While some drones are out fighting side-by-side with military servicemen, KMel Robotics’ takes on quite a different mission for its Hexrotor drones. They, how can you say, dance to a different beat.
And that’s quite literal. KMel Robotics’ founders Alex Kushleyev and Daniel Mellinger decided that they would amaze the world with what drones are really capable of – playing the best darn unmanned rendition of “Carol of the Bells” you’ve ever heard.
That’s right. The robotics company recently released a video on YouTube showcasing just how well these micro drones play your favorite tunes, and it’s really very impressive. The “band,” or HAL 9000, begins its set with “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” followed by “Carol of the Bells” and finishing with a rocked out version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” I couldn’t have played them better myself.
The tiny robots are about the size of your palm, but don’t let their size fool you; these little guys pack a punch. They play loads of instruments, including drums, crash cymbals, an innovative keyboard unit and custom single-string guitar.
The goal was to create music in an innovative way the world has never seen. The “Flying Robot Rockstars” cover band will be going on tour soon. The attendees of the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C. were the first of many to see the rhythmic robots live.
KMel received a LOT of help to make their robot rockband a reality, including support and guidance from Intel and Lockheed Martin (who happens to be the innovator behind many of the leading unmanned war machines used by the U.S. Army and other government armed forces).
Kushleyev and Mellinger, who studied together at the University of Pennsylvania, founded KMel in 2011 as a way to push the envelope of robotic capabilities. They create everything from small, single-unit devices to large, completely autonomous mechanical systems. The drone rockband initiative is likely part of a widespread movement to change the way people think about drones.
Draganflyer X4ES (image courtesy of DraganFly)
DraganFly is also a part of this movement. Its newest drone, the DraganFlyer X4ES is being used in a study by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration to see if drones can be used to monitor and conduct quality assurance tests on farmland.
3D Robotics’ Quadrocoper (image courtesy of News Moves)
Other drones, like 3D Robotics’ Quadrocopter and Octocopter, are being used by Search and Rescue teams to help discover casualties from WWII. While surely some drones breathe fire and rain havoc from the sky, others just want to create a good, musical beat you can dance to.
And I thought the pancakes I made today were awesome... I need to do better.
C
See more news at:
