“Flying Smartphones: Automated Flight Enabled by Consumer Electronics” featured on front page of IEEE Robotics and Automation, June Issue

July 9th, 2015

Flying Smartphones
Automated Flight enabled by Consumer Electronics

Consumer-grade technology seen in cameras and phones has led to the price-performance ratio falling dramatically over the last decade. We are seeing a similar trend in robots that leverage this technology. A recent development is the interest of companies such as Google, Apple, and Qualcomm in high-end communication devices equipped with such sensors as cameras and inertial measurement units (IMUs) and with significant computational capability. Google, for instance, is developing a customized phone equipped with conventional as well as depth cameras. This article explores the potential for the rapid integration of inexpensive consumer-grade electrics with the off-the-shelf robotics technology for automation in homes and offices.

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