This Quadcopter Turns Into a Self-Balancing Rolling Wheel

Researchers at the University of Tokyo accept managed to advise a quadcopter some absorbing new tricks that awfully aggrandize its capabilities accomplished flying. Their Multi-field Universal Caster for Air-land Vehicle—or MUWA for short—features capricious angle propellers so the advance can be directed in adverse directions, acceptance it to antithesis on bend like an free bike wheel.

But the acclimation act isn't just a chic affair trick. Rolling forth the arena requires beneath activity which expands the quadcopter's range, and getting able to cycle angular allows MUWA to clasp through spaces it artlessly couldn't in a accumbent aerial orientation.

The ability can aswell accomplish a accurate action dubbled 'tornado motion' by the advisers area it stands angular and boring spins on one spot. But instead of breeding a adverse cyclone, the motion allows its onboard Kinect sensor to map out the autogenous of a amplitude in 3D, authoritative MUWA a admirable apparatus for accession assay data.

Since it can aswell fly, it makes faculty that adaptation 2.0 ability add Helpful Free Hovering Action to its name. If you're authoritative a quadcopter this capable, you may as able-bodied alarm it MUWA-HAHA. [University of Tokyo JSK via IEEE Spectrum]