Robotic Helicopter May Offer New Option For Public Safety Robot Books

Kits and Toys
 Robot Kits
 Stiquito Kit
 BattleKits
 Robot Toys
 Solar Kits
 Robot Arms
 Robosapien
 Basic Stamp Kits
 Lego MindStorms

Books
 Beginners Books
 Hobby Robots
 Robot Sports
 Electronics
 Mechanics
 Robot Minds
 Books for Kids
 Robots at Work
 Microcontrollers
 Advanced Books
 Used Books

More Robotics
 Real Robots
 Robot Motors
 Remote Controls
 Robot Parts
 Robot Tools
 Magazines
 Robot Videos
 Robot News
 RoboLinks
 Contact

NASA Press Release

NASA and the U.S. Army have developed a remote-controlled helicopter that could be used for a wide range of tasks, including precision crop spraying, border patrol, hazardous spill inspection, fire surveillance, crowd security and emergency medical delivery.

Called the Free Flight Rotorcraft Research Vehicle (FFRRV), the robotic helicopter can carry a movie camera, a still camera, video downlinks, night vision or infrared cameras. Artificial intelligence techniques keep the chopper stable in flight and allow it to be remotely controlled from the ground.

"An autonomous helicopter could help perform all of these jobs better, more quickly, at a lower cost while not exposing any humans to potentially dangerous situations," said Todd Hodges, an Army employee at NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, and manager of the helicopter project.

The helicopter contains adaptive electronic flight control systems that incorporate artificial intelligence techniques, small light-weight sophisticated sensors, and advanced telepresence-telerobotics systems.

According to Hodges, the robotic helicopters also could be used for pollution monitoring, law enforcement, bridge and building construction inspection, crop and forest monitoring, mine clearing and other public security tasks.

"It could even be used as a 'carrier pigeon' shuttling supplies and so forth between military locations," said Hodges. "The potential applications are pretty wide-ranging."

The project initially set out to develop a tool for testing flight dynamics. Hodges and his team were tasked to develop a suitcase-portable version, including a small helicopter and a ground control station comprised of a moving map and video monitor that could be set up in 20 minutes.

The prototype helicopters are powered by a modified gasoline engine and are about six feet long, including the rotor diameter. They can fly at speeds up to 60 mph.

Hodges said inquiries about the technology have come in from various government agencies, the film industry, as well as power and pipeline companies and local fire departments.
 

Advertise your product on RobotBooks.com

Beginners Books  |  Hobby Robots  |  Robot Sports  |  Electronics  |  Mechanics  |  Robot Minds  |  Robot Fiction
Books for Kids  |  Robots at Work  |  Mars Robotics  |  Advanced Books  |  Recommended  |  Roboxers  |  Robot Kits
Solar Kits  |  Robot Arms   |  Robosapien  |  Basic Stamp  |  BioHazard  |  Robot Toys  |  Muscle Wires  |  Lego Mindstorms
Real Robots  |  Robot Motors  |  Robot Tools  |  Microcontrollers  |  Used Books  |  Robot Parts  |  Magazines  |  Holdem
Robot Videos  |  Robot News  |  RoboLinks  |  Contact