Mini choppers teach themselves to fly

Posted on 3 Sep 2008 at 14:43

Computer scientists have developed a system using artificial intelligence to enable robotic helicopters to teach themselves how to fly. The mini choppers even learn how to perform difficult stunts just by watching other helicopters pull off the same manoeuvres.

The scientists from Stanford University in the US were led by Professor Andrew Ng, who claims the helicopters' tricks are "by far the most difficult aerobatic manoeuvres flown by any computer controlled helicopter".

The helicopters' show is a demonstration of "apprenticeship learning," in which robots learn by observing an expert, rather than by being given programmed instructions by a team of engineers. As a result, the four-foot-long choppers perform a complete airshow involving complex stunts.

The researches acknowledge that it might seem that such helicopters could fly stunts by simply replaying the exact finger movements of a pilot using the joy sticks on the helicopter's remote controller. However, they argue that that approach is doomed to failure because of uncontrollable variables such as gusting winds.

"I think the range of manoeuvres they can do is by far the largest in the autonomous helicopter field", said Eric Feron, an aeronautics and astronautics professor who worked on the project.

"But what's more impressive is the technology that underlies this work. In a way, the machine teaches itself how to do this by watching an expert pilot fly. This is amazing."

The aircrafts are off-the-shelf radio control helicopters, with extra instrumentation added by the researchers.

Author: Dawinderpal Sahota

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