Japan Creates Spherical Flying Machine

It's a spherical helicopter, what is the big deal?

It is clearly simply a sneaky ploy by the Nippon to cheat at the next world cup

Looks similar to the coanda effect.

If they are displaying this, imagine what they have 'behind the curtain'

reply to post by daaskapital


Haven't these people watched the terminator movies? That is quite amazing. Now if they merge that with those quadrotor "AI" helicopters we've got something to worry about.



I saw a clip of this thing on Penn & Teller tell a lie (great show) showing two of them, autonomously, working together to build a tower. The crazy part was it wasn't directly programmed, they merely gave the robots a task and they both coordinated, examined the room, found the tower pieces and working together built the tower, in a few minutes.

reply to post by mnmcandiez

It's a spherical helicopter, what is the big deal?

Actually no, it's more akin to one of those jets with positionable rotors. Yes, it has a propeller mounted like a helicopter, but it also has wings to allow fast STRAIGHT movement. A helicopter requires constant adjustment of pitch to stay level while moving forward, this does not.

As well the addition of 3 gyroscopes allows it to maintain control even when that guy starts smacking it around. A helicopter or plane would be in pieces if you tried that.

Man, I wish they'd start selling these instead of those stupid fly it once then break it helicopters I've wasted 50$ on.

reply to post by daaskapital


Oh thats cool
Now i want one. I doubt this would end up as a weapon or spying device, the US already has them

The Japanese are not like what is depicted during WW2. They are very friendly and extremely intelligent and do not display aggression that often, at least not the ones i know, they just really like robots.
Did no one remember how all the shop owners opened up their stores after their earthquake? Just started giving things out ppl needed, in the US we`d have to break the windows and "loot" medical supplies, food and water.

Wait til the version with a centerfuge full of mercury rather than a propeller comes out

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


Holy # thats awesome

reply to post by daaskapital


I do not see what is so special about this.
It is just basically a helicopter inside a big ball.

If it should be used to spy, this one is far more impressive.


www.physorg.com...

www.avinc.com...

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by ZeussusZ


Theres a storm Coming

Originally posted by GodefroydeBouillon
Dosent it resemble an interogator droid from good old star wars, nice find, them japanese sure know how to make toyz extra special

That is exactly what I thought when I first saw it!



It won't be long before we see these things keeping watch over us in Airports, Subway Terminals, Malls, and oh yeah... protests!

Great find on this video OP! S&F!

Originally posted by Thunderheart
Why the Japanese aren't ruling this world I'll never know, they are clearly superior beings to Caucasians in every way.

Maybe you should look up where the word "caucasians" came from.

This reminds me of the Monitor from the Halo games, does anyone else think that this looks like it too?

Batting practice anyone?

I know I should think positive about these but it just has so many negative things about it. I can just see 1984 coming into view as Wells tells it. He was just a few decades off.

When I googled the device it showed one just outside a window and I was horrified at the thought. Yeah it can protect our men and women in battle, but what/who the hell will we be protecting ourselves from and who is going to save us from the machines and government once they put these devices in all over and use them for controlling the population?

If we would just keep our noses out of other countries business we wouldn't have so many people hating us. But I fear that is the global agenda. Keep fighting wars to keep people wanting more security and they peel away our rights one by one.

I think what burns me the most is how money goes into the development of these things while our education and infrastructure falls down around our ankles...

There is too much money spent on war, security, and research and development for the department of defense. Take away the wars, we should of never been fighting, and we would not be 14 trillion in the hole and be able to afford to take care of all Americans. Not to mention our great twin towers would still be standing and 911 would still be the number for emergency assistance and not some monumental display of how stupid and weak minded Americans are.

Originally posted by ELahrairah
Anybody else get the bad feeling that
these will be used to spy on the public.
Put a camera and a gun on one of these things and they would be super intimidating.
Imagine one peeking in your window.

LOL! Oh no, we're well past this point. This sphere is little more than a toy. There's no need to hover a huge sphere outside someone's window when you can just send a remote controlled roach or moth right into their house:

Military scientists are currently working on a new type of robot technology - insect cyborgs, affectionately known as 'cybugs'! The vision is to adapt actual insects to become surveillance platforms, equipped with cameras and able to access combat areas impenetrable to humans. Generally speaking, the main difficulty experienced so far in the creation of hugely scaled-down variants of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) like the Reaper and Predator drones currently tasked with surveillance missions over conflict zones like Afghanistan has been that of developing a power mechanism for them that combines low weight with high performance.

Insect Robots
However, insects already have the ability to fly and, for this very reason, the scientists are now looking to them. Rather than create insect-shaped military robot technology, though, they are seeking to blend robotic elements into the insects and create natural/artificial insect robot hybrids.

Initially, the plan was to fuse machinery onto the insects, but this measure was found to be unreliable. Now, through the Hi-Mems (Hybrid Insect Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) programme, research is underway into installing microchip technology into undeveloped insects, with the aim that their muscles and nerves will essentially "mix in" with the electronic elements, and that the resulting creatures can be manipulated remotely. While this could be a costly exercise, it is anticipated that constructing entirely artificial technology from the outset could be more expensive.

Natural metamorphosis from one type of insect to another (e.g. caterpillar-to-butterfly) would strengthen the internal elements, according to the theory behind the plan.

Hi-Mems has been taking place within the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for the past three years and, so far, $12 million in funding has been injected into it. A number of stranded sub-projects have evolved out of it, focusing on Horned Beetles, Moths and Roaches at several different institutions including MIT.

To date, researchers have successfully managed to control the motion of moths, although not yet in the air.

Surveillance Robots
Ultimately - once the scientists have gained 100 per cent control over these insects - it is envisaged that they could serve on the front line as surveillance robots - their cameras, sensor equipment and other gadgets aiding in detecting enemy forces or IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), for example. Insects do not traditionally have much of a life-span, but even this has been thought of - devices that help sustain them could be attached externally.

Furthermore, it is hoped that, rather than with batteries, the insects will basically power themselves using their own associated mechanical energy and turning it into electrical impulses.

www.armedforces-int.com...

Originally posted by ZombieJesus
Not very impressive, just a combination of proven technologies, but nothing groundbreaking. For all the people saying "getting closer" no, its not. It's based on the same gravity fighting technologies as an airplane and helicopter. When japan makes a sphere that has no rotary propeller and wings, thats when we will be "closer".

You are correct, I'm an R/C nut and this is basically the same as this R/C craft:

www.horizonhobby.com...

Or this one:

www.electrifly.com...

These are VTOL (vertical take off and landing) craft that can also fly horizontally. The Japanese version just has a round cage built around it. Yes the Japanese version has stabilization features too, but the same 3 axis gyros are finding their way into hobby-grade R/C craft as well.

EDIT TO ADD: Watch this You Tube video for information from Horizon Hobby about new 3 axis gyro technology that they're adding to all their micro R/C aircraft now:

www.youtube.com...

I have a tiny collective pitch heli of theirs that uses this technology and it is astonishing at how stable it is even in high winds. It barely weighs an ounce but can fly in over 20 mph wind. They're going to start putting it on micro planes too. I don't think most people realize how far hobby-grade R/C has progressed in the last 5 years, we already have micro planes and helis that are scarcely an ounce that can carry on-board video cameras and fly in high wind. I can't imagine what the military has.

reply to post by SavedOne

but the same 3 axis gyros are finding their way into hobby-grade R/C craft as well.

I believe my RC chopper from think geek has the 3 axis gyro, in any even it has a gyro and it works flawlessly. But once you snap half of the tail rotor off you are screwed, they don't give you a spare tail blade :/

Now what they need to do is have it powered by radio wave energy, it could then fly all day and night.

Originally posted by phishyblankwaters
I believe my RC chopper from think geek has the 3 axis gyro, in any even it has a gyro and it works flawlessly. But once you snap half of the tail rotor off you are screwed, they don't give you a spare tail blade :/

Is it a coax (counter-rotating rotors)? If so then it doesn't have a gyro because coaxs are inherently stable. The problem with coaxs is the thing that makes them stable also prevents them from flying forward very fast, walking speed is about all you can get from a coax. Mainly the 3 axis gyros are used on flybarless collective pitch helis, they're too expensive (for now, but that's changing) to put on toy-grade helis.

Originally posted by mnmcandiez
It's a spherical helicopter, what is the big deal?

Exactly what I was thinking. I thought...hmm, I have an Air Hog at home that I bet could do the same thing.

Originally posted by Thunderheart
Why the Japanese aren't ruling this world I'll never know, they are clearly superior beings to Caucasians in every way.

you must place caucasions on racist scales, thanks...but no thanks..... I prefer that you just leave us out of you racist attempts to be funny..