Didier Delsalle Landed His Helicopter On Top Of Mount Everest (Cool Weird Awesome 1242)
Today in 2005, test pilot Didier Delsalle took a helicopter where a helicopter had never gone before: the summit of Mount Everest.
How To Keep Flying Robots Flying Even When Their Wings Are Damaged (Cool Weird Awesome 972)
Drones are becoming increasingly useful, but they can get damaged and grounded pretty quickly. A team at MIT has found bee-inspired workarounds that would keep impaired robotic crafts flying.
We Can Send Edible Drones To People While They’re Waiting For A Rescue (Cool Weird Awesome 904)
Engineers and enthusiasts are finding all kinds of great uses for drones, but this one may top them all: there are now drones with edible wings that can reach and then feed people who are in need of rescue.
Teams Of High-Tech Drones Can 3D Print In The Air (Cool Weird Awesome 864)
Aerial Additive Manufacturing is a new process in which a team of drones 3D print while still flying, and then scanning drones fly by to make sure the job was done right.
The Next Big Thing In Home Insulation? Mushrooms (Cool Weird Awesome 632)
A startup in the UK has found a way to use mushrooms to create a new, greener kind of home insulation. But don't worry, it isn't just growing mushrooms inside the walls of your house. Plus: an Australian company that delivers coffee by drone is reworking its business model because nesting ravens are attacking their aircraft.
Waterways Could Get Extra Clean After They’re Cleaned By These Drones (Cool Weird Awesome 512)
A device in Denmark, WasteShark, has been roaming through water to scoop up floating debris. Now it's going to have a flying companion drone to help spot waste and maybe even clean up oil spills. Plus: photographer Nancy Floyd has been taking self-portraits and other images, structured the same way, day after day since 1982, to show the passage of time. Talk about playing the long game.
In The Future, Roadside Assistance Could Come From Robots (Cool Weird Awesome 423)
Robot roadside assistance? Toyota has applied for a patent for a system where self-driving drones could pull up to vehicles and give them some gas - or, if it runs on electricity, give it a charge.
Can Drones Help Make Bridges Safer? (Cool Weird Awesome 342)
The drone company Skydio has just announced a new 3D scanning software that’s intended for use on large-scale structures like bridges. That may help us deal with the tens of thousands of "structurally deficient" bridges in the US. Plus: ever seen a guy do a shredding guitar solo riding on a OneWheel skateboard?
Video Games Are Now Medically Necessary (Cool Weird Awesome 322)
Video games are leveling up: the FDA has just approved a video game-based treatment for ADHD.
How To Fight Fires With Drones (Cool Weird Awesome 274)
Firefighters in Chongqing, China, may soon put out fires with help from a team of six large drones that can get in the air and quickly extinguish blazes.