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posted by cmn32480 on Thursday September 15 2016, @12:56AM   Printer-friendly
from the as-annoying-as-pigeons dept.

Claw arms hardly make a drone look less terrifying, but they could make it more useful. That's the promise of Prodrone's latest hoverbot, the snappily-named PD6B-AW-ARM.

This claw-handed drone can fly up to 6 km per hour and stay in the air for 30 minutes. Using its two five-axis robotic arms, it can lift a whopping 44 pounds, which is the equivalent of a four-year-old child. The Japanese drone-maker says its eerie new toy will have a range of industrial uses, from lifting cargo to cutting cables -- but could also drop a lifesaving buoy.

Perhaps most striking is the drone's ability to perch, crow-like, on a railing -- using its claw arms to balance itself. Check that out in the promo video... , and excuse us while we install anti-claw metal sheeting on our windows and rucksacks.

Nanny drones could snatch small children about to fall in the pool or run into traffic.


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  • (Score: 2) by Absolutely.Geek on Thursday September 15 2016, @01:19AM

    by Absolutely.Geek (5328) on Thursday September 15 2016, @01:19AM (#402096)

    I can see these landing with one arm on each charging rail waiting for the next job to be dispatched; then off it goes at full charge every time.

    30 min carrying max payload; to I assume that will be higher when carrying a smaller load. Still not bad a 3km range (6km/h for 1/2 hr) is not bad when carrying a load.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 15 2016, @07:07AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 15 2016, @07:07AM (#402174)

    If you put a CT on one or both claws you can hang upside down off the power lines and scavenge power through the CTs to charge the battery