Quadrocopter Drones from China

The market of remote controlled quadrocopter drones is growing fast. The world´s first crash avoiding drone comes from Guangzhou Walkera  Technology Co., Ltd. a Chinese manufacturer of R/C model toys such as helicopters & aeroplanes that are certified to CE, UL and FCC standards. The Walkera Infra X Smart Drone with Crash Avoidance System (CAS) contains a total of 10 sensors, 2 Ultrasonic Altitude Sensors on the belly of the drone, 8 Infra-Red Sensors surrounding the drone body, they keep the distance of the Drone from big objects like a Wall or a pile of Big Boxes.

The 2.4GHz New Generation Radio System is the standard of new generation radio system. It offers longer transmission distance, less interference, more stable radio transmission and less legal issue. For traditional radio frequency, helicopters in same frequency cannot fly together because of interference. With 2.4GHz radio system, many helicopters can fly at the same time without interference.

Credit: Walkera

Mind-controlled quadrotor drone

Mind controlled drones are a hot area for researchers at Zhejiang University in Hangzou, China, who have adapted a Parrot AR Drone 2.0 to be operated by an Emotiv EPOC electroencephalogram (EEG) headset hooked up to a PC running custom software. By thinking “left” strongly, the mind-pilot can make the drone take off; thinking “left,” “right,” and “push,” makes it turn clockwise, move forward, and fly up, respectively. More interestingly, clenching teeth makes the drone descend, while blinking commands it to take a photo. Check out the video below for a demo flight.

Wolfgang Heller

Wolfgang Heller