{"id":79263,"date":"2015-10-07T17:47:37","date_gmt":"2015-10-07T21:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/countingpips.com\/?p=79263"},"modified":"2015-10-07T07:16:43","modified_gmt":"2015-10-07T11:16:43","slug":"take-a-look-at-darpas-dragonfly-helicopter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.investmacro.com\/forex\/2015\/10\/take-a-look-at-darpas-dragonfly-helicopter\/","title":{"rendered":"Take a Look at DARPA\u2019s \u201cDragonfly Helicopter\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
October 7, 2015<\/div>
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By WallStreetDaily.com<\/u><\/a> \"New<\/p>\n

By Tim Maverick<\/a>, Senior Correspondent<\/em><\/p>\n

Ask military helicopter pilots about the toughest situations they\u2019ve faced and you\u2019re likely to get similar answers: The challenge of landing in the middle of a combat situation on a rescue mission.<\/p>\n

Aside from the obvious conflict taking place, rough terrain can also make it extremely difficult to find an area that\u2019s level enough to land safely.<\/p>\n

But new technology may be about to change that\u2026 thanks to an idea from nature.<\/p>\n

Inspired by Insects<\/h2>\n

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is the division of the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for developing military-grade technologies.<\/p>

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Together with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), DARPA\u2019s Mission Adaptive Rotor (MAR) program has just come up with a novel idea.<\/p>\n

MAR is developing \u201cmorphing rotor technology\u201d for both military and commercial helicopters<\/a>, which is particularly useful in dangerous combat zones or natural disaster areas.<\/p>\n

The inspiration behind this technology? Insects. Or, more specifically, dragonflies.<\/p>\n

The \u201cDragonfly Helicopter\u201d<\/h2>\n

At first glance, it looks like a regular helicopter.<\/p>\n

But when the landing process gets underway, it morphs into something quite different.<\/p>\n

Rather than touching down on conventional flat landing gear \u2013 or \u201cskids\u201d \u2013 four robotic legs unfold. These legs are modeled on the legs of dragonflies, and automatically adjust to the terrain, based on readings from an array of force-sensitive contact sensors.<\/p>\n

Recent testing showed that the unmanned helicopter had the ability to land on any surface and terrain, even one with a 20\u00b0 slope.<\/p>\n

One could imagine that \u201cterrain\u201d in the future would include treacherous areas like battlefields with mortar holes or boulder-laden areas. Or landing on a ship that\u2019s enduring rough seas.<\/p>\n

The key is that the dragonfly legs allow the rotor to stay as close to level as possible. This greatly reduces the chances of a disaster.<\/p>\n

Once in flight, the legs fold up neatly next to the fuselage. Again, this is very similar to what a dragonfly does with its legs while in flight. This feature reduces drag.<\/p>\n

Another plus? The legs are similar in weight to current helicopter landing skids.<\/p>\n

Take a look\u2026<\/p>\n