Orion Drones

Le Crash

My Skydio2 took a dive. I was doing a hand-landing, and someone stepped right next to the drone, a foot away, and I pulled the drone down and away from them. The drone’s magnetic battery disengaged from the vehicle and I was left holding the battery. I watched the drone drop to the crushed gravel below right onto its main camera, about a 1 meter drop. I bagged it up and took it home.

Then I powered it up and updated the software. I couldn’t get footage from the last flight. Would it fly? The manufacturer said not to fly it again. It didn’t say out of an abundance of caution to do so. I decided to briefly test it because it seemed fine, out of an abundance of scientific interest. I also had a sheet to throw over it. It seemed fine. I sent it up, acquired a loitering position, and landed it again.

So, onto the DIY repair options: zero. After three more attempts to get footage, including restarting my phone, I sent in the flight log and filed a service ticket. Sixteen hours later, after work, I submitted all the final details needed. Two days after the crash, the vehicle is going to Skydio for repairs.

The lens is covered in deep scratches from the crushed gravel. The footage was of a family picture, a train by a river, and an aerial at elevation. None of the flight’s footage saved.

The lens is damaged, but the gimbals seem fine. The props and everything else are fine. The motors seem to be turning freely. No big scratches or cracks. Please, people, do not walk within arms length of someone holding a powered drone. I assume the drone detached as a failsafe registering a sudden movement during a hand landing.

I had the drone for two years, no issues. It might not be worth repairing, but I hope so. I checked the settings, saw that the drone has been recording at 30 fps, so when I get it back, I am going to get some short video with 60fps. The data cost is enormous..

I am looking to get a delta-wing and a new, decent radio, not a one-off. I am looking to get something that is RemoteID compliant.

Le science

Janky DJI DroneID. Basically DJI is an open door, and we did not grow up in a barn. Student code. Now the DJI function is gone, the one that OSDs a nearby drone.

Lost gentleman uses drone to text someone for rescue

A fellow found a way to send a life-saving text message with a drone. The article made me think about sat phones, I wish park rangers issued them or a black box drone that just flies to a ranger station and transmits a launch point for rescue. Records a ten second video of the ground area of the launch. This is stuff of DIY legend. Or, as they say, le gend.

ChatbotGPT gets control of robotic systems

ChatGPT gives robotics a go with Microsoft ” study encompasses a range of tasks within the robotics domain, from basic logical, geometrical, and mathematical reasoning all the way to complex domains such as aerial navigation, manipulation, and embodied agents.”

The pipeline from natural language processing, machine-learning automated task handling, to generative design schedules is here. The chatbots hallucinate design, but it also produces BS with bold conviction. Think of Stable Diffusion videos that show landscapes morph into others with eye-bleaching intensity and speed.

Just remember that ChatGPT works with libraries and search engines. It’s not alive. It parses existing code and language for matches to prompts as satisfying a logical state verification, mathematical construct, or useful stats. I would urge everyone to take a machine-learning MOOC.

I did, in 2018. I struggled with the coding portion of the class having no prior experience to the OctVe language, but the payoff was useful. I learned a lot. In the past years, models have seemingly diversified, become specialized, and an entire industry in data science has promised to disrupt everything. The black box is nearly cracked open

I asked ChatGPT to answer [burning question]: It argued 9 main points.

Read more: Tuesday Views: 7 March 2023

Asking ChatGPT to describe challenges facing autonomous medical Al drone service integration

I was hoping for a general description.

Answer:

There are several engineering, ethical, and political challenges that could impede the adoption of a national autonomous medical Al drone service integration at municipal or statewide levels. Some of these challenges include:

Engineering Challenges:

1. Technical Complexity: Developing and deploying autonomous medical Al drones at scale requires robust hardware and software systems that can operate seamlessly and consistently. Developing such systems can be technically challenging and time-consuming.
2. Safety and Reliability: Autonomous medical Al drones must be reliable and safe to use. Any technical malfunctions could result in harm to the patient or cause damage to the drone, which can be dangerous to other people or property.
3. Regulatory Compliance: There are existing regulations and standards that must be followed in the development, deployment, and operation of autonomous medical Al drones. Meeting regulatory requirements can be challenging and time-consuming.

Ethical Challenges:

1. Privacy Concerns: Autonomous medical Al drones may collect sensitive patient data such as medical records and location data. This could lead to potential privacy violations if the data is not properly secured.
2. Informed Consent: Patients may need to provide informed consent before receiving medical assistance from an autonomous medical Al drone. There may be ethical considerations around how this consent is obtained and whether patients fully understand the risks and benefits of using such a service.
3. Equity and Access: Autonomous medical Al drone services may not be accessible or affordable to all individuals, particularly those in rural or low-income areas. This may raise concerns about equity and access to healthcare.

Political Hurdles:

1. Public Perception and Acceptance: There may be public concerns and skepticism about the use of autonomous medical Al drones for healthcare services. This could result in resistance from some communities, which could impact the adoption of the service.
2. Legal and Regulatory Framework: There may be a lack of legal and regulatory frameworks in place to support the deployment and operation of autonomous medical Al drones for healthcare services. This could delay or impede adoption.
3. Funding and Resource Allocation: Implementing a national autonomous medical Al drone service integration requires significant investment and resources. There may be competing priorities for government funding, which could impact the adoption of the service.

Overall, there are significant technical, ethical, and political challenges that must be addressed before a national autonomous medical Al drone service integration can be adopted at municipal or statewide levels. It will require collaboration between stakeholders, including government agencies, healthcare providers, and technology developers, to address these challenges and develop a safe, reliable, and equitable service.

When will a Congressional memeber admits to using ChatGPT to create speechwriting copy that markets a talking point?

People have used ChatGPT unethically, will use it unethically. Chatbots are just tools. Human nature employs tools to further needs and goals. ChatGPT will soon discover things we do not know that we do not know. Whenever I look back at what I considered iron-clad research into drone certification, I realize I was looking through rose-colored glasses. People become villainous when billions of dollars are at stake. I forgot about the vines, the snake pits, the quicksand of power.

Videos and blog: aka.ms/ChatGPT-Robotics
PromptCraft, AirSim-ChatGPT code: https://github.com/microsoft/PromptCraft-Robotics

I tried to diplomatically address the China/USA friction through my research with a technology solution that could benefit both superpowers, but our bicameral legislature is a somewhat polarized group owing to Dark Money and corruption. So, it is up to people who have not yet been bot bought to speak truth to power for all parties, for everyone. I believe peace is possible, and good people who work together can change the world for the better.

I am teaching math at a small inner city school for the next three months. The pay differential will cover the Skydio2 repairs, and I’ll still be below the poverty line, a breadloser, wagemeat.

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