Mar 21 2011Iran: Now With Autonomous Flying Saucers
Iran, in an attempt to toot its own horn, released a press release about the successful development of an autonomous reconnaissance 'flying saucer', with the above picture attached. That, uh...that looks pretty sketchy. HOW HAVE YOU NOT LEARNED YOUR LESSON?! Iran, you need to go ahead and fire your whole Photoshop department, because that dude suuuuuucks.
The ship is called Zohal -- Saturn in Persian -- and is designed for aerial imaging. Zohal has a data downlink and can fly in both indoor and outdoor spaces, according to the Fars News Service. The Daily Mail points out that Fars is a hard-line state-run news service.
From the news release: "The flying machine is equipped with an auto-pilot system, GPS (Global Positioning System) and two separate imaging systems with full HD 10 mega-pixel picture quality and is able to take and send images simultaneously."
I'm not gonna lie, if I was in charge I would have gone with a different picture. Something, what's the word I'm looking for -- yes -- less horribly shitty looking. That thing looks like it was scanned out of a 1940's sci-fi magazine. "Amir -- we need a picture of a flying saucer, STAT!". "Yes, sir!" *copy/pastes screencap from Flight of the Navigator*
Iran Announces Launch Of Its Unmanned Flying Saucer [popsci]
Thanks to Schmaltz and Kaz, whose names both end in z. That's pretty rare.
Reader Comments
1. Ganonmaster - March 21, 2011 12:33 PM
This makes no sense.
2. The Geekologie Writer - March 21, 2011 12:40 PM
Woow those guys are way ahead of us
3. weed - March 21, 2011 12:42 PM
ummmm, how about re-reading the original post!
that's the picture the author posted to make fun of the Quadrocopter that you could see by scrolling down a tiny bit!
4. bliblop - March 21, 2011 12:50 PM
i think the only technology they have is paint.
5. Not even a "Quadrocopter" - March 21, 2011 12:50 PM
The "Quadrocopter" in fact has 6 rotors. The "Student News Agency" stole thier image from here:
http://www.draganfly.com/uav-helicopter/draganflyer-x6/
6. mike - March 21, 2011 12:57 PM
10 mega pixels? it needs to be at least... 3 times bigger than that
7. geekologian - March 21, 2011 1:02 PM
Iranians have strong relations to Martians, someone call the Spartians ASAP.
8. atis - March 21, 2011 1:06 PM
WTF? Full HD is just above 2 mega pixels, what does it have to do with 10 mega-pixels?
9. Rancid Dook - March 21, 2011 1:10 PM
mow mow
My turds are 12 megapixels.
mow mow
10. mike - March 21, 2011 1:22 PM
A lot of deciduous trees currently going through abscission this time of year in Iran?
11. ciao - March 21, 2011 1:22 PM
The Germans were developing this technology back in the 1940's, not too sure if the technology was a success or not. (need to do more reading)
12. impressed - March 21, 2011 1:25 PM
WOW, takes pictures and uploads pictures at the same time??? They have figured out how to seperate the lens from the network portionof the device? Impossible! I call fake!
13. Shelbon - March 21, 2011 1:25 PM
@3 How about you smoke some more of yourself
14. more impressed - March 21, 2011 1:29 PM
Here is a picture of what it really looks like!!! hahah, now I know why they used the UFO! This looks like a hobby store experiment.
http://www.isna.ir/ISNA/PicView.aspx?Pic=Pic-1736235-1&Lang=E
15. ConfessionsOfaManwhore.com - March 21, 2011 2:14 PM
The only thing Iran has technically developed lately was a new sharpening stone for more extremists to behead their wives, loved ones, and democratic forces attempting to help them
16. Ed - March 21, 2011 2:29 PM
Of course the picture is fake! They're not dumb enough to let people see what their multi million dollar secret recon drone looks like! Only America is that dumb . . . http://www.geekologie.com/mt/mt-search.cgi?search=hummingbird&IncludeBlogs=&IncludeBlogs=1
17. eatsurmom - March 21, 2011 2:31 PM
hahahaha!!!!!!!!!! i could build a better one by attaching my i phone to a helium balloon. I should patent that idea. i balllon®
18. Fors - March 21, 2011 2:42 PM
They have the technology to supposedly put a 10 MP camera in that thing, yet they don't have the technology to take clear pictures.
LOL Iran, you're so funny.
19. painweaver - March 21, 2011 3:03 PM
Uhh....hate to break it to them, but if they are using GPS they are using American satellites.....
20. B9CC1D - March 21, 2011 3:09 PM
Definitely not the first. This style of aircraft has been "developed" since the 1930's, the most infamous example being the VZ-9 Avrocar ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Army_Avrocars_02.jpg ) -gee I bet you thought that the Incredibles came up with that idea- But even though from time to time someone gets a brainfart and forgets about it the designs are usually determined to be impractical and abandoned. The real title of the article is more like "Iran finally catches up to technology we abandoned 30 years ago"
21. Rancid Dook - March 21, 2011 3:28 PM
mow mow
@20 Like I said... my turds are 12 megapixels.
mow mow
22. the_tof - March 21, 2011 3:38 PM
You don't mess with the Zohal.
How can nobody have beat me to that one!
23. MannaFromKevin - March 21, 2011 4:16 PM
@3
FAIL
24. bob - March 21, 2011 7:25 PM
That looks like one of the UFO's from the early 60's Godziila vs Monster Zero films
25. gee sun hait - March 22, 2011 1:32 AM
USA has UAVs which looks more badass. That UFO looks like a rice cooker
26. RobscoRC - March 22, 2011 1:43 AM
wow... Iv got something just like it in the basement right now.. Way to go Iran, you have a hobby shop now..
27. Rancid Poop - March 22, 2011 5:03 AM
mow mow
i knew this was going to happen were all fucked now
by next week theyll be putting 15 jiggawatt lazers on that thing\
mow mow
28. chicgoods14 - March 22, 2011 12:10 PM
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29. Sami - March 22, 2011 9:30 PM
Umm.. This post didn't make any sense. Maybe you should fire Ur drug supplier.
30. Metryq - March 23, 2011 3:29 PM
GPS, huh? They really have us backed into a corner there...