Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Imperial Probe Droid And NFL Robotic Skycam - Separated At Birth?
Maybe I've had too much turkey and science fiction, but I was watching the Detroit Lions play yesterday, and I suddenly thought that the Skycam system, created by CF InFlight, bore a remarkable resemblance to the Star Wars Imperial Probe Droid. I just saw it out of the corner of my eye, but it looked like the Empire was gathering data on NFL football.
(Skycam Robot and Star Wars Imperial Probe Droid)
Skycam is a broadcast-quality robotic camera system; it is suspended from a cable-driven, computerized transport system. This is the system that provides amazing shots that look like they are taken just behind and above the quarterback, then flying down the field - very much like the shots seen in video games. It is described as "the world's only stabilized camera system that can unobtrusively fly anywhere in a defined three-dimensional space -- right in the middle of a sporting event."
The Skycam system consists of central control, spar and reel linked through a fiber optic network. Less than a meter tall and weighing only thirty pounds, the Skycam can fly at speeds of up to thirty miles per hour. The system utilized Panasonic AK-HC900 HD cameras during the last NFL playoffs.
The Imperial Probe Droid, manufactured by Arakyd Industries, is an autonomous probot specifically designed for deep space exploration and is used for both science and military applications. It is about 1.6 meters tall and hovers on repulsorlift engines. Following the battle of Yavin, the Empire dispatched thousands of probe droids, finally revealing the hidden base on the ice planet Hoth.
Imperial Probe Droids gather data with a number of sensors, transmitting it back. They are also equipped with blaster cannon and a self-destruct mechanism.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 11/26/2004)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 3 )
Related News Stories - (" Entertainment ")
'Iceberg House' Of Travis Kelce Reflects Science Fiction Of Past Century
'The basement was huge... carved deep into the rock that folded up to underlie the ridge...' - Clifford Simak, 1963.
Lucid Dreams On Demand From Prophetic and Card79
'the peeper did not operate by virtue of its machinery alone, but by the reaction of the brain and the body of its user...' - Clifford Simak, 1957.
Flyboard Water Jet Shoes Lift Off
'I shall never forget that first lesson in aerial walking.' - Francis Flagg, 1930.
Cosplay Style Wings Could Work On Moon
'They're lovely! - titanalloy struts as light and strong as bird-bones...' - Robert Heinlein, 1957.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Rigid Metallic Clothing From Science Fiction To You
'...support the interior human structure against Jupiter’s pull.'
Is The Seattle Ultrasonics C-200 A Heinlein Vibroblade?
'It ain't a vibroblade. It's steel. Messy.'
Roborock Saros Z70 Is A Robot Vacuum With An Arm
'Anything larger than a BB shot it picked up and placed in a tray...'
A Beautiful Visualization Of Compact Food
'The German chemists have discovered how to supply the needed elements in compact, undiluted form...'
Bone-Building Drug Evenity Approved
'Compounds devised by the biochemists for the rapid building of bone...'
Secret Kill Switch Found In Yutong Buses
'The car faltered as the external command came to brake...'
Inmotion Electric Unicycle In Combat
'It is about the size and shape of a kitchen stool, gyro-stabilized...'
Grok Scores Best In Psychological Tests
'Try to find out how he ticks...'
PaXini Supersensitive Robot Fingers
'My fingers are not that sensitive...'
Congress Considers Automatic Emergency Braking, One Hundred Years Too Late
'The greatest problem of all was the elimination of the human element of braking together with its inevitable time lag.'
The Desert Ship Sailed In Imagination
'Across the ancient sea floor a dozen tall, blue-sailed Martian sand ships floated, like blue smoke.'
The Zapata Air Scooter Would Be Great In A Science Fiction Story
'Betty's slapdash style.'
Thermostabilized Wet Meat Product (NASA Prototype)
There are no orbiting Michelin stars. Yet.
Could Crystal Batteries Generate Power For Centuries?
'Power could be compressed thus into an inch-square cube of what looked like blue-white ice'
India Ponders Always-On Smartphone Location Tracking
'It is necessary... for your own protection.'
Amazon Will Send You Heinlein's Knockdown Cabin
'It's so light that you can set it up in five minutes by yourself...'
