Robotic UAV
 

I saw this a few weeks ago and thought maybe some of you would be interested. http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archi...s/apr_03/hawk/. Its an unmanned aerial vehicle that is used for close support recon. LM basically built a big foam park flyer with a camera that troops can carry around. Once launched, it flys itself through a route an operator defines on a laptop. Nobody directly manipulates the controls so it doesn't require a trained pilot. One cool feature allows the operator to monitor a particular location by clicking a point on the map. the plane will go into a circular holding pattern around that point so they can get a closer look.

Re: Robotic UAV
 

Raven. Fits in a backpack, piloted using simple controls require 2 minutes of training, flies high and silently, includes spy equipment. And the landing is easy: hit a button and watch it disassemble itself. (takes 60 seconds to assemble)

How long does it take to plot a course?

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/aviatio...1486-3,00.html
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/aviatio...452052,00.html

But good going on the team's part. it's probably not real good at what you're trying to market it as. :p

Re: Robotic UAV
 

What was I marketing? I don't have anything to do with them. I saw the link on another discussion board and thought maybe in a group on engineering-types there would be at least one other person whose tried flying a park-flyer.