [sigh]
 
LockH said:
2-chinesedrone.jpg


"Chinese drone maker unveils human-carrying drone"
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-chinese-drone-maker-unveils-human-carrying.html

"Ehang co-founder and Chief Financial Officer Shang Hsiao said the company hopes to sell the device for $200,000 to $300,000 beginning this year but acknowledged it occupies a legal "grey area.""

Buckle up, because an autonomous car-sized drone from the Chinese company Ehang is cleared to begin testing in Nevada.
http://www.livescience.com/55025-worlds-first-passenger-drone-to-begin-testing.html
http://www.ehang.com/ehang184/specs/

"Ehang expects to begin later this year"
 
Combining a fixed wing, or two, for lift while in forward flight makes perfect sense. My intuitive aero sense tells me that relying on the same lifting rotors that allow vert takeoff to provide forward propulsion, while workable, will be a fuel (or battery) sucking way to "go." Helicopters for example, are fuel sucking pigs compared to a fixed wing aircraft.
 
Proto-X Drone (white) for $29.99US:
QGugRCX.jpg

Meet the Proto-X. Not only is it the world's smallest drone, it's also one of the world's lightest multi-rotor helis!
2.4 GHz controller allows you to fly with your friends
Bright LED lights for flying in the low light conditions
Designed for great indoor flights
Includes USB charge cord for quick recharging
Availability: In stock


Details
Meet the Proto-X. Not only is it the world's smallest drone, it's also one of the world's lightest multi-rotor helis!

The 1.8" x 1.8" Proto-X is tiny, ideal for indoor flying — and it weighs only four-tenths of an ounce. Bright, built-in LEDs make it easy to see the Proto-X in low-light conditions.

A 2.4GHz radio not only allows for interference-free flight — it makes it easy for multiple Proto-X drones to fly at once. A 3.7V 100mAh LiPo battery, USB charge cord and spare rotor blades are also included in the ready-to-fly package. All you need to add are 2 "AAA" batteries!

Easy to Fly
2.4 GHz controller allows you to fly with your friends
Bright LED lights for flying in the low light conditions
Designed for great indoor flights
Includes USB charge cord for quick recharging
Includes 4 spare rotor blades
Requires 2 "AAA" batteries, not included

Seen here:
http://store.space.com/proto-x-drone-white.html
 
[youtube]m-zDuAbRZRM[/youtube]
 
Amazon scores big drone win in the U.K.
Jul 26 2016, 02:44 ET | By: Yoel Minkoff, SA News Editor

Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has partnered with the British government to significantly expand drone testing, a move that could let the devices deliver packages to British homes far earlier than in the U.S.

The agreement allows Amazon to pilot its vehicles without a direct line of sight, trial its "sense and avoid" technology and permits operators to fly multiple drones at one time.

http://seekingalpha.com/news/3195680-amazon-scores-big-drone-win-u-k
 
[youtube]EKt_zQHQ-0k[/youtube]
 
I've been researching long distance control of drones, it seems its now possible to have control via cell phone signals, and not too expensive to set it up, though quite alot of work involved with the programming side of things, though all that work has been sorted out. Its likely plug and play varieties will evolve into the market in near future.
In Australia its now possible to have unlimited cell phone data very cheaply, although drone usage in Australia is quite limited due to regulation. This website seems to be central in information on how to set up cell phone data streaming for drone control over long range
http://uavmatrix.com/Blog/56

theres also quite alot of youtube videos using these methods, so basically your only limited by battery range using this technique
 
^^ Coolio. Next up, fly-by battery swapping. :)

In other newz, "Stitching a drone’s view of the world into 3D maps as it flies"
https://www.newscientist.com/articl...s-view-of-the-world-into-3d-maps-as-it-flies/

When you’re buzzing through the air at 60 kilometres per hour, it can be hard to take in the view. But now drones can create highly detailed 3D maps as they fly, using just an ordinary video camera.

The system, called Hydra Fusion and developed by researchers at Lockheed Martin in Canada, will make drones better at aerial surveillance.

(That neighbour that likes to "sun bath" next door can never feel safe again...)
 
one error in my previous post, unlimited mobile data plans not available in australia as yet, my mistake, require alot of data transfer to fly drone using 3g/4g, so probably not too practical just yet, when unlimited mobile data plans become common then the skies the limit ( excuse the pun).
postscript: I went onto a internet plan which boasted " unlimited mobile" , I chose that plan for the purpose of pursuing mobile ( 3g/4g) controlled drone, but alas it turned out it was only for outgoing calls using voip.......hence my previous post saying unlimited mobile plans were cheap, turns out the are not cheap or even available in australia as far as I'm aware.
 
[youtube]VJQLCm6hShc[/youtube]

(Talks quite a bit about drones.)
 
A "drone" ya maybe don't see EVery day...
[youtube]-X_M4_88QQk[/youtube]
 
[youtube]eYsDcoS5Gt8[/youtube]
 
[youtube]4QVK3B7hsFQ[/youtube]
 
[youtube]gHay7tKEuEg[/youtube]

[youtube]J1VI-f3Mehw[/youtube]
 
[youtube]WRFdzmEQsPU[/youtube]
 
Taking Fido for walks just doesn't seem the same. :|
[youtube]Kcev8TMso_o[/youtube]
 
First annual show for Canada:
[youtube]1deBI8l1GTA[/youtube]
 
I have a drone quadcopter. The prop wash is intense. I couldn't see quads being good commuters. I would love to have a gyroplane tho. still not good for close travel. Ballons are where it's at maybe? Synthetic Helium anyone? idk. just spitballin' ideas.

Producing lift in air via helicopter/quadcopter design requires soooo much more energy compared to using wings to generate lift. I don't see heleicopter/quadcopter electric air travel possible for large scale any time soon.

A personal quadcopter backpack flyingsuit would be a hell of a thing to crash too :shock: :shock:
 
Back
Top