Technabob » kite

Google Earth Using Homemade Images from Balloons and Kites

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:00:26 +0000

Google Earth gets the imagery it needs from multiple sources including aircraft and satellites. Google recently started adding images to its collection from other sources including less expensive balloons and kites. The new images Google Earth is using come from people like you and me using cheap systems for local aerial photography.

Google says that friends at The Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science have been working to devise a method of collecting the sort of imagery that’s cheap and easy to access for all people. The kit that the Public Laboratory came up with has been dubbed the balloon mapping toolkit.

It allows anyone to take their own aerial images using a cheap point-and-shoot digital camera and a few other items. The kit would cost about $100 including the balloon, helium, line, and other items needed. The Public Laboratory also has an online tool called MapKnitter that aligns the photos into a geo-referenced image that Google Earth can use.

[via Google Lat Long Blog]

3D-Printed Cubic Kite Shouldn’t Fly But Does

Range — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:00:58 +0000

At first when you look at this strange looking kite, you’d think that it wouldn’t be able to get airborne, because of its shape and complexity. But this somewhat large, cubic structure is fully capable of flight.

It was created by the UK-based designers Sash Reading, Heather and Ivan Morison. They’ve dubbed it Three Cubes Collide and it was made from 1,700 3D-printed pieces, which were engineered and fabricated by Queen & Crawford. The kite uses a lightweight and durable fabric called Cuben Fiber to help keep it airborne.

I don’t know about you, but I think this thing is kind of awesome to see in flight. The modular design is supposedly scalable, so regardless of the size you print, due to its lightweight materials and carbon fiber rods, it should float.

What’s next, 3D-printed airships?

[via designboom]

Remote-Controlled Bald Eagle Has a 9-1/2 Foot Wingspan

Technabob — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:41:19 +0000

Next time you see a giant bird flying through the skies, you might want to double-check that it’s the real deal. You could be looking a remote-controlled fake.

This crazy looking thing is a remote-controlled eagle, complete with a 9-1/2 foot wingspan and a carbon-fiber skeletal structure. The product description says it’s “powered by a gimbal-mounted engine and propeller that provides nimble, multi-directional vector movement which replicates the bird of prey’s agile turns and dives.” Last I checked, real eagles don’t have engines or propellers, so I’m not sure exactly how faithful its flight really is. Still, it looks pretty cool from this video clip:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

In addition to soaring, you should be able to pull off loops once you’ve mastered the controls. The R/C eagle can be operated from up to 100 feet away from the RF transmitter, and flight time is up to 8 minutes on a 20 minute charge.

It’s available over at Hammacher Schlemmer for a pricey $499.95 (USD), so even though the Bald Eagle is no longer on the endangered list, the cash in your wallet may soon be.

[Press Release]

Geeks Tie Fireworks to Kites, Not as Explosive as You Might Think

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:44:53 +0000

As a kid, any time we could buy fireworks was a great time of year. I once lobbied to move to Florida where you could buy fireworks year round, but my parents never agreed. I used to tie bottle rockets to just about anything that would sit still long enough. I never was able to launch my bike into orbit, but I did once melt my hair in a few spots.

Recently, a few geeks took some kites, fireworks, and hit the beach at night to set about making a flying pyrotechnic display. I honestly expected more mayhem in the video than we got. They obviously aren’t experts at blowing things up. Regardles,, the video is cool enough to look at.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I would have strapped a couple of big bottle-rockets to the kite’s wing tips, an artillery shell to the center, and by god everyone on the beach would have known it was a holiday… and ran for their lives. I guess it’s a good thing we only get fireworks twice a year in my area.

Breathe Heavy on the Beach With Darth Vader Kites

Karen M. — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:40:53 +0000

This summer, indulge your inner Sith lord and dominate the beach with an ominous Darth Vader kite. While I’m not sure “heavy black masks” plus “outdoor family activity” is really a match made in Naboo, these are some cool kites that will make you the envy of the picnic posse.

Any one of three Darth kites will darken the skies and get rid of all those pesky kids with lesser kites (Dora? A dragon? Those rainbow streamer thingies? Puh-leeze.) Then again, if you’re more into the force being with you, as opposed to against you, then you’re in luck, because they also offer friendlier R2D2, dueling Jedis, and Yoda models.

The kites are a new release from Go Fly A Kite, and you can pre-order them for between $26.99 and $38.99 at StarWarsShop.com.

[via GeekAlerts]