there are incredible hacks and then there are projects so unreal that the term hack just doesn’t seem appropriate.
this one fits squarely into the latter category and i’m posting it anyway.
art vanden berg details 4 years of designing a balloon launched glider that flies itself to a safe landing point using custom software running on a pc104 setup with a gps receiver, quickcam, 35mm camera, and packet radio. mission control is equally impressive with more custom software that tracks telemetry data, downloads real-time quickcam stills, and provides manual override of normal flight operation if necessary.
well. defintly not a hack. but sweet! i wish i had the time/money/skills to build this because its so stellar.
thats very cool… a buddy of mine made a satelite guided car that had its path programed into it… it was pretty cool… but this is whole nother level of awesomeness
that is amazing. nice find.
wow! I too wish i had the money and skils to do this. Time.. i have lots of. ehhee
Just made my first DIY LCD Projector and soo happy with it. Now i am looking for my next project.. something easy on the pocket.
alfulshot, what do you mean, “not a hack”? What wasn’t hacked in this scenario? A weather balloon used as a RPV launcher, cameras and RC gear hacked for this application, etc.
Wow…. I only hope to be able to do something half as technically cool as this someday. I’m still only attaching cameras to kites.
i really think that all of his inventions are sick like the weather balloon and the balloon luanched glider with mission control i may not have a clue about making many inventions but id just like to say that your hacks are inspiring me !
Bravo!
Art is one homebrewn UAV maestro.
The High Altitude Glider website has moved, to:
http://www.canuck-boffin.net/sonde/