Stanford “Autonomous” Helicopter can Learn Stunts!
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Stanford computer scientists have figured how to teach autonomous helicopters how to do stunt maneuvers.
It sounds like a great idea to me if they can apply this to general robotics.
Stanford’s artificial intelligence system learned how to fly by “watching” the four-foot-long helicopters flown by expert radio control pilot Garett Oku. “Garett can pick up any helicopter, even ones he’s never seen, and go fly amazing aerobatics. So the question for us is always, why can’t computers do things like this?” Coates said.
Computers can, it turns out. On a recent morning in an empty field at the edge of campus, Abbeel and Coates sent up one of their helicopters to demonstrate autonomous flight. The aircraft, brightly painted Stanford red, is an off-the-shelf radio control helicopter, with instrumentation added by the researchers.
For five minutes, the chopper, on its own, ran through a dizzying series of stunts beyond the capabilities of a full-scale piloted helicopter and other autonomous remote control helicopters. The artificial-intelligence helicopter performed a smorgasbord of difficult maneuvers: traveling flips, rolls, loops with pirouettes, stall-turns with pirouettes, a knife-edge, an Immelmann, a slapper, an inverted tail slide and a hurricane, described as a “fast backward funnel.”
via engadget, Helicopter Site
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Loading ...IPod covers from Sena
There’s nothing worse than scratching up your brand new iPod, so what sort of covers are available? Sena have introduced two new designs for the iPod, made from leather they come in massive choice of colors, seventeen in all! One of the designs simply covers the iPod leaving the control wheel open, while the Magnet Flipper, has a magnetic cover that flips up to cover the control wheel.
Prices are $29.99 and the Magnet Flipper is $39.99 from Sena Cases.Product Page [Sena Cases]
Source [Shiny Shiny]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Poweriser Jump Stilts
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Wow, check out how high you can jump with these Poweriser jump stilts! They are about $370.
The adult model Powerizers give users from 110 lbs to 265 lbs the ability to jump up to 6 feet in the air and take running strides of up to 9 feet in length.
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