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When I think of flying robots, music doesn’t spring forth into my mind – it’s more rise-of-the-machines-type stuff sadly. Then again I don’t work in a robotics lab at the University of Pennsylvania – but I wish I did. The classic theme tune re-imagined is simply awesome.
The precision flying demo was put on recently for TED2012, by Pennsylvania’s GRASP Laboratory using infrared lights and cameras to track the nano quadricopters.
The nano quads all have reflectors on their struts, which allows the camera system to plot their exact position and relay that information wirelessly to each unit.
Lab members can then assign each unit a series of waypoints in three-dimensional space that must be reached at an exact time. In this case, those times and places translate into notes on a keyboard or a strum of a guitar. Figuring out how to get from waypoint to waypoint most efficiently and without disturbing their neighbours is up to the robots.
Independent artificial intelligence leading to music talent – bet you wouldn’t have anticipated that. Simply brilliant. [University of Pennsylvania via io9]
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this was awesome, but a bit disappointing. the lame sounds used wasn’t made up by the ‘hilarity’ of it.
I’m not quite sure why it’s so funny — I actually laughed out loud the first time I saw it.
Yes I smiled through it also – It’s the surreal element of it, I think.
Yeah, you’re probably right. I just kept on thinking — wait, if they can do that, what happens when they can truly think for themselves? We’re doomed!
i see what you’re getting at. sean connery face-masks would have helped though.
That was stunning.
Nice find Sam
Haha, fantastic!
I have the same keyboard – that’s as good as it ever sounds, really..!
Industrious little buggers arent they?
I so want a quadcopter! or better yet, like 10 of them
The AR Drone 2.0 launches today in the UK — not cheap though.
Iiinteresting.. thanks!
I’ve been looking into the Arducopter kits now that its easier to get parts in the UK. I already have a bunch of Arduino bits and pieces so it sort of makes sense to use them. Just have to get the new parts into the house while avoiding the exasperated eye rolling and head shaking from the missus
Anyone seen the film ‘batteries not included’?