Mini hovering drone

[Coligny]

Only in Japan:

[yt]2h7dPgzMgf0[/yt]

It actually take the JSDF to build a remote control helicopter that actually can't kill or maim you.

(Got once a blade strike from a Esky Lama 4 that took around 1 month to heal, and it's just a mini 220g model)

The huge price tag 110000 yen certainly come from the fact they used brand name radio usually 7-8 man apiece, instead of cheap chinese one 10 times cheaper. A full RTF chinese Helo can vary from 1 to 2 mans minimum for a 4 chanel model, much less for the 3 channels ones.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

...Got once a blade strike from a Esky Lama 4 that took around 1 month to heal, and it's just a mini 220g model...

You're lucky....thanks to what I got out of eskies I can't get out of the looney bin or fucking boring AA meetings morning, noon and night....

[james]

maybe this is next?

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Was that drone taking upskirt shots when the bird was walking up the stairs? (pointless, I know, she wasn't wearing a dress, but, having that ability would make it an archetypical Japanese invention....)

[hidflect]

I think the local ward office will get a few of these to follow me about...

[Russell]

[YT]YQIMGV5vtd4[/YT]

Holy shit! If those things swarm in via the bedroom window, the Missus will surely freak out.

Link...

[Coligny]

Controller boards for these things are dirt cheap...:

http://s.dealextreme.com/search/KK+Multicopter

[waruta]

Is it just me having visions of SkyNet coming to life, or is the future here already?

[Coligny]

Is it just me having visions of SkyNet coming to life, or is the future here already?

Judging by how worse the situation is compared to the predictions of "the net" with Sandra Bullock, I pretty sure that Terminator will be looked upon as a Carebears movies spinoff...

[Russell]

Controller boards for these things are dirt cheap...:

http://s.dealextreme.com/search/KK+Multicopter

So where can you actually buy these drones?
I noticed that they can do flips in mid-air (see video from 0:22 to 0:26). Is that kind of behavior programmed in their controllers? Or does that come in a control layer above those controllers?

[Coligny]

You can buy the flying plateform nearly everywhere. I think even Apita and Jusco got some sort models.

But after it's a hobby, not a finished product. First you usually need to replace the crappy remote control with one of the linked programmable controller board or with a special arduino variant. Then it's all in software, that you write or take from the DIY UAV websites... (and to be honest, building the flying plateform require just two aluminum or wood sticks and some duct tape or zip ties)

Actually if you are not interested in (partial) AI... Try more an FPV approach. Because these drone have absolutely NOTHING interesting from a flight behaviour standpoint. It's all 'ballistic' flight. Few dollar stores gyros, 3 or 4 brushless engines directly mated to a propeller, LiPos batteries and that's it. Unlike RC helicopters that are now thanks to their flybarless technology nearly as good as the real deal for flight behaviour. Those quadrocopters don't openly say "fuck you" to the laws of gravity... but it's not too far... Remotely controlling them is closer to playing PacMan than flight simulator...

[IparryU]

You can buy the flying plateform nearly everywhere. I think even Apita and Jusco got some sort models.

But after it's a hobby, not a finished product. First you usually need to replace the crappy remote control with one of the linked programmable controller board or with a special arduino variant. Then it's all in software, that you write or take from the DIY UAV websites... (and to be honest, building the flying plateform require just two aluminum or wood sticks and some duct tape or zip ties)

Actually if you are not interested in (partial) AI... Try more an FPV approach. Because these drone have absolutely NOTHING interesting from a flight behaviour standpoint. It's all 'ballistic' flight. Few dollar stores gyros, 3 or 4 brushless engines directly mated to a propeller, LiPos batteries and that's it. Unlike RC helicopters that are now thanks to their flybarless technology nearly as good as the real deal for flight behaviour. Those quadrocopters don't openly say "fuck you" to the laws of gravity... but it's not too far... Remotely controlling them is closer to playing PacMan than flight simulator...

saw this on the tube the other night:
http://poptechnews.com/video-japan%E2%80%99s-defense-ministry-develops-awesome-ball-shaped-drone.html
it says that is is built from spare parts totaling at US$1,400 but that must have included the custom shape of the shell and making a pcb for the central unit.

they also had another one that was built to look and fly like a seagull... me likes