Engadet’s Joseph Flatley at CeBIT came across a German-developed flying Wi-Fi robot, designed to quickly create wireless communications at disaster sites.
Here’s the official photo:
(image via Informationsdienst Wissenschaft e.V. and TU Ilmenau)
The battery-powered “QuadroKopter” (in German) was created by researchers at Ilmenau University of Technology. As the name suggests, it has 4 helicopter-style propellers on arms that extend from a central core, which has the processor, GPS, and wireless radios (it’s designed for mobile phone and Wi-Fi communications).
The idea is to quickly launch these devices at a disaster site to get communications restored much faster than is possible with ground crews.
Flatley’s post includes additional photos: a shot of the copter in flight and one with more details of its innards.
According to Flatley’s report, it can fly or hover for about 20 minutes, but once it finds a perch, it can support communications for several hours. It’s made with off-the-shelf components totaling about $380, but the batteries have a total pricetag of over $1,200.
The same basic platform concept, but one aimed at visual surveillance, is in use elsewhere, for example at the UK’s West Midlands Fire & Rescue Service, which has deployed a remote-controlled Incident Support Imaging System (ISIS).
There’s a YouTube video of the craft in action, transmitting black and white video imagery.
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