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This helicopter can be used for special operations, observation and tracking<\/h2>\nThis helicopter can be used for special operations, observation and tracking<\/h2>\nStudents in the Technion\u2019s Faculty of Computer Science have built \u201cRahfan\u201d \u2013 a micro robotic helicopter that navigates, photographs and maneuvers independently. It can be used for special operations, observation and tracking. This was revealed in the Faculty newspaper \u2013 Homepage.<\/p>\n
\u2018Today, after a number of development stages, we have reached an overall weight of one kilogram, with air time of 30 to 40 minutes,\u201d explains the lab engineer for intelligent systems, Ronen Keidar. \u201cThe Rahfan can enter a building through the window, perform its mission and then go back out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prof. Ehud Rivlin, who leads the project on behalf of the Faculty, noted that the students under his direction contributed to the project with respect to information processing and computerized vision. \u201cUsing different sensors that we added to the Rahfan, we have given it the ability to detect obstacles and prevent collisions, maintain altitude and to orient itself using a three-dimension map.\u201d<\/p>\n
At this stage, the camera is located on the Rahfan\u2019s underbelly but the Technion researchers are about to equip it with an additional camera so that it will be able to photograph both forward and backward \u2013 in effect providing a 360 degree picture on a horizontal plane.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have added a pocket PC that enables us to increase the Rahfan\u2019s processing ability,\u201d adds Erel Uziel, a graduate of the Faculty of Computer Science at the Technion, who participated in the development. \u201cThe computer controls the Rahfan using a control box mounted on the Rahfan, which is responsible for steering, thus providing the Rahfan with wireless communication with a ground station in order to receive flight instructions and transmit location and images using the computational and communication capabilities of the pocket PC.\u201d<\/p>\n
The project is being led by Prof. Ehud Rivlin of the Faculty of Computer Science, Prof. Pini Gurfil of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, laboratory engineer for intelligent systems Ronen Keidar and hardware engineer Sergei Danilian. The project is being financed by the Devorah Foundation and the Technion Autonomous Systems Program.<\/p>\n