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Stanford's UAV Helicopters Learn to Fly Themselves by Watching
Posted by Kit Eaton at 7:20 PM on September 2, 2008
They may not look as mean as the Draganfly, but these research UAV 'copters are one step closer to Skynet: they learn to fly complex stunts by just "watching" another aircraft do the same. Dubbed "apprenticeship learning," by the Stanford team which developed it, the system gets its flight plan by recording an expert human operator fly a vehicle. Then its onboard gyros and GPS systems and avionics communicate with a ground-based computer which looks at the human-derived data and decides how to fly the vehicle. It's all very tricky, due to the inherent instability of helicopter. Apparently UAVs like this may one day help firefighters track wildfires, or be sent to see out landmines in battlefield situations... and do other "spying" of course. Creepy. [Physorg]
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Git Em SteveDave is starless
Posted 8:19 PM 2/9/08
Even though they are RC, the no cockpit on them weirds me out. At least paint eyes or teeth on them.
Git Em SteveDave is starless
LoganSix
Posted 9:19 PM 2/9/08
The next post will be "Stanford's UAV Helicopters Learn to Fly/Kill by Watching Humans"
LoganSix
Git Em SteveDave is starless
Posted 10:01 PM 2/9/08
@Git Em SteveDave is starless: Or
Git Em SteveDave is starless
ddtx2
Posted 10:07 PM 2/9/08
"due to the inherent instability of helicopter..."
...Have you seen a RC Heli recently?
ddtx2
omnomnom
Posted 9:14 PM 2/9/08
This looks a bit familiar..
[terminator.wikia.com]
omnomnom
GadgetPlay
Posted 12:16 AM 3/9/08
@ddtx2: Yes we have seen an RC helicopter lately, it was on this site. This type of copter, though, IS inherently unstable, as are most.
GadgetPlay
Log1c
Posted 12:35 AM 3/9/08
@ddtx2: Helicopters are open loop unstable, which means they need a control system. Which if implemented properly will make the closed loop system stable.
Log1c
moosiest
Posted 12:34 AM 3/9/08
@ddtx2: I picked up that ThinkGeek heli. It's only the second one I've used, and while it's a lot easier to fly than the other one "inherent instability" sounds about accurate. It doesn't hover (or do anything in the air) without constant adjustment, for instance.
(Fun toy, by the way. [gizmodo.com] )
moosiest
Git Em SteveDave is starlost
Posted 1:09 AM 3/9/08
@ddtx2: Watch the episode of Mythbusters when they did helicopter myths. Grant who is very good with RC had TONS of experience trashed the practice helicopter, which even the guy at the store said they would crash multiple times, so that's why it was made of strong and flexible plastic.
Git Em SteveDave is starlost
VideoVampire
Posted 2:34 AM 3/9/08
Seems like these copters will need VERY fast processors to adapt to the constantly changing flight environments because of the "inherent instability".
VideoVampire