Flapping NAV Performs Controlled Hovering Flight 128
An anonymous reader writes "AeroVironment, Inc. was awarded a Phase II contract extension in April from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to design and build a flying prototype for the Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) program. As part of this program AV has accomplished a technical milestone never before achieved: the controlled hovering flight of an air vehicle system with two flapping wings (video) that carries its own energy source and uses only the flapping wings for propulsion and control. Two wings for propulsion and control, nothing else."
Never before achieved? (Score:2, Interesting)
By man or something man-made perhaps. Now if you'll excuse me, my Hummingbird [wikipedia.org] is bored...
Advantages vs. traditional rotating wing? (Score:5, Interesting)
To any familiar with this company or this line of research in general:
What are the advantages of the ornithopter design over a traditional helicopter design? Why is DARPA interested?
Yes, I did read the article... and I understand what DARPA is interested in getting out of a small UAV that can hover. What I don't understand is why a normal helicopter design couldn't suit all of these needs better and cheaper.
Regardless of the answer, it's a very cool project. Obviously very worthwhile just from the point-of-view of the scientific and engineering advances.
Re:wind gusts (argh... formatting) (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Advantages vs. traditional rotating wing? (Score:4, Interesting)
Helicopters are LOUD
Winged vehicles can glide (among other things) making them far more stealthy in small forms.
WowWee's Bat and Dragon also hover on wings. (Score:5, Interesting)
This is almost as good as WowWee's Bat and Dragon [wowwee.com]. They're little, they fly with moving wings, and they can hover. $39.99. Available wherever toys are sold [amazon.com]. That's the entry-level product; the next step up, the Green Dragonfly [wowwee.com], is an indoor/outdoor R/C ornithopter capable of hovering.
Those models doesn't have any onboard intelligence, but some of the other WowWee flying machines have collision avoidance. WowWee has a whole line of flying and robotic toys, and they deliver impressive technology at prices well under $100. Maybe DARPA should outsource.
Re:wind gusts (argh... formatting)(2x argh...typo) (Score:2, Interesting)
Still it's quite impressive what they have today. "Withstand 2.5 m/s wind gusts" does not mean their ornithopter explodes if the wind exceeds that. It just means that above 2.5 m/s it will have to "go with the flow", and thus will lose a part of it's mobility. It can still control it's speed in 3 other directions though.
I have the impression that birds regularly hit this limit. They try to go against the wind, and it proves too much for them. They simply land and try again 5 seconds later, which usually succeeds.
So the 2.5 m/s wind limit could be quite acceptable, even for outdoor flight. Assuming it can land like a bird (ie. everywhere).
I do see one big problem these devices will have to contend with : Cats [icanhascheezburger.com] (perhaps not the lolcat variant, the regular one). So if you want to secure your house from these spying devices ... buy a cat. Birds, after 3 million years of evolution still haven't quite figured out how to protect themselves against cats, so it seems unlikely these guys will find it in the next month.