Draganfly Innovations News

On March 29th & 30th Draganfly Innovations participated in the 12th occurrence of Kilobots, an event where remote controlled robots weighing 1 to 6 pounds can battle each other in a lexan walled fighting area. Robots are grouped into four weight classes: Antweight (1 pound), Kilobot (1 kilogram or 2.2 pound), Beetleweight (3 pound), and Mantisweight (6 pound). Robots within each class battle each other with the goal of disabling their opponents robot. After all the combatants have fought, winners are determined for each weight class. Typical weapons included pushing wedges, horizontal/vertical spinning blades/bars/drums, lifting arms, and flippers. For more information on Kilobots, check out the official homepage: www.kilobots.com

Draganfly Innovations participated in Kilobots XII with a 3 pound Beetleweight named ‘Angry Dragan’. Featuring a shell spinner weapon design, Angry Dragan put up a good fight but unfortunately did not win. However, after the tournament each weight class has its own ‘rumble’ where all the robots that remain functional get to battle each other until only one is left standing. Check out Angry Dragan’s performance in the video of the Beetleweight rumble on YouTube.

This is the second Kilobots event in which Draganfly Innovations has participated, and the first in which Angry Dragan has fought. For information on all of Draganfly Innovations’ robots, check out Team Draganfly’s profile on the Builders Database.

Angry Dragan uses high quality lightweight components: a Thunder Power 11.1V 3s 2100mAh lithium polymer battery, and a Castle Creations Phoenix 45 ESC motor controller. If you are interested in building your own robot, you can obtain lithium batteries, brushless motors, and speed controllers in the parts section of RCToys.com. Other robot components are available at FingerTech Robotics.

Professor T. John Koo at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN has successfully built a system for autonomous flight using our Draganflyer V Ti RC helicopters. Prof. T. John Koo’s VECPAV Project (Vanderbilt Embedded Computing Platform for Autonomous Vehicles) focuses on developing intelligent control software for unmanned aerial and ground vehicles. Our Draganflyer V Ti RC helicopters were the perfect aerial vehicles for his research.

“The VECPAV system uses a sensor tracker to monitor the motion and position of a Draganflyer rc helicopter by using identifier points on the helicopter. The system then analyzes this data and sends commands back to the Draganflyer rc helicopter through a radio control transmitter, telling the Draganflyer rc helicopter to maintain position or move through its flight plan.”

Read the complete press release: “Vanderbilt University Uses Draganflyer RC Helicopters to Develop Autonomous Control System”

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
RSS: www.rctoys.com/pr/feed

With the increasing popularity of rc helicopters has come a matching increase in the availability of information about them on the world wide web. We would like to welcome a new site, www.RCHelicopter.com to this club.

RCHelicopter.com provides guides & articles covering all aspects of radio control helicopters. This includes rc electric helis, r/c nitro helis, rc gas helis, indoor rc helis, outdoor remote control helis, and rc helicopter information in general.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
RSS: www.rctoys.com/pr/feed

The 50 nominees for this past years’ International Academy of Science Outstanding Technology of the Year Awards included high-tech innovations, toys and gadgets from big name companies like ASUS, Canon, Ford and Ducati. The Draganfly Innovations Inc. Tango Surveillance Aircraft UAV made it to the final 10 beating out such astonishing technologies as the Lotus Exige and the Grand Canon’s Skywalk.

The Draganfly Innovations Inc. Tango Surveillance Aircraft is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used to capture professional, high quality aerial photography and aerial video. Read more about the Tango Surveillance Aircraft and its Top 10 Outstanding Technology of the Year result on the IAS Finalists Page.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
RSS: www.rctoys.com/pr/feed

Using an electric RC helicopter called a Draganflyer (manufactured by Draganfly Innovations Inc) MIT is developing a system to allow multiple flying craft to work together under computer control, performing surveillance and monitoring tasks. MIT calls this their UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Swarm Health Management Project.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan February 09, 2007 — MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is using the Draganflyer RC helicopter in their UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Swarm Health Management Project, which is focused on surveillance and monitoring of ground based objects or vehicles. The goal is continuous monitoring using multiple autonomous vehicles in swarms, with distributed intelligent computer control and minimal human supervision. The multi-vehicle testbed developed by MIT uses several Draganflyer four rotor electric RC helicopters and a computer tracking and positioning system to monitor and control multiple unmanned aerial vehicles. The components of the system communicate with each other through Ethernet connections.

Even though the vehicles used are unmanned, each one would normally require its own ground based pilot, operating it by remote control. What MIT’s system does is place multiple UAVs under computer control. This removes the need for constant human attention and piloting. Not just one, but multiple UAVs, can be directed with MIT’s system via a remote connection. A swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles could be used to monitor a convoy or keep watch over a border. This could be especially useful to the military. The use of multiple UAVs would allow constant aerial surveillance, with new vehicles launched to take the place of ones in need of recharging or those that have been damaged.
The aerial vehicles used are quad-rotor miniature electric radio control helicopters called Draganflyers, measuring about two feet across, manufactured by Draganfly Innovations Inc. These electric RC helicopters are unlike standard model helicopters, because they use 4 rotor blades (one on each corner) to generate directional thrust which is used to maneuver. The use of four rotor blades makes the Draganflyer RC helicopter simpler and more reliable than a standard helicopter, eliminating the need for all of the mechanical linkages required for maneuvering using a conventional single main rotor. The Draganflyers used in MIT’s project are the same radio controlled helicopters used by many hobbyists, and are available from Draganfly Innovations on-line store. The specific models used by MIT are the Draganflyer V Ti RC Helicopter, and Draganflyer V Ti Pro Video RC Helicopter. “We are extremely pleased that MIT has chosen our Draganflyer RC helicopters for use with this ground breaking project” says Zenon Dragan, president of Draganfly Innovations Inc.

MIT’s system makes it possible to have a number of aerial vehicles flying completely under computer control, able to do tasks like surveillance or tracking, all while keeping each individual vehicle from colliding with any of the others. Watch this video: MIT UAV Search and Track Video. The vehicles can all be coordinated on the same task, or be used in groups or individually. The computer control allows for a swarm of UAVs to be flown at once. This removes the necessity for teaching pilots how to manually fly each aircraft, allowing the entire swarm to be directed remotely by a single person. The swarm of Draganflyer RC helicopters are able to launch, land, and recharge, all under computer control. MIT has even demonstrated the ability to land a Draganflyer on a moving object while completely under computer control.

MIT’s UAV SWARM Health Management Project is being developed by Professor Jonathan How, with graduate students Mario Valenti, Brett Bethke, Daniel Dale, Xiaojie Hu, and administrative assistant Kathryn Fischer. They are working with Boeing’s Phantom Works research unit. There is a large amount of interest in this project, and in UAVs in general. The worldwide UAV market is currently worth billions of dollars, and is expected to expand by a factor of three in the next decade.

References:

• MIT’s UAV Swarm Health Management Project Web site
• Watch MIT’s Swarm Project Videos
• MIT Uses Draganflyer Electric RC Helicopters In Intelligent UAV Swarm

About Draganfly Innovations:
Draganfly Innovations has been manufacturing radio controlled helicopters, airplanes, and airships for eight years. From toys to industrial radio control products for police and military, prices range from $29 to $20,000. Draganfly’s innovative products have been featured on CNN Headline News, MSNBC, Discovery Channel, and in magazines and newspapers such as Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, GQ, Stuff, Maxim, The New York Times, and The London Times. Draganflyer helicopters, including the newest Draganflyer SAVS Stabilized Aerial Video RC Helicopter professional aerial video model, are exclusively available from Draganfly Innovations Inc.

Contact:
Devin Ternan, Engineer
Draganfly Innovations Inc.
2108 St. George Ave. Saskatoon, SK. CANADA S7M 0K7
1-306-955-9907
1-800-979-9794
www.rctoys.com

MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is developing a system, called the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Swarm Health Management Project, to allow multiple flying craft to work together under computer control and perform surveillance and monitoring tasks, using Draganflyer VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) electric RC helicopters.

MIT’s UAV Swarm Health Management Project is focused on surveillance and monitoring of ground based objects or vehicles. The multi-vehicle testbed developed by MIT uses several Draganflyer four rotor electric RC helicopters and a computer tracking and positioning system to monitor and control multiple unmanned aerial vehicles. MIT SWARM Project Demonstration videos are available on MIT’s project website.

Draganflyer RC helicopters are unlike standard model helicopters because they use four rotor blades (one on each corner) to generate directional thrust which is used to maneuver. The use of four rotor blades makes the Draganflyer helicopter simpler and more reliable than a standard helicopter, eliminating the need for all of the mechanical linkages required for maneuvering using a conventional single main rotor. The Draganflyers used in MIT’s project are the same radio controlled helicopters used by many hobbyists, and are available from Draganfly Innovations on-line store, www.rctoys.com. The specific models used by MIT are the Draganflyer V Ti, and Draganflyer V Ti Pro.

MIT has even demonstrated the ability to land a Draganflyer on a moving object while under computer control.

MIT’s test platform is being developed by Professor Jonathan How, with graduate students Mario Valenti, Brett Bethke, Daniel Dale, Xiaojie Hu, and administrative assistant Kathryn Fischer. They are working with Boeing’s Phantom Works research unit. An MIT newsoffice article is available on their site.

Craving more info? Read our related Press Release!

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
RSS: www.rctoys.com/pr/feed

Draganfly Innovations’ web store, rctoys.com, offers new features, a new look, and a large selection of radio controlled electric airplanes, blimps, and helicopters.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, November 15, 2006 - Draganfly Innovations, a manufacturer and retailer of radio controlled aircraft announced today the launch of their redesigned on-line store, www.rctoys.com. The new Web site makes it easier for customers to find what they want, and features products unavailable elsewhere.

Founded in 1998, Draganfly Innovations started as a mail order business specializing in radio control flying machines. Initially selling basic radio control airplanes and blimps, Draganfly began to design and develop their own aircraft. Draganfly Innovations currently has a staff consisting of 22 full and part time employees, from various backgrounds such as hobby enthusiasts, engineers, designers, combat robotics participants, and customer service specialists.The store specializes in selling RC helicopters, airplanes, indoor helium blimps, Thunder Power lithium polymer rechargeable batteries, brushless electric motors, and RC radio equipment and components. Draganfly Innovations is the manufacturer of a unique line of quad rotor electric helicopters, named Draganflyers. Rather than following the standard helicopter layout of a single horizontal main rotor with a smaller vertical tail rotor, Draganflyer helicopters have one rotor at each of the four corners, and maneuver using differential thrust. The first Draganflyer helicopter was developed in 2000, and has since gone through several revisions. There are five models currently available including the newest aerial video version, the Draganflyer SAVS (Stabilized Aerial Video System).

“Talking with our customers directly provides a real one on one experience.”

The redesigned website features a smoother, more up-to-date interface, and focuses on customer needs. Dual top and side-bar navigation allows users to move deeper into specific categories, yet still be able to return to any other page with a minimal number of clicks. Individual products have been given their own image gallery, videos, detailed descriptions, technical information, product reviews, related parts and accessories, and suggested items.

“We are excited about the new features, many of which were added in response to customer requests,” says founder Zenon Dragan. “Research into web usability, and extensive user testing played a large role in the redesign”. One of these features is a wish list that allows customers to compile and save items they would like into a list that can be made available potential gift givers. Product software and manuals have been gathered together and made available on a new downloads page. The shopping cart system is even able to intelligently suggest other items that may be needed, based on what is currently in the customer’s cart.

Other new features include product reviews, coupons, gift certificates, a customer support ticket system, order status tracking, and live chat. “Talking with our customers directly provides a real one on one experience”, explains customer service manager Anna.

Shopping with Draganfly Innovations is kept safe using advanced encryption methods which ensure that payment and order information is secure. Payment methods accepted include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal, check, and money order.

Listen to a Podcast of this press release:

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About Draganfly Innovations:
Draganfly Innovations has been manufacturing radio controlled helicopters, airplanes, and airships for eight years. From toys to industrial radio control products for police and military, prices range from $29 to $10,000. Draganfly’s innovative products have been featured on CNN Headline News, MSNBC, Discovery Channel, and in magazines and newspapers such as Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, GQ, Stuff, Maxim, The New York Times, and The London Times. Draganflyer helicopters are exclusively available from Draganfly Innovations Inc.

Contact:
Zenon Dragan, President
Draganfly Innovations
2108 St. George Ave. Saskatoon, SK. CANADA S7M 0K7
1-306-955-9907
1-800-979-9794
www.rctoys.com