While undoubtedly cool, we’re pretty sure that something like Airobotics’ autonomous drone launcher is how the machines are going to get us in the end. But we might just welcome it if we’re able to to with the Airobotics Solution for a while before we’re carted off and converted into human batteries.
Airobotics is an outfit out of Tel Aviv and they’ve got some interesting ideas on drones in the workplace, as well as one that doesn’t involve spending quite so much money on having a drone hovering in your own personal airspace. Rather than paying a third party or training permanent drone-flying staff (oh, but that’d be a cool job – for a while), Airobotics wants companies to install one of their Airbase drone launchers instead.
The launcher stores a pre-programmed drone that can be remotely operated by even the most fumble-fingered CEO (we’ve seen how some of them type). Said drone can patrol, survey or inspect, performing its various functions continuously. It returns to base, lands on its own, and the Airbase itself contains a robotic arm that can swap out batteries and even change the payload (say, between two different cameras) without the need for human intervention.
We’re not sure of the pricing but since Airobotics’ Airbase idea is being aimed at heavy industry, at least initially, we’re not expecting it to be within range of the average hobbyist. Still, the autonomous land-and-launch concept should catch on and hopefully get cheaper, leaving us even more open to attack by intelligent, angry drones of our own making. We can’t wait.
Source: Airobotics via Engadget
