 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Japanese researcher unveils 'hummingbird robot'
Chiba, Japan (AFP) Dec 28, 2009 Japanese researchers said Monday they had developed a "hummingbird robot" that can flutter around freely in mid-air with rapid wing movements. The robot, a similar size to a real hummingbird, is equipped with a micro motor and four wings that can flap 30 times per second, said Hiroshi Liu, the researcher at Chiba University east of Tokyo. It is controlled with an infrared sensor and can turn up, down, right or left. The robot, which weighs 2.6 grams (0.09 ounces), can fly in a figure of eight more stably than a helicopter with rotor blades, said Liu, 46, who specialises in developing robots based on living creatures. "The next step is to make it hover to stay at one point in mid-air," Liu said, adding that he also plans to equip it with a micro camera by March 2011. The robot, whose development cost has topped 200 million yen (2.1 million dollars), may be used to help rescue people trapped in destroyed buildings, search for criminals or even operate as a probe vehicle on Mars, he said. "First, we need to learn about effective mechanism from natural life forms, but we want to develop something to go beyond nature eventually," Liu said. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links All about the robots on Earth and beyond!
Unmanned unit tested for psychological warSt. Louis (UPI) Dec 16, 2009 Most of the methods currently used in psychological warfare have been brought together in an unmanned system developed by Boeing and demonstrated for the U.S. Army at Fort Bragg, N.C. Psychological operations are crucial to wartime missions for combatant commands, but until recently such measures involved different approaches and comprised varying elements, from dropping conventional ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook