<story><title>Nasa will send helicopter to Mars to test otherworldly flight</title><url>http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44090509</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>chiefalchemist</author><text>&amp;quot;The helicopter uses counter-rotating coaxial rotors about 1.1 m in diameter...&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;Not to be little it but, in short, a drone.&lt;p&gt;I presume the rocket scientists are jealous ;)</text></item><item><author>KineticLensman</author><text>Link to the underlying press release [0] which has slightly more info than the BBC article. There is a bit more background about the project at [1], with some key points being:&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;The helicopter uses counter-rotating coaxial rotors about 1.1 m in diameter. Its payload will be a high resolution downward-looking camera for navigation, landing, and science surveying of the terrain, and a communication system to relay data to the 2020 Mars rover. The inconsistent Mars magnetic field precludes the use of a compass for navigation, so it would require a solar tracker camera integrated to JPL&amp;#x27;s visual inertial navigation system. Some additional inputs might include gyros, visual odometry, tilt sensors, altimeter, and hazard detectors. It would use solar panels to recharge its batteries.&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;[0] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.nasa.gov&amp;#x2F;press-release&amp;#x2F;mars-helicopter-to-fly-on-nasa-s-next-red-planet-rover-mission&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.nasa.gov&amp;#x2F;press-release&amp;#x2F;mars-helicopter-to-fly-on...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[1] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&amp;#x2F;wiki&amp;#x2F;NASA_Mars_Helicopter_Scout&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&amp;#x2F;wiki&amp;#x2F;NASA_Mars_Helicopter_Scout&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>djsumdog</author><text>That&amp;#x27;s what I thought too. But they&amp;#x27;ve been designing this for years; so it might have started before drones got as popular as they are.&lt;p&gt;I mean, drones are just a new name for hobby aircraft. People typically associate drones with quad-copters, but people were flying tiny helicopters next to their small replica remote aircraft for decades.&lt;p&gt;I realize the FAA has official designations for what is a drone (and a lot of older hobby aircrafts may now technically be drones), but it&amp;#x27;s a word that&amp;#x27;s really come about because the field is now more accessible&amp;#x2F;affordable.</text></comment>
<story><title>Nasa will send helicopter to Mars to test otherworldly flight</title><url>http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44090509</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>chiefalchemist</author><text>&amp;quot;The helicopter uses counter-rotating coaxial rotors about 1.1 m in diameter...&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;Not to be little it but, in short, a drone.&lt;p&gt;I presume the rocket scientists are jealous ;)</text></item><item><author>KineticLensman</author><text>Link to the underlying press release [0] which has slightly more info than the BBC article. There is a bit more background about the project at [1], with some key points being:&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;The helicopter uses counter-rotating coaxial rotors about 1.1 m in diameter. Its payload will be a high resolution downward-looking camera for navigation, landing, and science surveying of the terrain, and a communication system to relay data to the 2020 Mars rover. The inconsistent Mars magnetic field precludes the use of a compass for navigation, so it would require a solar tracker camera integrated to JPL&amp;#x27;s visual inertial navigation system. Some additional inputs might include gyros, visual odometry, tilt sensors, altimeter, and hazard detectors. It would use solar panels to recharge its batteries.&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;[0] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.nasa.gov&amp;#x2F;press-release&amp;#x2F;mars-helicopter-to-fly-on-nasa-s-next-red-planet-rover-mission&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.nasa.gov&amp;#x2F;press-release&amp;#x2F;mars-helicopter-to-fly-on...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;[1] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&amp;#x2F;wiki&amp;#x2F;NASA_Mars_Helicopter_Scout&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&amp;#x2F;wiki&amp;#x2F;NASA_Mars_Helicopter_Scout&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>Retric</author><text>NASA has been using drones since 1950, it&amp;#x27;s everyone else that&amp;#x27;s jelly.&lt;p&gt;PS: Unmanned Rockets are Drones &lt;i&gt;that shoot fire.&lt;/i&gt;</text></comment>