Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Unmanned Aerial Helicopter - Steadicopter

"After years of development and a setback caused by the theft of its prototype, an un-piloted helicopter was declared ready for the world's market this weekend.

Called the Steadicopter, company officials said it has both security and civilian uses. What is unique about this design is its total fully autonomous operational system and does not require piloting skills or experience.

"This means anyone can take it out and use it," said Amir Rochman, Steadicopter Ltd.'s business development manager. "You don't need training. A police patrol can launch it or a platoon commander and it gives them a picture from the field."

"As far as we know, this is the only autonomous unmanned helicopter in the world," Rochman said.
There have been major advances in technologies of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), such as guidance systems and high-precision image sensing cameras, but an effective stabilizing technology for rotating-wing craft has proved to be an elusive hurdle that would allow the helicopter UAVs to break into the fixed-wing market. Many companies have been working on this but so far none have claimed to have any success until now."

Read more at Helicopter for sale, no pilot necessary

Posted by Darren at August 8, 2004 11:04 PM | More from UAV News |