Jun 9 2010Uh-Oh: Autonomous Drone Bots Can Assemble Themselves Into A Hovering Death Copter
Note: Video is after the jump because even I peed a little and I'm exposed this this sort of thing everyday.
Autonomous drones that can assemble themselves into a flying mothership. Crap. Seriously -- I think something just squeaked by but I'm afraid to look.
For those of you counting down to the robot uprising, you may be interested in the latest news from engineers at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. They've created autonomous robots that randomly dock with each other on the ground and then rise into the air- no human intervention required.
The little hexagonal modules that make up the flying drone are completely self-sufficient. In the context of a robot army, that means the airborne robot could be indestructible. Because the magnetically connected 'bots easily break away from each other, they could blow apart under attack, and then reassemble themselves on the ground, good as new.
"...Indestructible airborne robots". I don't like the sound of that. But do you know what I DO like the sound of? My own name. That shit sounds like like a choir of angels singing Johnny Cash's greatest hits. F***ing Epic.
Hit it for the video.
Video: Drone Swarm Assembles Itself, Terrifies Humanity [wired]
Thanks to Mark, Josh, my fat face, supercorn1, TobyRaider, Peter, Jason and nick, who would have smacked that thing with a flyswatter until it sputtered into a wall, then beat it with a crowbar even if it meant knocking a hole into a neighbor's apartment.
Reader Comments
1. Kenneth - June 9, 2010 1:30 PM
FIRST and, ROBOTS R TAKING OVER!
2. Kenneth - June 9, 2010 1:33 PM
wait, when it flies, WTF R THE PROPELLERS??!! helicopter witchcraft magic returns? or am i being a dumbass.
3. FItz - June 9, 2010 1:33 PM
My ROLFcopter goes soi soi soi soi soi soi KILL ALL HUMAN soi soi so soi soi soi soi
4. Kenneth - June 9, 2010 1:33 PM
wait, when it flies, WTF R THE PROPELLERS??!! helicopter witchcraft magic returns? or am i being a dumbass.
5. Kenneth - June 9, 2010 1:44 PM
wait, when it flies, WTF R THE PROPELLERS??!! helicopter witchcraft magic returns? or am i being a dumbass.
6. ಠ_ಠ - June 9, 2010 2:06 PM
this is all very well GW but wheres my birthday post ಠ_ಠ
7. ciao - June 9, 2010 2:09 PM
hrm, robot ballet. Interesting design with the centered propellers. It seems it shifts itself to turn and such.
I'd like to attach some laser pens to that and have a rave robot parteh!
8. Johnnycakes - June 9, 2010 2:10 PM
@ 4 & 5
a dumbass for double posting
9. Jaja - June 9, 2010 2:10 PM
I assume they haven't figured how to make four of them connect to eachother all at once yet...
10. kenneth - June 9, 2010 2:11 PM
wait, when it flies, WTF R THE PROPELLERS??!! helicopter witchcraft magic returns? or am i being a dumbass.
11. Sam - June 9, 2010 2:11 PM
@2, 4, 5
a SUPER dumbass for triple posting
12. Dave - June 9, 2010 2:36 PM
@2,4,5,10
a SUPER DUPER dumbass for quadruple posting
@11 dumbass for missing 1. (even though you posted at the same time, you should've seen it coming.
13. david - June 9, 2010 2:37 PM
Don't worry too much folks. the navy has got a brand new laser bearm 'specially made fer shootin' down robuts.
14. (-.-) OJ's Mom (-.-) - June 9, 2010 2:39 PM
"Indestructible airborne robots" was the name of my second album.
15. kenneth - June 9, 2010 2:40 PM
wait, when it flies, WTF R THE PROPELLERS??!! helicopter witchcraft magic returns? or am i being a dumbass.
16. kenneth - June 9, 2010 3:16 PM
WTF Y AM I KEEPING ON POSTING THE SAME DAMN THING, MY COMPUTER WAS OFF AT THOSE TIMES! WTF??!!
17. Autonamous Bob Cadaver - June 9, 2010 3:19 PM
@kenneth
Ultra Mega Super Duper Dumass for Sextupal redundant posts...
props for getting to use the word Sex-anything. :)
18. emptyaddy - June 9, 2010 3:26 PM
Wow, all that and not one Transformers joke. Interesting....
19. Zach - June 9, 2010 4:05 PM
One step closer to Voltron.
20. Zach - June 9, 2010 4:08 PM
One step closer to Voltron.
21. Zach - June 9, 2010 4:09 PM
One step closer to Voltron.
22. Zach - June 9, 2010 4:10 PM
One step closer to Voltron.
23. Birr Murdock - June 9, 2010 4:11 PM
this is the dumbest 'robot'. yea, it can rub side by side with another robot, big deal. the fully assembled one didnt put itself together. that shit was built that way. then you have to babysit it when it starts flying and not let it fly higher than 6½ft. i love this thing and it is very smart and i would love to buy it. it is the best robot ever made and it can do almost anything.
24. lol - June 9, 2010 4:21 PM
@2,4,5
Nice triple post. And the propellers are in the middle...
25. Zach - June 9, 2010 4:31 PM
One step closer to Voltron.
26. Zach - June 9, 2010 4:32 PM
One step closer to Voltron.
27. hehe king - June 9, 2010 5:09 PM
@2,4,5,10,15
a SUPER DUPER dumbass for quintuple posting
@11 dumbass for missing 1. Even though you posted at the same time, you should've seen it coming.
@12 ultra dumbass for miscounting #8 who was missing #2
28. Forrest - June 9, 2010 5:36 PM
@everybody who has double/triple/whatever posted
-you're dumb, or in kenneth's case, turn your computer off
@23
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. are you OUT OF YOUR MIND??!!???!!!!!?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????????????
YOU'RE ONE OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
D:<
29. internetLuddite on Twitter - June 9, 2010 5:57 PM
tell doosh to stop catching it. hook a 3d gyroscope
on that piece to help regulate the lift, otherwise, doesn't it deserve to crash?
@ all others: 8===D~ O-:;
30. shelbon - June 9, 2010 6:16 PM
@ 2,4,5,8,10,11,17,19,20,21,22,24,25,26 and 27: this is by far the funniest group of comments I have ever read on geekologie..thanks for making my day
31. shelbon - June 9, 2010 6:17 PM
and @ 16 as well
32. kenneth - June 9, 2010 6:30 PM
@30 , I DIDNT MEAN TO DO IT!
33. Zack - June 9, 2010 6:31 PM
One step closer to Voltron.
34. Zack - June 9, 2010 6:32 PM
One step closer to Voltron.
35. Dave - June 9, 2010 7:49 PM
@30, you forgot @12
@19,20,21,22,25,26,33,34....Shut up, you're trying to hard.
(But you're still a mega mega super duper dumbass for the octuple posts.)
36. kay11888 - June 9, 2010 8:14 PM
Who cares!!! My boyfriend thinks the same with me. He- is eight years older than me, lol. We met online at an age gap dating site[ S E E K C O U G A R *c-o-m_]---a nice and free place for Younger- Women and Older Men, or Older Women and Younger Men, to interact with each other. Maybe you wanna check out or- tell your friends
37. kenneth - June 9, 2010 8:21 PM
wait, when it flies, WTF R THE PROPELLERS??!! helicopter witchcraft magic returns? or am i being a dumbass.
38. Um, what's so amazing again??? - June 9, 2010 11:34 PM
Watched vid. Impressed not. Looks like the only thing innovativeis the overlapping or interlocking hex design. *Yawn* Plus, fragile as hell. *rolles eyes*
39. Rootbeerhead - June 10, 2010 2:13 AM
so according to this video the robo-pocalypse will have an easy listening soundtrack. Terrifying, indeed.
40. kenneth - June 10, 2010 4:50 AM
wait, when it flies, WTF R THE PROPELLERS??!! helicopter witchcraft magic returns? or am i being a dumbass.
41. Buddy - June 10, 2010 6:43 AM
One step closer to Voltron.
42. Player1 - June 10, 2010 8:33 AM
Oh dear, i'm going to be among the first killed by this evil machine, i live near the ETH in Zurich... :(
43. erin - June 10, 2010 8:40 AM
That was kind of lovely, like a ballet to Sims shopping music, until the end when the buzzing started and my first instinct was to reach for the nearest crowbar.
44. Another Booger Consumer - June 10, 2010 10:02 AM
oh my god Kenneth's computer is possessed!! and its spreading!!!
45. A Big Calabash - June 10, 2010 10:03 AM
oh my god Kenneth's computer is possessed!! and its spreading!!!
46. Are Bots Complacent? - June 10, 2010 10:04 AM
oh my god Kenneth's computer is possessed!! and its spreading!!!
47. mobedda - June 10, 2010 10:08 AM
One step closer to vulvas.
48. iggle piggle - June 10, 2010 4:40 PM
One step forwards 2 step back , and that my friend is how you do that
49. Zack - June 11, 2010 3:10 PM
One step closer to Voltron.
50. kenneth - June 11, 2010 4:48 PM
wait, when it flies, WTF R THE PROPELLERS??!! helicopter witchcraft magic returns? or am i being a dumbass.
51. kenneth - June 11, 2010 4:49 PM
wait, when it flies, WTF R THE PROPELLERS??!! helicopter witchcraft magic returns? or am i being a dumbass.
52. Zack - June 11, 2010 7:24 PM
One step closer to Voltron.
53. Sylvester Arcane - June 12, 2010 4:34 PM
What is the name of that song? It fits so well with the robot apocalypse franchise
54. kenneth - June 14, 2010 9:50 AM
wait, when it flies, WTF R THE PROPELLERS??!! helicopter witchcraft magic returns? or am i being a dumbass.