World’s tiniest copter unveiled
Japan’s top ink-jet printer maker Seiko Epson has unveiled the world’s lightest and smallest robot helicopter which it hopes will be used as a “flying camera” capable of operating during natural disasters.
The Micro Flying Robot was shown off at the biennial 2003 International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo.
“The robot has a camera and can fly into dangerous areas or areas hit by disasters in place of human beings. In a word, it functions as an eye,” said Junji Ajioka, manager of Seiko Epson’s strategic business development division.
“For example, the robot can enter a house flattened by an earthquake and check if anybody is trapped inside,” he said.
Prototype
The prototype four-legged robot weighs just 10 grams and measures 70 mm in height. It can be operated by remote control but, at present, it must be powered via a 1.5-metre-long cable connected to an electric generator.
It took Seiko Epson three years to develop the Micro Flying Robot, Ajioka said while declining to give financial details
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“The robot can enter a house flattened by an earthquake and check if anybody is trapped inside” Junji Ajioka, |
The company hopes the robot will eventually fly independently using an onboard battery but so far has been unable to find a suitably lightweight battery.
“That’s why we showed this robot at the exhibition. We want to attract battery makers who can manufacture a very light battery for us,” Ajioka said, adding the company had yet to set a date for marketing the robot.
The Tokyo exhibition is held every two years and runs for four days starting Wednesday. There is a record of 117 corporate participants and 27 organisations.
The previous exhibition attracted nearly 100,000 visitors, according to the organisers.