Robotics Introduction

Freightliner Unveils First Autonomous Semi-Truck Licensed to Drive Itself on Highways

The Inspiration truck can legally drive itself on public highways without the driver having to pay any attention at all
via Freightliner Unveils First Autonomous Semi-Truck Licensed to Drive Itself on Highways

Drone Download 14: Drones map Nepal earthquake; first “Peeping Tom” drone case; the Pope gets a quadcopter

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Question of the week

A few articles (and a very cool and funny new music video) in this week’s Download have taken up the issue of personal privacy in the age of drones. While I’ve argued before that these questions are at their core nothing new and not specific to drones, I don’t want to make that argument again here—after all, if we’re being honest it’s pretty easy to understand (if not necessarily agree with) why the public is quick to rankle at the idea of autonomous flying cameras filling the now-empty skies where they live, work and play.

We typically don’t change our broad and fundamental laws—such as privacy laws—every time a new technology emerges. Privacy laws purport to cover violations of all kinds from technology of all kinds, be it from a drone or a smartphone or a telescope in a window (or that guy with branches glued to his face crouching with binoculars in your hedgerow there). And in some lights it does feel petty to focus on this marginal use of a technology that has overwhelming promise for doing so much good in the world (as many articles this week also take up). I mean, do Peeping Toms everywhere shake their head at poor misguided Galileo, not knowing what he really had on his hands up in the window there? (Not the question of the week.)

But drones are an especially powerful and potent new technology—unmanned, removed and automated flight of a small and perhaps hard-to-detect, or attribute, device—and that might present certain new and puzzling challenges for applying and enforcing our existing privacy laws. While I’m still convinced the question of privacy is mostly a matter of time—of education and adapting again to a new technology; remembering that everyone isn’t yearning to look at your backyard or in your bedroom—others have very legit reasons to disagree.

What do you think? Are existing privacy laws enough to cover drones? Or is this technology such a departure that we should consider amending the laws already on the books? Or is this question itself just a distraction from (or extension or symptom of) more important issues—such as fundamental privacy questions in the digital age, or the positive uses of aerial technology?

I’d like to hear from you: roger@3dr.com

And now, the links that matter:

Headlines

Nepal aid workers helped by drones, crowdsourcing. A community of nonprofit groups is using satellite imagery, private images and open-source mapping technology assisted by drones to map areas affected by last week’s tragic earthquake, which struck near the capital of Kathmandu and left over 7,000 dead. (Wall Street Journal)

Patrick Meier’s Humanitarian UAV Network has contributed mightily to those relief efforts. You can read what he has to say about the work—both the successes and challenges—here.

Finally: An end in sight? The FAA is in talks with drone industry leaders to consider adopting beyond-visual-line-of-sight flight regulations. According to Reuters, these discussions also increase the chances that “beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) technology will ultimately be accepted by new commercial drone regulations that the FAA is working to finalize within the next two years.” These reforms would go a long way to developing unmanned aircraft that could be used for a variety of business applications such as package delivery, crop monitoring, industrial inspection and, as mentioned above, search and rescue and disaster relief. The FAA’s Manager of UAS Integration, Jim Williams, speaking publicly at the Drone, Data X Conference in Santa Cruz last week, acknowledged the need to relax line of sight regulations: “We understand there’s a lot of value in flying out of line of sight and that’s one of the areas we’re looking to get ahead rapidly in the next few years.”

“Front Row Dave”: Hobbyist pilot Dave Beesmer went on trial Friday, in Ulster Town Court in upstate New York, in what experts believe is “the first American criminal case stemming from alleged unlawful surveillance by drone.” “Front Row Dave”—a fixture at area rock shows—was accused of using his drone to spy on examination rooms at a local medical center. An amateur aerial photographer, Beesmer says he shot footage of the building while his mother was inside for a doctor’s appointment; he wanted to donate the footage of the building’s exterior for them to use in ads and other promotions—and he says his camera can’t see through the tinted windows, anyway. The original felony charge has been dropped to a misdemeanor. (Kingstonx.com)

A group of students from a Jesuit school in Rome presented Pope Francis with a drone. The drone—customized with yellow and white colors of the Vatican flag and bearing the papal emblem—is meant to symbolize “the values of technology in the service of man.” (Washington Post)

High tech happenings

Drones are filming some killer virtual reality videos for brands: “After viewers put on an Oculus headset, they see the world from the perspective of a bee, Patrón’s icon.” (AdWeek)

The street artist KATSU used a drone to vandalize “one of the most highly visible billboards” in Manhattan—a six-story Calvin Klein ad featuring Kendall Jenner. “It turned out surprisingly well,” said KATSU. “It’s exciting to see its first potential use as a device for vandalism,” he added, cheerfully. (WIRED)

Here’s KATSU’s video of the act as it happened.

Sky Atlas: Ben Marcus (creator of the NoFlyZone registry) and Gregory McNeal, a public policy contributor at Forbes, have collaborated on AirMap, an app that takes public input and regulation changes into account to create a dynamic map of where in American airspace it’s currently safe and legal to fly drones.

26 billion trees are cut down every year and only 15 billion are replanted. BioCarbon Engineering seeks to use drones to plant one billion more trees per year. How? Load some drones with seed bombs and fly them out over deforested areas and let them drop. “The company estimates that if you ran around with a sack full of seed bombs you could manually plant 3,000 per day. The drones could do 36,000.” (Huffington Post)

Video

Flite Test’s Will It Fly? The new show builds out a working multirotor model of the Avengers Helicarrier—and tries to land model planes on it as it hovers.

The California electronic group Pomplamoose just put out this very funny and oddly moving video for their cover of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” where a girl falls for a peeping drone. Her for the hers of the world?

Fact: Antarctica is beautiful. Words simply won’t work here. (Time)

Parental Advisory: Here’s a real-life enactment of the video game Grand Theft Auto 2, complete with graphic overlay and sound effects (and profanity), shot from a drone.

The post Drone Download 14: Drones map Nepal earthquake; first “Peeping Tom” drone case; the Pope gets a quadcopter appeared first on 3DR | Drone & UAV Technology.

via Drone Download 14: Drones map Nepal earthquake; first “Peeping Tom” drone case; the Pope gets a quadcopter

World's Largest Swarm of Miniature Robot Submarines

A fleet of little robot submarines is learning to cooperatively perform tasks underwater
via World's Largest Swarm of Miniature Robot Submarines

Automation in Cars: A $100 Billion Market by 2030

Report says the driver assist market will increase by a factor of fifty over the next two decades
via Automation in Cars: A $100 Billion Market by 2030

CyPhy Works Launches Drone That Makes Aerial Video Easy and Intuitive

This consumer camera drone can shoot stable video without a gimbal
via CyPhy Works Launches Drone That Makes Aerial Video Easy and Intuitive

All You Need Is Specs

Here’s all the baseline info on Solo. For a complete bulleted spec sheet, just scroll to the bottom!

The world’s smartest drone is also the easiest to fly. With features like pushbutton flight and computer-assisted Smart Shots, Solo makes it easy for anyone to get professional aerial photos and video. Solo is powered by two 1 GHz computers for the best and smoothest aerial photography experience imaginable, including many world-first technologies and a host of built-in safety and support features. And it’s the only all-in-one drone to offer live video streaming in vivid HD from your GoPro® directly to your mobile device—at ranges up to half a mile.

Features

The first drone with a brain, Solo is powered by twin computers
Only drone to stream live HD video from GoPro® direct to iOS/Android devices
Revolutionary, intuitive video game-style controller
Take to the air in seconds with effortless pushbutton flight
Powerful Smart Shot technology makes capturing incredible cinematic footage easy and automatic
Unique safety features like pause and “safety net” mean you can fly with confidence
First with in-flight GoPro® access: Start/stop recording and adjust camera settings from the ground (with Solo Gimbal)
Full-featured app for iOS and Android puts total craft control at your fingertips
Follow Me mode enables Solo to automatically track and film any subject
Solo Gimbal (sold separately) delivers smooth footage, GoPro® power and control and HDMI video
Future-proof accessory and gimbal bays make Solo ready for tomorrow’s technology
Free software and feature updates ensure your Solo evolves at the pace of innovation
The smart drone keeps getting smarter: LiDAR for super stable indoor flight; ballistic parachute system; flight rewind and more, all scheduled for release
World-class customer support means we’ve always got your back: live seven-day-a-week phone support from qualified engineers; in-app service tickets; and a 30-day money-back guarantee
When we made Solo, we set out to create not just the best drone, but the best aerial photography experience imaginable. While this meant giving Solo smooth and powerful flight dynamics, it also demanded we make a smarter drone, one that could handle the flying so you can retake creative control and focus on getting great video. In the end, we know people really just want great shots: They want access to professional tools that enable them to get those shots easily and consistently, without the need to spend years becoming a professional drone pilot. Solo delivers this promise: You get the shot, every time.

The world’s first smart drone.
What makes it smart? Not only does Solo have the world’s most advanced Pixhawk 2 autopilot system, but it also runs two 1 GHz computers, one on the copter and one in the controller, connected via a powerful dedicated Wi-Fi signal carried by 3DR Link. This processing power enables Solo to do amazing things that no personal drone has ever been able to do.

Helpful brain science-y analogy:
You can think of these computers as Solo’s “frontal cortex”—the most advanced part of the brain. They handle all of Solo’s high-level functions, like Smart Shots, HD video transmission and exclusive GoPro control features. The autopilot—traditionally a drone’s only nerve center—now works sort of like Solo’s “brain stem,” responsible solely for the basic rudiments of flight. By splitting up the work like this, Solo dramatically reduces the likelihood of mechanical failure in flight and opens up a world of possibility for adding advanced capabilities and features.

What are its advanced capabilities?
Solo’s intelligence makes it possible for beginners and pros alike to capture professional-grade shots from day one. Its powerful and one-of-a-kind computer-assisted Smart Shots allow you to set up the exact shot you want, then let Solo execute the shot with the precision of a seasoned cinematographer; and with a list of Smart Shots to choose from, the perfect shot is always just a few taps away. Solo is also the first all-in-one drone to offer live streaming of HD video from your GoPro directly to your mobile device, as well as built-in HDMI for live broadcast in HD.

“Smart Shots”

Cablecam: Lock Solo onto a virtual cable between any two points in space. Now you can freely pan and tilt the camera on your known-safe flight path, or let Solo memorize your first and last frames and smoothly pan the camera between them for you—all you have to do is tap “play.”
Orbit: Solo can automatically circle any subject of your choosing, keeping it perfectly framed to capture an iconic “wrap-around” shot. Adjust the circle’s radius to get the exact shot you want, even midflight.
Selfie: With one touch Solo will fly up and away from you, keeping the camera centered on you so the scenery around you expands in a dramatic aerial pullout shot. Then Solo will reverse that shot as it comes back to you, landing right where it took off.
Follow:
Go completely hands-free! Solo can follow wherever you go, automatically keeping the camera on you to capture your every move.

Any other cool features?
A new ergonomic controller built specifically for aerial photography. Its video game-style design breaks from the clunky and complicated RC tradition, so it feels familiar to even new pilots. And in keeping with the video game theme, we even gave the controller a pause button—an airbrake you can hit at any time to stop Solo midflight.
A full-featured mobile app for both iOS and Android. Choose between a live view from the camera or a satellite view of your selected shot, control your GoPro, and even change how the controller responds to commands.
Add the Solo Gimbal and get stabilized cinematic video; full access to GoPro controls; stream HD video to your mobile device; even power your GoPro while you fly.
Solo is built to evolve: gimbal bay, accessory bay and swappable motor pods for easily integrating new technology and features as they’re invented. Your Solo won’t be obsolete in a year.
What “new technology”? Everything from new flight modes and features to first-party accessories, third-party accessories, and new gimbals and accessories.

I’ve never flown a drone.
Solo’s computers make flying easy for beginners and pros alike. Smooth and powerful satellite-guided flight ensures Solo’s position is always accurate, and Smart Shot modes keep Solo locked onto predetermined flight paths. It’s also got that great new video game-style controller for a feel that’s reassuring to any user. Plus the controller features one-button flight controls: Take off, land and return home automatically. And if you panic, don’t worry: There’s the pause button.

Can it carry a GoPro?
Solo is built to maximize the GoPro experience. We work closely with GoPro in order to give you the best aerial photography experience imaginable. Together we came up with the world’s first gimbal that offers direct in-flight access to the GoPro controls: With just a click of a button on the controller, you can now start and stop recording and snap the exact photos you want during your flight—or change the GoPro settings from within our mobile app. Additionally, Solo is the world’s first drone that offers plug-and-play live streaming HD video from your GoPro directly to your mobile device. Solo even comes with The Frame from GoPro, pre-installed with vibration isolation, so you can get a beautiful HD video stream hassle-free, right out of the box.

I’m worried about flyaways. I’ve read a bunch of these stories online, and they never end well.
Even though we’ve spent all of our efforts ensuring every Solo owner has the best possible user experience, we have to acknowledge that these things could happen. But don’t worry: Because Solo has built-in computers it can constantly monitor your flight. If you crash or lose connection, the app will prompt you to instantly create a service ticket, which you can submit instantly through your mobile device’s internet connection, wherever you’re flying. If the flight log shows that a system malfunction caused the loss of your copter—the dreaded “flyaway”—3DR will replace the copter and the gimbal if one was installed, and we’ll even give you credit to buy a new GoPro.

We back this all up with a 30-day money-back guarantee. We take your satisfaction with our products really, really seriously.

Specs:

Cameras: Compatible with GoPro® HERO3, 3+ and 4; optimized for HERO3+ and 4

Streaming video quality: 720p

Flight time: 25 minutes*

Range: .5 miles** (.8 km)

Max speed: 55 mph (89 km/h)

Max ascent speed: 10 m/s in stabilize mode; “fly” mode spec forthcoming

Max decent speed: ditto

Max payload: 420 g

Max altitude: 400 ft per FAA regulation, user adjustable (122 m)

Motors: 880 kV

Propellers: 10″ diameter 4.5″ pitch self-tightening (24 cm diameter 144 cm pitch)

Autopilot: Pixhawk 2

Software: APM:Copter

Communication: 3DR Link secure WiFi network

Frequency: 2.4 GHz

Weight: 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) / 3.9 lbs. (1.8 kg) with GoPro® and Solo Gimbal

Dimensions: 10 in. tall (25 cm), 18 in. (46 cm) motor-to-motor

Flight battery: Lithium polymer 5200 mAh 14.8 Vdc

Battery charge time: ~1.5 hours

Controller battery: 2600 mAh 7.2 Vdc rechargeable lithium ion

App requirements: iOS 8.0 or later / Android 4.1.2 or later

*Flight time varies with payload, wind conditions, elevation, temperature, humidity, flying style and pilot skill. Listed flight time applies to elevations less than 2,000 ft above sea level.

**Depending on environmental conditions.

Solo Smart Battery:

Rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-Po)

5200 mAh

14.8 Vdc

Weight: 1 lb. (.5 kg)

Solo Gimbal:

Three-axis stabilization

Compatible with 3DR Solo and GoPro HERO3+ and HERO4

HDMI video output

Wireless software upgrade through Solo

Controllable range: 0° to -90° pitch