In this video, University of Pennsylvania professor Vijay Kumar demonstrated the capabilities of these robots, which he developed with students at Penn'sGeneral Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab.
These agile aerial robots can
(The times named in parentheses refer to the point in the video when this feature is demonstrated.) The music video at 14:45 is a must-see, with nine robots autonomously playing six instruments.
The robots could be used to send into buildings as first responders to look for intruders or to look for biochemical or gaseous leaks. They could also be used to look into collapsed buildings after natural disasters, to measure radiation levels or to transport cargo or assemble structures.
They can also be used to wow audiences, as you'll see in the video below.
via: TED2012
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com