14 DAY TRIAL // This summer saw investigators at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developing an amazing new technology, which allowed experts to control a small rotorcraft over great distances.
The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was being handled through an iPhone application, which enabled the user to control the aircraft's direction by simply tilting the phone to the right or left. Altitude was controlled by moving the smartphone up and down.
Handling the rotorcraft was so easy that randomly-selected individuals were able to engage in steady flight after receiving instructions for just a couple of minutes. For comparison, military personal handling combat/recon UAV in the field need to train for months in flight simulators.
But the new system is extremely simple, and yet very efficient. Users can even use an on-screen map as a guide to the aircraft's surroundings. By tapping any location on the map, the rotorcraft was ordered to automatically plot and follow a course to that location.
This summer's test saw engineers at the Seattle-based Boeing Research and Development Center controlling a UAV through his method. The aircraft was located at the MIT campus, in Cambridge, more than 4,023 kilometers (2,500 miles) away.
The new control system was developed by a team led by MIT associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics Mary Cummings, who is also the director of the Humans and Automation Lab at the institute. Her goal is to develop easy-to-use, simple control systems.
In theory, the new application may be used to control everything from RC planes to massive jumbo jets, since the basic principles of flight are the same regardless of aircraft size. However, it may be some time before we see such a system control even cargo aircraft.
There are also immediate applications for the military, since controlling an UAV may become easier than ever. In addition, emergency responders could use the aircraft for reconnaissance, immediately after a natural disaster hits. This would ensure the best possible response strategy is selected.
Remote surveillance of phenomena such as forest fires and floods could also become easier, potentially multiplying the amount of returned data several times over current levels. The MIT team says that only a few extra tweaks are in order before the control application can enter mainstream use.