Drones are the "IT" thing right now. Though the technology is being used by defence forces all around the world since decades now, the technology came into the lives of the common man only recently. That's the reason that our drone technology and design is still ages behind from the ones being employed by the forces. While we're still stuck at the classic quadcopter, which is basically a square with four rotors, a battery, and maybe a camera, the defence drones have advanced way beyond the infancy stage.
If you're one of those common man who was always fascinated with the idea of drones and maybe even aspired to build one for yourself someday, voila, you're dream has finally come true. Don't fret, you do not need to be adept in robotics, aeronautics, computer science, control systems and fabrication etc. While the knowledge of all these aforementioned subjects were required in the earlier days to make a drone, now all you need to know is how to work a screwdriver and you're set. Yes, we're serious. If you know which end of a screwdriver to hold, you can now design your very own drone. This has all been made possible courtesy a software developed by MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. One can even virtually test their drone and work out all the kinks.
The nine-month MIT project has made it possible for anyone with basic screwdriver knowledge to explore and try drone different shapes and different controllers.
According to Tao Du, who led the project, their tools will enable drone enthusiasts to mix and match parts from a database, and create a drone of any size, with as many rotors as they like and just about anywhere they feel like. The software even tells the users whether their drone will fly, and how they can optimise the whole thing to suit the their desired batter life, payload, and even the cost.
Du is hopeful that they will be able to release the software code by June this year, so that people from every nook and corner of the world can join in the drone fun.
If you're one of those common man who was always fascinated with the idea of drones and maybe even aspired to build one for yourself someday, voila, you're dream has finally come true. Don't fret, you do not need to be adept in robotics, aeronautics, computer science, control systems and fabrication etc. While the knowledge of all these aforementioned subjects were required in the earlier days to make a drone, now all you need to know is how to work a screwdriver and you're set. Yes, we're serious. If you know which end of a screwdriver to hold, you can now design your very own drone. This has all been made possible courtesy a software developed by MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. One can even virtually test their drone and work out all the kinks.
The nine-month MIT project has made it possible for anyone with basic screwdriver knowledge to explore and try drone different shapes and different controllers.
According to Tao Du, who led the project, their tools will enable drone enthusiasts to mix and match parts from a database, and create a drone of any size, with as many rotors as they like and just about anywhere they feel like. The software even tells the users whether their drone will fly, and how they can optimise the whole thing to suit the their desired batter life, payload, and even the cost.
Du is hopeful that they will be able to release the software code by June this year, so that people from every nook and corner of the world can join in the drone fun.
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