Page 292 - Robots Androids and Animatrons : 12 Incredible Projects You Can Build

While blimps may seem like old technology, scientists and engineers
are still developing uses for them. For instance, the U.S. Army has
used an unmanned airship called SASS LITE (Small Airship Surveil-
lance System, Low Intensity Target Exploitation). The SASS LITE
is used for border patrols. Recently the manufacturer stated that
this 90-ft airship is available for commercial ventures.
Helium balloons are capable of reaching the upper stratosphere.
One company has proposed building an air station 100,000 ft above
the Earth. The station would provide a telecommunications link
just like a satellite. However, the air station would cost 50 percent
less than a similarly equipped satellite.
Robotic systems and telepresence systems have been put on model
blimps for a number of years. We will review two ventures shortly,
one from the Robot Group and the other from Berkeley’s WEB
Blimp. What we will focus upon accomplishing is placing a simple
telepresence system on a model blimp. In reality the telepresence
system is a wireless, flyweight, portable surveillance system.
Sensor feedback systems that could relay a sense of touch, for a
“real” telepresence, are not developed. Our simple system transmits
video and sound. The user or operator can move (fly) the blimp via
radio controls.
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The Robot Group—Austin, Texas

Robotic systems have been placed on model blimps. The Robot
Group, based in Austin, Texas, exhibited a robotic blimp at
Robofest 1 in the fall of 1989. I’m sure robotic systems have been
in place on blimps before this for military and scientific purposes;
however, the Robot Group represents private (nongovernment
funded) exploration in this area. The Robot Group continues to
develop and improve upon the robotic blimp. In 1991 the com-
puter blimp project called the Mark III used ultrasonic sensors and
a neural network navigation system. Although the system fell
short of design expectations, it did function properly.
The Robot Group has a website on the Internet which you can visit
to get the latest information (see Internet Access at the end of this
chapter).

WEB Blimp—University of California, Berkeley

Space browser is the name given to telepresence blimp systems
being designed and built at the University of California, Berkeley,
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
The blimps are used as avatars, or as I prefer to call them, golems.
Team LRN Aerobots