IT Article of the Week

Vijay Kumar: Robots that fly and cooperate (TED 2012)

The technology used in robots has increased exponentially in recent years. From unmanned drones to ordinance disposal (bomb diffusers) to exploring Mars, we see them only at arm's length with little explanation about their development, technology used and other practical applications. This video on TED (www.ted.com) features Vijay Kumar with the University of Pennsylvania and provides a wonderful description of the robots he is working on with plenty of demonstrations of the robots working along and together to accomplish tasks. As you watch this, remember that these are not being controlled remotely but they are operating based on their programming and responding variables in their environment detected by onboard sensors. They even coordinate together to do a little "jam session" (you really have to see it to believe it).

http://www.ted.com/talks/vijay_kumar_robots_that_fly_and_cooperate.html  - Vijay Kumar: Robots that fly...and cooperate.