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It's not science fiction: shopping carts that float in the air are coming
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Of the hoverboards from “Back to the Future” to the flying motorcycles of “Star Wars”, floating vehicles have always fueled the imagination of science fiction fans. Although antigravity is still in the realm of fantasy, we are getting closer to making it a reality.
Palletrone, a technology developed by researchers at SeoulTech (Seoul National University of Science and Technology) in South Korea, is not exactly the floating platform we see in the movies, but it offers a glimpse of a future in which a shopping cart can load products without needing wheels or rails.
It is powered by drones and was designed to hover and transport loads over any type of terrain – whether shopping in a supermarket or climbing stairs with boxes. It also remains level in the air even if the weight of the objects is not equally distributed and is controlled by a simple handle, similar to that of a traditional shopping cart.
“It is a flying cart designed for air cargo transport, with human-robot interaction”, explain the researchers, who recently published a study on the prototype in the magazine “IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters”.
The system uses internal propellers with rotors that generate thrust in different directions, allowing the Palletrone to move through the air, hovering, turning and moving with ease, without tipping over.
Currently, it can carry up to 11.5 kg of cargo, but it was only tested with 2.9 kg – enough to carry small everyday purchases. Despite its limited capability, it's still just a proof of concept – an important step towards exploring how drone transport could work in the real world.
FIRST VERSION
According to Seung Jae Lee, one of the project's researchers, one of Palletrone's main innovations is its ability to distinguish between the weight of the load and the force applied by the human operator.
They developed a “simple but effective method” to ensure the drone knows when it is being guided by a person or reacting to changes in payload weight. This is essential to prevent it from interpreting accidental weight variations as a human command.
Its control system uses eight actuators – four propellers to generate thrust and four servomotors that control the direction of movement. Despite being small, the motors allow precise control.
The technology is similar to that of two military aircraft: the Harrier and the F-35B, which use vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). These jets use exhaust fans to take off and move with stability.
The Palletrone uses the same principle, lifting vertically and moving in any direction, always remaining level. It can also hover alone in the air, but its flight time is limited by battery life.
It is just a prototype and still has many challenges ahead before it becomes a commercial product. It does not have enough power to carry heavier loads over long distances and needs to be controlled by a human. The goal is that, one day, Palletrone will be able to follow the user, carrying their purchases.
THE FUTURE
Lee sees other applications beyond transporting goods. “It can act as a tripod or even as a crane, enabling camera movements and angles”, says the researcher. The precision in flight could make it useful in the film industry and other areas that need mobile platforms for equipment.
In places where using traditional filmmaking tools would be complicated or impossible, Palletrone's agility can open up new possibilities for filmmakers.
For now, it still has serious limitations in power, noise and load capacity. But every advance has to start somewhere, and its potential is truly promising. I love the idea of a floating shopping cart, sure, but I'm really hoping for the old promise of a hoverboard like Marty McFly.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jesus Diaz founded the new Sploid for Gawker Media after seven years working at Gizmodo. He is a creative director, screenwriter and producer… find out more
It's not science fiction: shopping carts that float in the air are coming
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It's not science fiction: shopping carts that float in the air are coming