First we have Bee drones, now technology takes a very large step forward.
In Tokyo, Japan a drone is creating buzz for looking like a dragon. Yes, the mythical creature from countless lore around the world. The University of Tokyo created this Dragon Drone more for its image than anything else. It is composed of linked robotic parts that resemble a dragon. The name itself is an acronym for the drone. It stands for “Dual-Rotor embedded multilink Robots of multi-deGree-of-freedom aerial transformation.” It’s a stretch, I know, but it sounds a lot cooler on paper than DREMRMDFAT. See the difference?
A recent drone in China made headlines for its flamethrower capabilities. Luckily, this dragon is not capable of breathing fire… yet.
The drone promises creative aerial transformations, according to its creators. This may end up looking like a robot from the Transformers movie, without all the chaos and destruction that is.
Dragon Drone:
Think of it as a kite, and we have ourselves the dragon drone. It can shift shapes while flying, like a complex kite that adjusts to the wind. Now that I think about it, those dragon dance props work on the same principle. The length creates lots of interesting patterns for this drone.
The Dragon can shift shape mid-flight with ease. It can also transform its shape and stay that way for the remainder of the flight. Right now you may be thinking that this is probably a simple toy at the most. Actually, it can also be used in scientific research, specifically in the field. Its ability to morph its shape can make it easier to navigate through narrow spaces. Think of the Snake game on your phone. The way it moves around obstacles to get to its destination.
That’s basically what the drone is capable of. It can go through rubble, navigate through open spaces, and get the camera to the target. Of course, there’s a lot of development to go. For now the drone is still limited in shapes. It still is on the basic square, “S” shape, and straight lines.
But hey, it is a drone shaped like a dragon. Who knew this day would come?
