Electrocopters Coming to
Conquer the Skies
Electric
helicopters are much more than toys. Improvements in battery technology, flight
controls, and electric motors are turning them into pocket-size devices for
tactical reconnaissance, small machines for carrying medical supplies, and even
full-blown passenger-carrying vehicles.
Zero
is a tilt-rotor that can take off and hover like a helicopter, then rotate the
rotor blades by 90 degrees for cruising flight, with lift provided by the
wings. Unusual features include detachable wings for converting to pure
helicopter mode and the ability to recharge the batteries while on the ground by
wind-milling, or angling the blades into the wind so they become turbines.
After years of secretive development - the first
unmanned test flight was in 2011 - Project
Zero's creators revealed it on March 4. It's a two-seater, but no details
have been released about its flight performance or endurance. We do know that
the exterior design by Stile Bertone, previously known for working with Ferrari
and Lamborghini, makes it eye-catching as well as aerodynamic. (More)
Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand,
the Black Hornet by Proxy
Dynamics is the world's first combat-proven nano (6 inches or smaller) air
vehicle. The British Army has deployed several hundred in Afghanistan since
2012. The diminutive craft has proven highly effective at stealthy scout
missions, even in wind and rain.
Black
Hornet carries three cameras and GPS navigation accurate enough to call down
airstrikes or artillery fire. When it approaches the end of its 20-minute
flight time, it can automatically return to its start point. The Black Hornet's
small carrying case includes three helicopters and a control unit, and an
operator can get one airborne in a couple of minutes. The U.S. Army is now
testing the device.
Winner of the Lindbergh Prize for Innovation in
2012, the Volocopter is the
first manned electric multirotor craft. E-Volo's aim was to build a helo that
could be run for pennies using a multirotor system that removed the need for
complex mechanics. While normal helicopters require bulky and expensive pitch
control assemblies to steer, the Volocopter changes direction simply by
changing the relative speeds of the rotors.
The
initial version is a pure pleasure craft with a flight time of about 20
minutes. The follow-up under development, called VC-200, will feature an
enclosed cockpit for two and an endurance of about an hour.
To
use the quadcopter, the operator puts the package on a base station (which is
also a solar recharger) and pushes a button. The autonomous quadrotor does the
rest, picking up the package, navigating to the delivery base station at the
target clinic or town, and making the drop-off. Making the system affordable is
challenging but achievable, says CEO Andreas Raptopoulos.
Crazyflie
Crazyflie
packs a lot into a low-cost airframe: US$149 will buy you a complete 3.5-inch
quadrotor craft in kit form. Although essentially a flying circuit board, the
tiny aircraft is both agile and stable and is intended as a development
platform for open-source projects. Crazyflie weighs just 19 grams (2/3 of an
ounce) and can carry a 5 to 10 gram (1/6 to 1/3 oz) payload. It has a
seven-minute flight time and can be controlled via a PC with a USB radio
dongle, Android phone, or other device.
Although the first batch has only just shipped,
there have already been 'hacks' on preproduction Crazyflies. There's one that carries a
camera, a flying LED light, wireless charging, even automated visual tracking
and control. Cheap electronics and crowd-sourcing will push evolution into
overdrive - expect new developments fast.
Named for its 16 rotors, the Hexadecagon is
Hyundai's idea of a flying car, displayed at the company's recent IDEA
Festival in South Korea. It can hardly be described as a manned craft at
this stage; for safety reasons the pilot is a dummy and the operator stays on
the ground.
The
IDEA Festival is an opportunity for Hyundai engineers to show off wacky new
ideas - other vehicle concepts included a jointed car, a wind-powered bike and
a portable car, so don't expect to see it in the showrooms soon.
Not many police departments can afford a manned
helicopter, but small quadcopters are another matter. The Qube is equipped with
high-resolution colour and thermal cameras and provides 40 minutes of flight
time. It can be stored in the trunk of a car and be ready for action in 5
minutes. The control unit is a rugged tablet with a simple interface: Just tap
a point on the touchscreen map, and the Qube goes there.
AeroVironment
has a successful track record supplying drones to the U.S. military and sees
the Qube as a valuable asset for police and first responders. However, public
concerns about privacy might restrict its use. A law recently passed in
Florida, for example, requires imminent danger such as a terrorist threat or a
warrant from a judge before police can deploy one.
See http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~koushils/IDETC2013.html for more info
At present, small quadcopters are mainly used as
camera platforms, but they are capable of much more. Researchers at the
aptly-names GRASP lab have demonstrated a drone equipped with a lightweight
gripper that can swoop down and pick up objects. Inspired
by birds of prey, the researchers developed software to coordinate the
gripper with the drone's flight just as eagles move their claws as they strike.
The design could be used to retrieve small objects
or might be adapted to mundane tasks such as picking fruit or retrieving golf
balls. A future development of the system may allow the gripper to take hold of
a wire or branch, so the drone can perch at a convenient vantage point. The
grabber-drone would also be quite awesome as a bird-scarer/remover.
Related
Links:
Top
image: Project Zero via AgustaWestland
(Source: Popular
Mechanics. Edited. Top image and some links added).
