Japanese inventor develops flying sphere drone

[The Straight Story]

Japanese inventor develops flying sphere drone

A Japanese defence researcher has invented a spherical observation drone that can fly down narrow alleys, hover on the spot, take off vertically and bounce along the ground.

About the size of a beachball and jet black, the remote-controlled Spherical Air Vehicle resembles a tiny Death Star from the Star Wars movies but has a more benign purpose -- to transmit live images from a video camera.

It is powered by a propeller protected by a spherical shield with large openings for airflow, meaning a knock into a wall or a tumble to the ground will not damage it.

Research to improve the device is continuing, but its designer says that in the future it could be used as a formidable pursuit vehicle that can travel above traffic or spy on a target through a window.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-08-japanese-inventor-sphere-drone.html

[XanaDUer]

1. What was that movie?

Phantasm?

[Orrex]

2. I'm 100% that this device will never be used to spy on private, law-abiding citizens.

Heck, make that 150% certain.

[They_Live]

3. rover

from THE PRISONER?

[msongs]

4. "benign purpose" - so which of us believes that lie? nt

[rug]

5. Cute.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. !!!

[DavidDvorkin]

7. Eyeborgs!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1043844/

[originalpckelly]

8. "And now you will tell us the location of the hidden rebel base"

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. One of the things I wonder about is private property rights and very low flying drones

If they are truly aircraft, the FAA owns the airspace, not the property owner. But if it is windows height or even ground based, what would the options be? As I understand it, in the US there are no precedents for the destruction of GPS tackers and the like.

[Vanje]

13. My private property rights

include target shooting!

[TheMightyFavog]

10. Batter up!

Wonder how far they'll fly when given a good Ryan Braun-style whack?

[ashling]

11. Ninja Death Spheres

fly down narrow alleys? Check

hover on the spot? Check

take off vertically? Check

bounce along the ground? Check

jet black? Check

[Vanje]

12. It would make a great skeet

Pull!