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aresant·

These things feel like the iPad of robots, as in basic hardware that's massively customizable via software.

Check out their YouTube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ETHZurichIDSC

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It's funny that you say that, because you can buy an iPad-controlled quadrotor on Apple's store right here:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/H1991ZM/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3NA...

I think what aresant meant was that these robots represent in the world of robots what the iPad represents in the world of Tablets: basic hardware made great by its software. Or not?

Just wait till they film one controlling an ipad by gently scraping itself across the screen.... perhaps playing angry birds.

From these videos it looks plausible. The hard part now would be setting up the camera to see what's happening on the screen when the copter is on top of it.

You're going to need a sausage stylus for the 'copter to activate the capacitive touchscreen.

Also, the hard part of any such project is the control code.

Perhaps it will harvest stylus from the nearest human.

Now you have me thinking whether a severed finger would continue to work on a capacitive screen. A fine way to start the morning!

Sausage works. Why won't a finger? It is about conductivity, isn't it? May be the bots will pickle our fingers for best results.

I don't think dead tissues are emitting any magnetic flux. I'm not sure though, but it seems obvious. #trivial

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