World's first controllable MAV monocopter, Robotic Samara (maple seed)

roboseed.com 3.5 years of research resulting in a controllable monocopter. This video details some of the facilities used to develop the vehicle, as well as some potential applications.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• monocopter
• maple seed
• samara MAV
• robotic samara
• UAV
• NAV
• MAV
• rotorcraft
• 'maple-copter'
• 'flying
• saucer'
• 'ufo'

[SarahSTisdale]

I'm trying to figure out how the directional control works. What's the frame of reference for "left", "right", "forward", and "back" since the whole thing is spinning like crazy?

[soldoutrules]

cool, but isn't a helicopter better?

[jonny5alive555]

where is buy button



[fordpw]

awesome chap. Really like your design, one smart kid. I noticed this youtube video after DARPA copied the design over a year later and yours is much quieter.

[mrfourtysevenman]

what the hell is that flying siezure?

[madcowswe]

@SarahSTisdale Earths magnetic field ;D

[AvengerIl]

@RienVesseur helicopters can 'glide' too. check out 'autorotate'

[leevonk]

monocopters were invented in 1913, and many functional versions have been made before the one you see here (search wikipedia for monocopter)

[airlinerdude12]

@outbackjack1974

i bet it has a sort of compass like gyro that keeps it's orientation fixed so it knows when to move in a desired direction

[airlinerdude12]

go figure. They get grant money to do this and spend millions of dollars.

True modelers could do it for pennies on the dollar!

I still love it though, very ingenious design.

I tried to make this with cheapie eqip. but it didn't work very well

That thin carbon fiber gives you minimal drag i bet.

dx7

carbon fiber

expensive baby

[outbackjack1974]

You can see how it controls @ 1:55 servo controls the moment of the pitch of the single blade. Watch it tilt.

[RienVesseur]

A helicopter would be better under certain circumstances, but it would drop out of the sky like a brick when anything goes wrong. This gadget elegantly glides down like a maple seed when the engine is turned off.