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It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s the DomiCopter! The Domino’s franchise in the UK is experimenting with a new method of transporting pizza to their customers. Using unmanned aerial drones with built in board cameras to fly over traffic and hills to deliver the pizza even faster! In the video, the DomiCopter — created and operated by a drone company called AeroSight — appears to safely deliver a pizza over a large distance. Though it all may seem like a publicity stunt, the UK branch of Domino’s seems quite serious about it. In a press release, the company talks about launching a Domino’s Flight Academy “should the DomiCopter delivery service take off.” This is one way the consumer market is implementing new and emerging drone technology to offer better services to their customers. I’m sure delivery boys aren’t thrilled with the news.

The RHPC-920 is a high resolution 1/4″ CCD day/night board camera. This 32x32mm compact single board form factor features 768(H) x 494(V) resolution, internal synchronization, 12 volts DC operation and parameters controllable via Connector include:Mirror Mode Flickerless Mode Day/Night Mode Auto Gain Control (AGC) Auto White Balance (AWB) Auto Level Control (ALC) Backlight Compensation (BLC) The RHPC-925 is a high resolution 1/4″ CCD day/night board camera. This 32x32mm compact single board form factor features 752(H) x 582(V) resolution, internal synchronization, 12 volts DC operation and parameters controllable via Connector include: Mirror Mode Flickerless Mode Day/Night Mode Auto Gain Control (AGC) Auto White Balance (AWB) Auto Level Control (ALC) Backlight Compensation (BLC) Optional Lenses Available: 1.9mm, 3mm, 3.7mm, 4mm, 6mm, 8mm, 12mm

The FLIR Quark Thermal Infrared Camera Core:The smallest, lightest thermal camera of it’s kind. The FLIR Quark 336 delivers FLIR’s reputable performance in a compact lightweight package. The uncompromising size of the FLIR Quark 336 offers a new variety of uses for R&D applications where size and weight are important factors. Weighing less than 25g and 22 x 22mm in size, the FLIR Quark is the smallest of its kind. FLIR did not compromise quality for size with the Quark 336, delivering a 336 x 256 resolution it will stand up to any long wave thermal camera. The FLIR Quark 640 delivers FLIR’s reputable performance in a compact lightweight package. The uncompromising size of the FLIR Quark 640 offers a new variety of uses for R&D applications where size and weight are important factors. Weighing less than 25g and 22 x 22mm in size, the FLIR Quark is the smallest of its kind. FLIR did not compromise quality for size with the Quark 640, delivering a 640 x 512 resolution it will stand up to any long wave thermal camera.). Lens Options Available:6.3mm, 9mm, 13mm, 14mm, 17mm, 19mm, 25mm, 35mm This product has been discontinued. Please check out the FLIR Boson as a suitable replacement.

http://www.gigapan.com/gigapans/75554 GigaPan’s robotic camera mounts can help spit out pictures to create fantastically detailed panoramic photos. That’s what photographer Gerald Donovan has used to create what is being billed as the world’s largest photo. Donovan has created a 45-gigapixel image of Dubai that, if printed, would be the size of nearly 1,200 billboards, says GigaPan. The photo consists of 4,250 pictures that took about three-and-a-half hours to shoot. “This was intended as a technical test,” Donovan said in a statement. “It was about exploring the limits of the hardware and software out there.” Check out the 45-gigapixel photo of Dubai http://www.gigapan.com/gigapans/75554 You can zoom in and out and get a great view of Dubai including the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khailfa. The picture isn’t crystal clear though. Donovan says the poor air quality in Dubai when he shot the photo is to blame.

Image capture technology has come a long way in recent years such as 3D cameras. They are now more powerful, affordable, and smaller than ever before. Panasonic has collaborated with UNESCO to photograph panoramic views of seven heritage sites around the world. “The purpose of these images is to allow people to have an experience like they’d have if they went to these sites in person.” The five 3D cameras stitch together a scene displayed on five HD plasma display panel, immersing the viewer in a rich and vibrant environment. As Panasonic’s panoramic imaging system advances, the use of a 3D panoramic system may be capturing other events around the world such as future Olympic games, art museums, and space exploration for future generations to experience. One step closer to the Holodeck :)

The RHPC-HDSDI-2.1 is the next generation in high-performance HD compact day/night board cameras. This 2.1 Megapixel board camera boasts a high quality progressive scan Panasonic MOS image sensor. Combined with a beautiful M12 mounted Vari-Focal lens (f=2.8~11.0mm), this camera captures beautiful images and video and is one of the most versatile cameras on the market. 5 Key Switch and Video Converters Available Available as an optional accessory, we provide a 5 key push button switch that allows camera adjustment via On Screen Display (OSD). RHPC-HDSDI-2.1 5 Key Switch With this switch you can adjust several settings to control the picture quality of the board camera, which include: 1x~8x Digital Zoom, White Balance Adjustment, Automatic Gain Control, Electronic (DC) Iris, Back Light Compensation, Horizontal / Vertical Cross Hair, Motion Tracking Detection, Camera Title, Wide Dynamic Range, 32 Point Privacy Mask, Mirror/Flip Function, Day/Night Functionality Video Converters During the integration of your camera you may need a few things along the way. We currently have the RHP-3GSDI-HDMI-S which is a 3G/HD/SD-SDI to HDMI Converter with Scaling.

A research group from Tokyo’s Institute of Technology have created an amphibious snake robot, that moves by twisting its individual body segments like a snake. It moves on land and glides through water with built-in wheels and paddles to propel its weight. And its flexible joints allow for easy twisting and turning, while keeping dirt and water out. This impressive robot has a multitude of uses as it can easily move through any terrain, making it an excellent search and rescue or surveillance tool. Just don’t bring it into a public pool as you might cause widespread panic lol.

The importance of surveillance and thermal imaging devices are ever more apparent with recent events. Thermal-imaging devices have been used to seek out pot-growing operations, map Martian geology — but now has aided in the capturing of the second suspect in this week’s Boston Marathon bombings as he was cornered in his last hiding place. Local and federal law enforcement were able to attain information from the public through sharing surveillance photos amongst social networks while thermal imaging cameras were able to locate and safely bring the suspect into custody. Authorities reported utilizing a helicopter equipped with a thermal imager which spotted the heat signature of a person inside a tarp-covered boat, located in a backyard in Watertown, Mass. Police used the sensor after an area resident reported seeing a trail of blood leading to the boat, and catching a glimpse of a person inside. The thermal readings confirmed that there was indeed someone under the tarp, and that the person was still alive. This kind of technology is what we specialize in here at RHP International. We are proud to serve as a leading resource to many local, state and federal agencies as well as large and small businesses that utilize these tools of surveillance to protect and serve our communities. We invite you to contact us to help you incorporate a quality surveillance system into your asset protection plan. From this tragic event, we have learned that high quality imaging can mean the difference between making an arrest and a cold investigation.

How do Nat Geo cameramen and photographers capture such stunning imagery of dangerous predators and their protected babies without a scratch from their subjects? They shoot smart. Like Steve Winter for example, whose fascination with robotics and video capture gave him the idea to send one out for a close up encounter with a wild tiger. It seemed more curious and intrigued of the metal gizmo rather than seeing it as a threat, allowing for amazing candid shots. This use of technology is an excellent tool as robotic cameras go beyond the human limitations of capturing video. It allows us to see our natural world in a whole new way.

UAV drones come in all shapes and sizes, used for a variety of purposes from recreational fun to neighborhood surveillance. Drones were only associated with uses for military and space research but now with emerging technology and cheaper materials, they are easily attainable to the general public at a very low cost. What is an amateur UAV? An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft that has the capability of autonomous flight, without a pilot in control. Amateur UAVs are non-military and non-commercial. They typically fly under “recreational” exceptions to FAA regulations on UAVs, so long as the pilots/programmers keep them within tight limits on altitude and distance. Usually the UAV is controlled manually by Radio Control (RC) at take-off and landing, and switched into GPS-guided autonomous mode only at a safe altitude. What do I need to make one? 1) An RC plane, muticopter (quadcopter/hexacopter/tricopter, etc) or helicopter. You can buy them ready to fly, including autopilot 2) An autopilot, such as APM 2.5 3) Optional: digital camera or video transmission equipment What does DIY Drones have to offer? The DIY Drones community has created the world’s first “universal autopilot”, ArduPilot Mega (APM). It combines sophisticated IMU-based autopilot electronics with free Arduino-based autopilot software that can turn any RC vehicle into a fully-autonomous UAV. Content from http://www.diydrones.com For more information on DIY drones, check out the following websites: http://diydrones.com/forum http://www.reddit.com/r/diydrones http://singularityhub.com/2010/05/10/flying-drones-for-your-home-from-diy-drones-video/