Imagine a pole with an egg on top being balanced on the tip of your finger. It takes considerable dexterity and reflexes to maintain the balance. Attempting to navigate around a room while maintaining a balance is a feat that few can accomplish.
Imagine this scenario up-scaled to a helicopter carrying supplies slung underneath it. The swinging pendulum of cargo underneath the helicopter can have adverse and dangerous effect on the aircraft\’s handling and performance.
However, researchers from the University of New Mexico are developing algorithms that will enable robots to mitigate the pendulum effect of the underslung cargo. This technology is currently undergoing tests in quad-rotor vehicles, shown below.
Once refined, this technology can improve the safety of manned helicopters and be a significant advancement for the development of autonomous aircraft.
Full story:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/artificial-intelligence/quadrotor-learns-how-not-to-swing-stuff
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