Quadrotor
 

~ Graviman, Riff Raff .. and other noted aerodynamicists .. I was intrigued by this clip and the obvious stability and overall maneauverability of this device!

What do you suppose will be the ultimate applications of such a contraption?

Earl

Earl,

Nip down to HMV and buy one for yourself and have a go. AR.DRONE

GPS, Autopilot, AHRS, RADALT (kind of) Fly it with your Apple iDevice while watching the video mounted in the nose.

Doesn't have the performance of the one in the tube video but for the price.......?

Well you'll be able to fit more in a hanger to start with!! And anly need to open one door:8

Various versions of the quadrotor [pretty sure that AirRobot in Germany started the genre] are around although with development they now have three, six or eight rotors. They typically cost around £30,000 but the 'toy' versions can be had for much less.

They excel in searching buildings and places those little IED tanks cannot get on their tracks. So, great for the BD types.... why put a human or dog at risk when this will do the job for you?

They are extremely light so that any unintended impact with a human is unlikely to result in injury [although the newer ones lose this advantage - like everything they are getting bigger].

Operationally though they have a flaw when exposed to sunlight and wind... in that they are not allowed to leave the operator's sight and sound and anything over a breeze will blow them into the next county. A number have already been posted missing and once out of range they autoland.

So great fun kit in its place and cheap even for the professional versions. But like all flying machines very liable to interest the CAA when they see some licence fees in the offing. There are regulations about their use on the CAA web site. Long document and a number of police forces have come a cropper operating them outside the rules. Merseyside have been in the news about their errors.... they seem to have solved that though... the machine got away from the operator and neatly 'autolanded' into the depths of the River Mersey. Glug glug.:uhoh:

No wonder they have volunteered to give up their EC135T2 helicopter as well!

it gets even better

Collision avoidance?
 

Possibly the technology could be used to further the science of collision avoidance?

Earl,

Sorry, but I know next-to-nothing about aero. I'm purely a mechanical systems guy.

As for the future implications of a quad rotor design, you could try asking Bell-Boeing . From the standpoint of the drivetrain, it looks like nothing but trouble.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...-image37-s.jpg

riff_raff

Not sure if a "quadcopter" is a technology that can be used for passenger carrying aircraft. Too many disadvantages, and hardly any of the advantages would carry over to a full size machine.
For example, the aerobatic capabilities would be severly limited by the limited strength of the airframe and rotor systems of a full size model.
At the same time, redundancy requirements for engine and systems failures would make the thing very complex and heavy.

I am sure we'll see a lot more of these things in the future in the form of smaller UAVs though, taking over some of tasks for which conventional helicopters are used today.
Have a look at these guys here: Luftaufnahmen mit DEDICAM.TV
This is not autonomous yet, but I'm sure it will be soon enough.

How about this:

Must we be always with the guns?


Cheers!

Multicopter
 

This is a good one..

When Facts and Marketing come into conflict. http://www.unicopter.com/RollEyes.gif


Pascal Chretien: PPRuNe posting on 3rd September 2011.
On the 12th of August 2011; World’s First Manned Electric Helicopter takes off

E-volo: Web site.
"... on the 21st October 2011: The first manned flight world-wide with a purely electrically powered, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft succeeded."


Dave

Pilot job security....................be afraid!
 

Would that be technically "flying on instruments"?



I am on my way out the door.................!!!

Another application:

£20,000 device enables soldiers to look at enemy territory without risk of being killed

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...93_634x367.jpg

The ‘nanodrone’ contains two cameras which allow soldiers to look over hills and inside enemy bunkers without the risk of being killed or injured.

It can be operated remotely by troops sitting in a control room thousands of miles away or by soldiers on patrol using a seven-inch tablet computer.

The 7oz helicopter that could help beat the Taliban: £20,000 device enables soldiers to look at enemy territory without risk of being killed | Mail Online

I wonder what you get for the extra £19,800.00 over an AR.Drone.2.0?

Little bit more range and speed?

Things like GPS, IR cams, endurance, range, and a proper GCS with waypoint planning.

And software, amortized over a much smaller number of airframes than the Drone...

Very impressive - but seeing as the range is 1.5 miles....who gets it out of the box?

Which Ardupilot will do for about 200 bucks.

Still missing about GBP 18K!

I think it is common knowledge that anything involving military application (even toilet roll holders) must (under the Washington Convention on Military Mark-ups) impose a 4,000% mark-up to cover military design testing, qualification and application procedures - or was that profit, I can't remember which! ;)