Quadrocopters: Now With Synchronized Flying

The University of Pennsylvania's Grasp Lab quadrocopters, of which we've already seen way more than enough to prove that they'll kill us all, are back at it, this time with the ability to follow a leader in some sort of synchronized flying ballet. Swan Lake it is not. Coming to kill you in your sleep, it is.

...the robots have to not just know exactly where they are, but they also have to broadcast that information to their neighbors to maintain the integrity of the formation. This processing is all done on each individual quadrotor, so there's no all-seeing computer watching everything and telling each robot where to go. The accuracy is impressive: 50 percent of the time the quadrotors are within a mere two centimeters of where they should be.

Enough is enough, they've gone too far this time! *calling The University of Pennsylvania's dean's office* Hello, dean? TERRORISTS THE GRASP LAB IS RUN BY TERRORISTS!! *hangs up, puts feet on desk* That should do the trick. "Uh, GW? Your phone isn't even plugged into the wall." OH YEAH? THEN WHO WAS I JUST TALKING TO?! "I dunno -- yourself?" F*** I have one sexy-ass voice.

Hit the jump for the high-flying aerial acrobatics in action.

Quadrotor Formation Flying Gets Aggressive [ieee]
via
GRASP Lab quadrocopters learn to follow the leader and fly in formation [engadget]

Thanks to Ellen, cutty sark (love your stuff) and Jermy, who agree the best defense is a good slingshot and plenty of f***ing rocks.

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