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Autonomous Flying Robots! Small, Agile And They Can Co... - 3/20/2012 10:20:54 PM

outlier

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These little things are impressive, fun and potentially very useful.

This is a TED talk at Wimp.com so rather than choose one of those
threads I thought I would give them one of their own.

The agility and adaptability of these robots is very impressive.
As is the miniaturization of the electrical and computer elements.
I didn't hear him mention the flying time per battery or per charge.

Think of the possibilities...........

< Message edited by outlier -- 3/20/2012 10:34:29 PM >

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/20/2012 10:33:41 PM

tj444

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the govt already has.. they are starting to be used to patrol the border and the police forces are looking at them.. one day you wont be able to walk down the street without one spying on you..

< Message edited by tj444 -- 3/20/2012 10:34:03 PM >

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/20/2012 11:15:08 PM

VanessaChaland

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I see massive privacy battles going all the way to SCOTUS.

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/20/2012 11:26:27 PM

tj444

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I dont.. all the govt and cops have to do is use their typical line that its to fight terrorism.. and sheeple will say if you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear.. blah, blah, blah.. There are cameras on the street and in buildings now.. they are mostly private cameras at atms, stores, gas stations, apartments, etc but they are there and the govt and sheeple will say its just like that, so any opposition, if there actually is any which i doubt there will be,.. will be impotent to do a dam thing about it..

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/20/2012 11:40:16 PM

outlier

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I think you are correct that those kinds of issues will be raised but you are
wrong in thinking these little 8 inch robots are the kind they will use for that.

As I implied in the op, I doubt these will stay in the air very long at all. Certainly
not long enough to do surveillance on station. Now they could incorporate some
of what they learn and that will probably happen but that is just a hyjack of this
thread into an age old "new technology and how the powerful abuse it" thread.

An interesting and endless question more appropriate in P&R.

What is interesting to me about these is that they are autonomous yet they can
cooperate with each other, fly in formation, calculate the momentum required
to compensate for loss of lift turning sideways and then do it and recover. Those
are the issues addressed in this video.

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/21/2012 12:14:18 AM

mynxkat

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That was fascinating. And those little robots could be used in so many ways. Here's one that maybe no one has thought of yet- a squad of 25 or 50 of them doing clean up detail in a public space.

They could be useful in helping to find lost people or crime suspects, if a face matching algorithm can be loaded to their processors. It wouldn't take all THAT many of them to cover, say, a city block at a time. With the facial recognition software we have currently you'd get tons of false positives, but that is going to improve, whether we like it or not.

They'd be useful in doing inspections in construction going up, able to get into even small spaces and send back images. Or you could use them to inspect existing ducts in buildings.

This is all off the top of my head, I'm sure I'll think of even more possibilities. I would love to have a dozen or so to play with as well.

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/21/2012 12:21:44 AM

tj444

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undoubtedly the one in the TED vid is pretty high tech and probably pricey but like most goods, the more that is produced the lower the price..

You were the one that said in your OP to:
"Think of the possibilities..........."

and those were some of the possibilities that i thought of..

Funny enough tho,.. OWS had one to keep an eye on the cops.. it was called the "OccuCopter".. so it is already happening now.. I am sure various companies are salivating and vying for those future fat taxpayer paid for contracts from the Feds and police depts..
http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-12-21/news/30541407_1_surveillance-drone-police-shooting-android
http://www.alternet.org/occupywallst/153542/ows_fights_back_against_police_surveillance_by_launching_%22occucopter%22_citizen_drone/

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/21/2012 12:29:54 AM

tj444

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http://www.alternet.org/occupywallst/153542/ows_fights_back_against_police_surveillance_by_launching_%22occucopter%22_citizen_drone/

"These devices could also extend the range of potential breaches of privacy. You could fly over your neighbour's garden or up to their bedroom window. And drones could be a great asset for criminals to "case a joint" or to keep watch for the police."

Some interesting video of them in action on this site.. these things are already being used for surveilance in Europe..
http://www.technewsdaily.com/3858-amazing-videos-robot-copters.html

< Message edited by tj444 -- 3/21/2012 12:54:30 AM >

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/21/2012 11:55:48 AM

daddyneedsluv

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Impressive technology, no doubt. I can just imagine the limitless pros and cons that would go with such technology.

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/21/2012 10:54:46 PM

outlier

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As I said in the title and one previous post the characteristic
that makes this interesting is that they are autonomous. They are
not radio controlled they are programmed and then "released".

All the other examples including the "occucopter" are radio controlled
including the military and police drones shown at the beginning of the speech.

The issues you raise are the same ones that have been raised, rightfully, every
time a "new" technology emerges. The rich and powerful always try to use it
to maintain their wealth and power. Leonardo did not just paint for the nobility
he also designed military fortifications, a tank, and a helicopter.

Those issues exist, but what is interesting about these robots is that they are autonomous.
If you want to have a discussion about the unique dangers of flying autonomous robots
then there is an excellent short story by Robert Sheckley which we could use as a
starting point. It was first published in 1953. It is called Watchbird

Here is a page about it. Including several of the times it has been dramatized.

Here is the story Watchbird on the Project Gutenberg page. I recommend it.
I have found it to be thought provoking since the first time I read it.

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/21/2012 11:35:25 PM

GreedyTop

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wow.. great story, Outlier.

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/21/2012 11:59:44 PM

tj444

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quote:

ORIGINAL: outlier
As I said in the title and one previous post the characteristic
that makes this interesting is that they are autonomous. They are
not radio controlled they are programmed and then "released".

I dont see what is so special about them being programmed and released.. to me they are just like cnc machines that are programmed and then do what they are programmed to do, the difference being that these thingies fly.. I watched one vid (cant find it now) of these things operating in a group, flying and building something which is just like cnc machines do, except again these fly..

One thought that did run thru my mind when i watched the vid was that these things might eventually be programmed to do things like pick crops of fruit or harvest a field of veggies.. I dunno.. one day these things could become Terminators..

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/22/2012 2:10:58 AM

GrandPoobah

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quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444

quote:

ORIGINAL: outlier
As I said in the title and one previous post the characteristic
that makes this interesting is that they are autonomous. They are
not radio controlled they are programmed and then "released".

I dont see what is so special about them being programmed and released.. to me they are just like cnc machines that are programmed and then do what they are programmed to do, the difference being that these thingies fly.. I watched one vid (cant find it now) of these things operating in a group, flying and building something which is just like cnc machines do, except again these fly..

One thought that did run thru my mind when i watched the vid was that these things might eventually be programmed to do things like pick crops of fruit or harvest a field of veggies.. I dunno.. one day these things could become Terminators..

I remember viewing the same video you mention. There were several robots involved, and they were given a task (as I recall) of assembling some blocks to create something. It was left to them to figure out how to make a design from the pieces they had, and it was absolutely fascinating to seem them work things out. The project was still in a somewhat primitive stage, but you could easily see where it could go...something like a robotic, autonomous group of MacGyers...creating something from whatever was at hand. The blocks they used for the sample were magnetic, but it was up to the robots to figure out how best to use each shape. When they dropped them in place, the blocks would "snap" to an in-line position, but otherwise the machines did everything.

It was both fascinating and scary.

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RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/22/2012 10:58:25 PM

outlier

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quote:

ORIGINAL: GreedyTop

wow.. great story, Outlier.

Greedy (hugs) Where have you been? We have been talking about
things that fly, I expected you earlier.

I am delighted but not surprised that you appreciated that story.
Now here is what you do. Go find Robert Sheckley's first two
books which were collections of his short stories. Some of them
are as good, some are very funny, and some I think are even better
than Watchbird.

Untouched By Human Hands

Citizen In Space

I envy you being able to read them for the first time. And I
want to talk to you after you do.

_____________________________

Avatar from xkcd.com

"A happy sex life may take years to achieve, but it’s worth it in the long run.
Worth the time, the thought - or rather, the thoughtfulness - and, often,
the waiting." Pete Seeger

(in reply to GreedyTop)

Post #: 14

RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/22/2012 11:38:08 PM

outlier

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quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444

quote:

ORIGINAL: outlier
As I said in the title and one previous post the characteristic
that makes this interesting is that they are autonomous. They are
not radio controlled they are programmed and then "released".

I dont see what is so special about them being programmed and released.. to me they are just like cnc machines that are programmed and then do what they are programmed to do, the difference being that these thingies fly.. I watched one vid (cant find it now) of these things operating in a group, flying and building something which is just like cnc machines do, except again these fly..

One thought that did run thru my mind when i watched the vid was that these things might eventually be programmed to do things like pick crops of fruit or harvest a field of veggies.. I dunno.. one day these things could become Terminators..

Ok, Now I understand, these are not like cnc machines. A cnc machine makes zero
decisions on it's own. All of it's movements are programmed down to a 10,000th of an inch,
literally. They are unbeatable for production but they are frequently run in a manual or semi-manual
mode when doing prototype or a one off project. Because they are not designed to problem
solve or innovate.

These flying robots are given a goal and then sent to accomplish it. Each movement is
not programmed in. Thus the direct parallel to Watchbird, which is an allegory about
unexpected consequences concerning autonomous flying robots. You will see that some
of your concerns and others were anticipated by Sheckley some 60 years ago.

I had not thought of picking crops. That is a terrific example of a task these could
conceivably do which is not like a cnc machine at all. Think of what you would have
to program in to do it using cnc methodology : the position in the field of each piece of fruit,
telling in advance how ripe each piece of fruit is, etc. etc. I do not see how that could be
programmed and executed efficiently.

But these robots could be given the criteria to identify the ripe fruit, the gps coordinates
of the field outfitted with the picking and catching tools and turned loose. I can see how
that could work.

It is precisely their autonomy which makes them different and opens up the possibilities for good
and for very serious error. It makes it possible for them to become searchers in a building after a
catastrophe when you don't know what shape the interior is in, fruit pickers, Terminators or Watchbirds.

_____________________________

Avatar from xkcd.com

"A happy sex life may take years to achieve, but it’s worth it in the long run.
Worth the time, the thought - or rather, the thoughtfulness - and, often,
the waiting." Pete Seeger

(in reply to tj444)

Post #: 15

RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/23/2012 12:23:42 AM

GreedyTop

Posts: 52100
Joined: 5/2/2007
From: Savannah, GA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: outlier

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreedyTop

wow.. great story, Outlier.

Greedy (hugs) Where have you been? We have been talking about
things that fly, I expected you earlier.

I am delighted but not surprised that you appreciated that story.
Now here is what you do. Go find Robert Sheckley's first two
books which were collections of his short stories. Some of them
are as good, some are very funny, and some I think are even better
than Watchbird.

Untouched By Human Hands

Citizen In Space

I envy you being able to read them for the first time. And I
want to talk to you after you do.

at some point when I have something like funds again.... *sigh*

_____________________________

polysnortatious
Supreme Goddess of Snark
CHARTER MEMBER: Lance's Fag Hags!
Waiting for my madman in a Blue Box.

(in reply to outlier)

Post #: 16

RE: Autonomous Flying Robots! Small and Agile - 3/23/2012 1:22:59 PM

outlier

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Joined: 10/22/2005
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quote:

ORIGINAL: GreedyTop

quote:

ORIGINAL: outlier

quote:

ORIGINAL: GreedyTop

wow.. great story, Outlier.

Greedy (hugs) Where have you been? We have been talking about
things that fly, I expected you earlier.

I am delighted but not surprised that you appreciated that story.
Now here is what you do. Go find Robert Sheckley's first two
books which were collections of his short stories. Some of them
are as good, some are very funny, and some I think are even better
than Watchbird.

Untouched By Human Hands

Citizen In Space

I envy you being able to read them for the first time. And I
want to talk to you after you do.

at some point when I have something like funds again.... *sigh*

Greedy you are not curious enough, shame on you.

Here is the majority of Untouched By Human Hands (renamed) online.

It is not a good sign when someone has to do your homework for you.
But I got my reward, I reread The Monsters, and now I have a place where
I can share and revisit these stories without putting more wear on my old treasured
paperback copies.

_____________________________

Avatar from xkcd.com

"A happy sex life may take years to achieve, but it’s worth it in the long run.
Worth the time, the thought - or rather, the thoughtfulness - and, often,
the waiting." Pete Seeger

(in reply to GreedyTop)

Post #: 17

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