Comments on: Quadcopters playing catch http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 21 May 2013 10:50:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: dioptase http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1548862 dioptase Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1548862 Robot Quiditch anyone? Robot Quiditch anyone?

]]> By: font9a http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1548602 font9a Thu, 04 Oct 2012 02:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1548602 yeah, but wait 'til they upgrade to rocket artillery... yeah, but wait ’til they upgrade to rocket artillery…

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1548245 Antinous / Moderator Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1548245 Where do you live that you can get a modest home for $80K? That would get you a home with wheels here. Where do you live that you can get a modest home for $80K? That would get you a home with wheels here.

]]> By: Zapbeeb http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1548179 Zapbeeb Wed, 03 Oct 2012 19:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1548179 Me too :P Me too :P

]]> By: Timmo Warner http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1548087 Timmo Warner Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1548087 I loved the "wa wa wahhhh" and the cheering sound effects behind what is otherwise a serious commentary. I loved the “wa wa wahhhh” and the cheering sound effects behind what is otherwise a serious commentary.

]]> By: IceBeam http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1548064 IceBeam Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1548064  Once they have hunted us all down and eradicated the only ones left to play World of Warcraft will be the servers.  Once they have hunted us all down and eradicated the only ones left to play World of Warcraft will be the servers.

]]> By: Matthew Petty http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1548012 Matthew Petty Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:59:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1548012 When the robots are learning to be more accurate, they take a few tries, then manage it. I was honestly expecting them to do a little dance in celebration. When the robots are learning to be more accurate, they take a few tries, then manage it. I was honestly expecting them to do a little dance in celebration.

]]> By: Matthew Petty http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1548011 Matthew Petty Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:58:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1548011 Like the polo game in 'The Man Who Would Be King'. Like the polo game in ‘The Man Who Would Be King’.

]]> By: Val Lindsay http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1548003 Val Lindsay Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1548003 Glad to know our future robot overlords are only working out trebuchet technology at this stage... Glad to know our future robot overlords are only working out trebuchet technology at this stage…

]]> By: fuzzyfuzzyfungus http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547922 fuzzyfuzzyfungus Wed, 03 Oct 2012 15:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547922 http://www.aeroquadstore.com/ features an overtly 'OSS' one. My impression is that, since virtually all the interesting complexity in quadcopters is in control, and off-the-shelf motors, propellers, and batteries are readily available, it is pretty easy to build or buy a quadcopter that will accept one of the arduino-based navigation boards more or less drop-in.  Because quadcopters aren't wildly efficient, moving up the ladder in terms of endurance time or payload capacity will really start to cost you, though... http://www.aeroquadstore.com/ features an overtly ‘OSS’ one. My impression is that, since virtually all the interesting complexity in quadcopters is in control, and off-the-shelf motors, propellers, and batteries are readily available, it is pretty easy to build or buy a quadcopter that will accept one of the arduino-based navigation boards more or less drop-in. 
Because quadcopters aren’t wildly efficient, moving up the ladder in terms of endurance time or payload capacity will really start to cost you, though…

]]> By: joelogs http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547874 joelogs Wed, 03 Oct 2012 14:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547874 Came to this thread looking for "I for one..." comment. Left satisfied. Would read again. Came to this thread looking for “I for one…” comment. Left satisfied. Would read again.

]]> By: noahmckinnon http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547869 noahmckinnon Wed, 03 Oct 2012 14:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547869  or empty glass bottles. "HUMANS. COME OUT TO PLAY. EE. AY."  or empty glass bottles. “HUMANS. COME OUT TO PLAY. EE. AY.”

]]> By: noahmckinnon http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547868 noahmckinnon Wed, 03 Oct 2012 14:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547868  meh. The world is overpopulated anyway. I for one welcome our new ball-tossing overlords  meh. The world is overpopulated anyway. I for one welcome our new ball-tossing overlords

]]> By: Incipient Madness http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547841 Incipient Madness Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547841 And the next thing you know, you robosexuals are going to start demanding the right to marry Big Dog or Asimo. And the next thing you know, you robosexuals are going to start demanding the right to marry Big Dog or Asimo.

]]> By: Lobster http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547827 Lobster Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:43:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547827  I was thinking grenades.  I was thinking grenades.

]]> By: Lobster http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547826 Lobster Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547826 A modern bomb costs about the same as much as a modest home in some parts of the country: around $80,000.  Yet rather than purchase homes for undeserving American families, our government buys bombs to destroy the homes of undeserving foreign families.  I think that's a pretty good reason to be pessimistic. A modern bomb costs about the same as much as a modest home in some parts of the country: around $80,000.  Yet rather than purchase homes for undeserving American families, our government buys bombs to destroy the homes of undeserving foreign families.  I think that’s a pretty good reason to be pessimistic.

]]> By: grimatongueworm http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547821 grimatongueworm Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:40:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547821 Paging Daniel Suarez.... Paging Daniel Suarez….

]]> By: soundslike http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547782 soundslike Wed, 03 Oct 2012 12:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547782 Exactly what I was thinking watching this. Exactly what I was thinking watching this.

]]> By: Noctilucent Studios http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547778 Noctilucent Studios Wed, 03 Oct 2012 12:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547778 Today, tiny plastic balls...tomorrow human heads. Today, tiny plastic balls…tomorrow human heads.

]]> By: SamSam http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547770 SamSam Wed, 03 Oct 2012 11:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547770 That's awesome. Does anyone know how open source all this kind of quadcopter info is? Is it easy or hard (and how expensive) to buy your own quadcopter or two and start setting up some basic behaviors? (I ask this as a programmer and arduino enthusiast, but who rarely is able to finish all the dozens of projects he starts...) That’s awesome.

Does anyone know how open source all this kind of quadcopter info is? Is it easy or hard (and how expensive) to buy your own quadcopter or two and start setting up some basic behaviors?

(I ask this as a programmer and arduino enthusiast, but who rarely is able to finish all the dozens of projects he starts…)

]]> By: fuzzyfuzzyfungus http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547766 fuzzyfuzzyfungus Wed, 03 Oct 2012 11:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547766 "They're flooding the tunnels with manhacks!" “They’re flooding the tunnels with manhacks!”

]]> By: Boundegar http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547762 Boundegar Wed, 03 Oct 2012 11:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547762 Pessimism?  When the US government uses drones to kill its own citizens, who have not been charged with any crimes?  When the Patriot Act is repealed, so is my pessimism. Pessimism?  When the US government uses drones to kill its own citizens, who have not been charged with any crimes?  When the Patriot Act is repealed, so is my pessimism.

]]> By: ChipN http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547729 ChipN Wed, 03 Oct 2012 10:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547729  I'd like to see the next iteration lobbing shrink wrapped bales of $100s over the outstretched hands of war contractors.  I’d like to see the next iteration lobbing shrink wrapped bales of $100s over the outstretched hands of war contractors.

]]> By: ChipN http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547727 ChipN Wed, 03 Oct 2012 10:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547727  Yeah, it'll save the next BigFoot attempt to cross the freeway in a sniper suit~!  Yeah, it’ll save the next BigFoot attempt to cross the freeway in a sniper suit~!

]]> By: ChipN http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547726 ChipN Wed, 03 Oct 2012 10:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547726 Just behind you in your blind spot above the mirror, while you're tooling along with the window rolled down, listening to Dixie Chicks.    [Que SFX] Eeeeeeeee-ee .... Eeeeeeeee-ee .... Eee, eee, eee, eee [Que VFX] Blood splattered windshield Just behind you in your blind spot above the mirror, while you’re tooling along with the window rolled down, listening to Dixie Chicks.   
[Que SFX] Eeeeeeeee-ee …. Eeeeeeeee-ee …. Eee, eee, eee, eee
[Que VFX] Blood splattered windshield

]]> By: HUMUNGOUS http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547723 HUMUNGOUS Wed, 03 Oct 2012 10:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547723 Skynet! (duh) Skynet!

(duh)

]]> By: DrBlackFingers http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547705 DrBlackFingers Wed, 03 Oct 2012 09:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547705 I'd like to see the next iteration combine the ball catching copters with http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/catcopter-in-flight.html although, maybe a dog copter would be more appropriate :) I’d like to see the next iteration combine the ball catching copters with http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/catcopter-in-flight.html although, maybe a dog copter would be more appropriate :)

]]> By: futnuh http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547703 futnuh Wed, 03 Oct 2012 09:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547703 Wow, some serious pessimism in the comments so far. I can easily think of a dozen life saving scenarios for a scaled up version of this. Wow, some serious pessimism in the comments so far. I can easily think of a dozen life saving scenarios for a scaled up version of this.

]]> By: garyg2 http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547693 garyg2 Wed, 03 Oct 2012 09:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547693 When they learn to drop the nets planet-of-the-apes style, then we'll be in trouble. Well, as long as they get bigger nets of course. When they learn to drop the nets planet-of-the-apes style, then we’ll be in trouble.

Well, as long as they get bigger nets of course.

]]> By: rob_cornelius http://boingboing.net/2012/10/02/quadcopters-playing-catch.html#comment-1547674 rob_cornelius Wed, 03 Oct 2012 08:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185048#comment-1547674 The last thing you hear will be the whine of these little rotors. The last thing you hear will be the whine of these little rotors.

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