Engineers from Local Motors have recently found a way to utilize a self-driving car, a 3D printer and a drone, all together in one amazing machine.
Working directly with Grant Imahara of Mythbusters, the engineers have produced a 3D printed, autonomous vehicle that comes equipped with its own 3D printed drone. Mouser Electronics provided the autonomous software, which allows the car to navigate alone, while the passenger operates the drone. The drone then provides video feed back to the vehicle. This allows the driver to discover possible traffic jam areas and enjoy the scenery in the area from a unique perspective.
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The drone has been created as the result of a recent contest. The contest winner, Finn Yonkers, stated that he created “fly mode” due to wanting to flip the idea of autonomy on its side.
“So by introducing the element of flight, you are actually increasing the sensory experience of travel, giving you a viewpoint that’s out of context, so you’re not really inside the vehicle anymore,” he continued. You’re outside of it, and it gives you plenty of opportunities to expand on the experience.”
How Local Motors can use this in the future
According to Local Motors, the drone has other uses too, such as playing an augmented reality game, and sending the vehicle important information.
Who knows what the future will hold with this new technological breakthrough. For now, it is certainly a cool machine for drone and autonomous car enthusiasts alike.
