Freefly Systems’ Post

How Angular Momentum produces Positive Dynamic Flight Characteristics in the Magnecopter. Angular Momentum is a physical effect with which you are likely familiar: the stability of a toy gyroscope, the spinning wheels of a bicycle, etc. Using the toy gyroscope example: we know that when we spin the toy gyroscope, then bump it, it exhibits positive dynamic stability. This same positive dynamic stability appears in engineering simulations of the Magnecopter's flight controls. The bottom line: my invention is much easier to control than you probably think. Don't take my word for it; build your own model and you'll see for yourself.

### Spy Thrills: The CIA's 1970s Gadget That Never Took Off In the 1970s, American science and technology, fueled largely by Silicon Valley innovators, made significant strides in miniaturizing electronic systems. Naturally, the CIA was thrilled by this progress and sought practical applications. One idea that emerged from the CIA’s research and development department was to create a robotic insect—a concept that seems feasible today but was quite ambitious for the 70s. They almost succeeded. Initially, the plan was to design the device as a bee or bumblebee, but the complex aerodynamics proved too challenging. Instead, they settled on a dragonfly design capable of traveling up to 200 meters. The mission of this device was to deliver 0.2 grams of retroreflective beads—acting as the dragonfly’s eyes—to a target area. This would enable a team using laser-based acoustic surveillance to eavesdrop from a distance. However, making the dragonfly fly was a difficult task. The solution involved using a tiny hydrodynamic oscillator powered by gas emitted from lithium nitrate crystals. When tests revealed the prototype couldn't carry the necessary 0.2-gram payload, engineers added additional thrust by channeling exhaust gases backward, similar to a jet engine. Another challenge was fitting even a basic control system into the device, which seemed impossible in the early 70s. This problem was eventually solved using a special laser to heat a metal strip on the dragonfly, activating the thrust. A second laser controlled the direction in a similar manner. The program cost around $2.4 million in today’s dollars and was reported as successfully completed in 1974. However, practical application proved unfeasible. Even a light breeze outside the controlled conditions of a laboratory rendered the device uncontrollable. Ultimately, the prototype ended up in a museum... ➡ Watch it in action: [https://lnkd.in/dhtTwsUT)

This is not flow visualization. What the Chinook carries is known as Helicopter Icing Spray System (HISS). https://lnkd.in/eGD3GKtm

🤯🔥𝘾𝘼𝙉 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍 𝙒𝙊𝙉𝘿𝙀𝙍𝙀𝘿 𝙃𝙊𝙒 𝙒𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝘾𝘼𝙉 𝘿𝙀𝙁𝙔 𝙂𝙍𝘼𝙑𝙄𝙏𝙔?🚀💧 Have you ever wondered how water can defy gravity? In a recent video, a teacher demonstrates in a fun and simple way how centripetal and centrifugal forces can do amazing things. ✅️ The teacher fills a container with water and ties it to a string. ✅️ When spinning the container vertically, the water stays inside, defying what we would expect to happen. ✅️ Centripetal force pushes the water towards the center of the circle while centrifugal force keeps it in place. ✅️ This experiment is an exciting way to show how physics can be as entertaining as it is educational. Watching the students marvel at this simple experiment is proof that learning physics can be a lot of fun. Never underestimate the power of a good experiment to spark curiosity! ------ Yérika Ávila Levent Coskun Christine Raibaldi Amine BOUDER Matt Leta Cyrankiewicz Ulrich M. Enzo Wälchli Narges Raeisi Miloš Kučera ------ 📣Remember to follow me Luis L. - Linkedin Direct Follow Link: https://lnkd.in/dPY4CV2Y - if you want more content about #Aviation #eVTOL #Drones #Airports #Innovation or #Tech 👉Follow Negocio Aeroespacial to learn everything about the aerospace and defense sector. 🔥 Re-share and comment, is the only way for me to have feedback from you 📨Contact me if you need any support, I will love to help you . 👏👏👏 ------ 📧Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eqGNeXqt 📲Join our WhatsApp channel: https://lnkd.in/d-wHG2D7 🛰Join our telegram channel : https://lnkd.in/d4GuYeBG

Unlocking the dynamics of flight requires a keen understanding of #aerodynamics, especially when it comes to designing #helicopters ... Do you know how do engineers visualize airflow dynamics while a helicopter is in flight❓The answer, could be found in this rare video, where a Chinook is used as a tracer dispersant system, while a chase aircraft records images of the flow field. Edit (this could also be a blade icing test) Here are some of the most used in-flight aerodynamic #flow #visualization 👀✈️ techniques: 1️⃣ Flow Tracers: they are usually small, lightweight tracers that are attached to the helicopter's surface or release them into the airflow. These tracers, often in the form of smoke or dye, provide a visual indication of airflow patterns around the rotor blades, fuselage, and tail. By observing the movement of these tracers in real-time, you can gain valuable insights into airflow behavior during actual flight conditions. 2️⃣ Onboard Cameras 🎥: Miniature cameras mounted on the helicopter's exterior, in a chase aircraft, or inside the cockpit capture high-resolution footage of airflow interactions. These cameras offer a unique perspective, allowing engineers to analyze airflow phenomena such as vortex shedding, boundary layer separation, and wake turbulence. The recorded footage provides data for refining aerodynamic designs and optimizing helicopter performance. 3️⃣ Surface Pressure Sensors: Sensitive pressure sensors placed strategically across the helicopter's surface measure variations in air pressure caused by airflow. By mapping pressure distributions in real-time, you can identify areas of high and low pressure, indicating regions of favorable lift or increased drag. This data helps refine aerodynamic dataset and improve overall flight efficiency. 4️⃣ Microphone Arrays 🎤: microphone arrays installed around the helicopter can detect changes in airflow acoustics, such as blade-vortex interactions and turbulent noise. By analyzing these acoustic signatures, you can gain insights into rotor performance and aerodynamic efficiency. This information can guide the optimization of rotor blade designs to minimize noise and enhance performance. 5️⃣ Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Modeling : While not conducted in real-time during flight, CFD #simulations play a crucial role in understanding and predicting aerodynamic behavior. By inputting flight parameters into sophisticated computer models, you can simulate airflow around the helicopter and analyze performance metrics such as lift, drag, and stability. These simulations complement in-flight observations, providing a comprehensive understanding of aerodynamic phenomena. #AvGeek #HelicopterDesign #Aerodynamics #Engineering #Innovation #FlightVisualization"

🔥 Are you familiar with gyroscope operation? 🌐✈️ Wonders hide inside gyroscopes: a rotating rotor fixed on gimbals. The applications of this clever yet basic technology are astonishing. 🔶 Gyroscopes can withstand axis shifts and preserve orientation due to the spinning motion, which is made possible by angular momentum and precession. 🔶 The first working gyroscope was created in 1852 by French physicist Leon Foucault to show how the Earth rotates. 🔶 These days, gyroscopes are crucial for stabilising cameras, cell phones, gaming controls, and navigation systems for ships, aircraft, and spacecraft. Gyroscopes, from their modest origins to their cutting-edge technology today, are an example of unceasing innovation. Come along with us on this never-ending discovery quest! 📌Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost! 👉Follow me and 👉 Activate Bell 🛎️for all posts as well as additional technical and educational content!💪🏆 #innovation #creativity #technology #letsconnect #future #education #knowledge #innovationvoice #innovative #amazing #robotics #AI #automation #AITips #Aviation #eVTOL #Drones #Airports #aerodynamic #simulation #engineering #research #science #design #physics #materials

40,000 views on my last post about the Artemis drone project.. 🚀 Thank you all for your interest and support!! Let's dig deeper into the tech behind our vision. The most interesting thing: Hybridising to measuring muscle contraction (EMG) and brain activity (EEG) would be relatively straight forwards once we have phases 2-5 completed! This week's spotlight: EMG sensors and drone control 🧠🎮 Ever wondered how we might control a drone with our thoughts? Here's a glimpse: 1️⃣ EMG (Electromyography) sensors detect electrical signals from muscle contractions. 2️⃣ These signals are amplified and filtered to remove noise. 3️⃣ A microcontroller processes the clean signal. 4️⃣ Machine learning algorithms translate the processed data into drone commands. 5️⃣ The drone responds, moving according to the user's muscle activity! Challenges we're tackling: Designing a compact, sensitive EMG sensor, potentially using #Graphene and #Geckotape Developing robust signal processing algorithms using #MachineLearning Creating an intuitive control scheme for drone piloting We're still seeking collaborators in #Electronics, #Software, and #DataScience. Interested in being part of this cutting-edge project? Drop a comment or DM me, especially if you are a student at The University of Manchester! Next week: We'll explore the drone design with help from past project lead Rohan Verma and current head of drone development Chih chiang Yang who are building our first prototypes. Stay tuned! 🚁 #Neurotechnology #DroneEngineering #BrainMachineInterface #BCI #STEM #UoMInnovation

Unlocking Precision in 6-DOF Simulations: Achieving accuracy demands a meticulous blend of factors—precise aerodynamic modeling, meticulous aircraft mass properties, sensor and actuator modeling, and finely tuned control loop architectures. At NAQCORP Technologies, we excel in crafting aerodynamic models tailored to specific geometries, designing robust control loops, and validating them in 6-DOF simulated environments via Simulink. Our offerings span CFD Simulation, Control Loop Design, and Simulink-based Software-in-Loop (SIL), catering to UAV designers, simulator developers, automation firms, and autopilot manufacturers seeking seamless hardware integration. Elevate your simulation standards with NAQCORP Technologies. #Matlab #6DOFSimulation #CFD #Autopilot #Flightdynamics #Flightcontrol #simulators

One giant(er) leap for mankind 🌕👣 Engineers at The University of Manchester have created a robot that can jump 120 metres up in the air. That’s almost four times higher than the current record of 33 metres. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄❓ 1. Jumping helps robots travel through tough terrain like caves, forests and other planets. 2. This advancement will help in disaster rescue, surveillance of hazardous spaces and planetary exploration. 3. With compact designs for space missions, the robot can jump over 200 metres on the moon. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 ⚙️ - Until now robots were not using full spring energy and wasting energy by moving sideways. - The new design focuses on removing unwanted movements, while maintaining structural strength. - With lighter legs, shaped like a prism, it redistributes mass towards the top and has springs that only stretch. 👉🏻 𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲!) Investment theme: Automation & Robotics - Source: University of Manchester #investing #robotics #robots Thematic #investment #Litrendingtopics

Working with LiDAR companies in California with my colleague Majid Ebnali Heidari,Ph.D., It's actually mind-blowing to witness the pace of innovation being achieved in the ADAS industry. With so many key players in the industry, how do these organizations keep up with the extreme pace of innovation to keep up in the competitive landscape? How can they accelerate product development cycles without sacrificing validation? How can they get to market quickly without sacrificing safety standards? While we stand on the cusp of a technological revolution in supercomputing and AI the answer is becoming much clearer, Simulation. Here’s how Ansys comprehensive simulation solutions are supporting these cutting-edge developments : 📈 LiDAR Hardware Design: - Photonic Design: Achieve superior performance with optimized photonic components. - Optical Design Optimization & Tolerancing: Ensure accuracy and reliability in your optical systems. - Optomechanical Packaging: Integrate optical and mechanical components seamlessly. - Stray Light Analysis: Minimize unwanted light and improve sensor accuracy. - Structural & Thermal Analysis: Validate and enhance the durability and performance of your designs. ⚙️ Simulated System Performance: - Time-of-Flight & System Efficiency: Optimize LiDAR system efficiency and accuracy. - Environment Integration & System Impact: Simulate real-world conditions to validate system robustness. 🚗 Sensor-to-Vehicle Integration: - LiDAR-Vehicle Placement Optimization: Ensure optimal sensor placement for maximum coverage and performance. - Advanced Scenario Validation: Test and validate your LiDAR systems in complex driving scenarios through virtual prototype driving simulation. 💡 Compliance and Beyond: - Achieve ISO 26262 and 21434 compliance effortlessly. - Consolidate your simulation tech stack with Ansys, covering all your engineering needs under one roof. Through simulation, LiDAR companies can reduce development time, enhance product reliability, and bring innovative solutions to market faster. With our NVidia partnership, Ansys simulations are only becoming faster and more powerful. If you're interested in a deeper dive, shoot me a DM and we can share how we can support your LiDAR projects. #LiDAR #Simulation #ADAS #AutonomousVehicles #EngineeringExcellence #Ansys #Optics #Photonics