7 ms·

Finnish Filmmakers Gave a Drone a Chainsaw

77 points by venti 11y ago

amelius 11y ago
Why did this have to be built and can't we just imagine things anymore?
- zellyn 11y ago
  It appears you've accidentally wandered into hacker news. Welcome!
- dustinupdyke 11y ago
  Build to think.
- gagege 11y ago
  Oh, hello Ken M.
- 746F7475 11y ago
  remember this when you are building something next time
chris_wot 11y ago
This article is redirecting me to an error.
- prawn 11y ago
  If you're also in Australia, popsci.com has some idiotic redirects to popsci.com.au that throw errors when they can't find a localised version of the article you're trying to reach. I don't think I've ever had one actually work.
  - chris_wot 11y ago
    Seriously, this deserves an automatic penalty until they fix their issues. Business Insider do the same thing. What's to localise though? We speak English! dang... if you're reading this, anything you can do? Very frustrating for the many Australians who read articles on HN. (a side note: when are U.S. sites going to stop treating Australians as second class citizens? We are a pretty wealthy nation filled with people willing to participate in the online world in a meaningful way, and yet we are constantly screwed over either in terms of pricing or just plain being blocked from stuff we are willing to actually pay good money for).
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
    - strictnein 11y ago
      > a side note: when are U.S. sites going to stop treating Australians as second class citizens? Once we figure out how to digitally accept kangaroo pelts as payment.
      - chris_wot 11y ago
        Cool, so we'll just continue pirating your content and bypassing your filters at record levels then :-)
        SmkyMt 11y ago
        That's actually a most generous and humane service you provide the world. Seriously.
        chris_wot 11y ago
        I don't know if I agree with the pirating business (I don't do this) but certainly I don't think it's unethical to bypass geoblocking which I find borderline racist - and definitely greedy in the worst sense of the word.
    - prawn 11y ago
- reustle 11y ago
  Here is a link directly to their video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Viwwetf0gU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Viwwetf0gU
eCa 11y ago
That's kind of the 21st century evolution of this[1]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHuJGhe4oGw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHuJGhe4oGw
- cglace 11y ago
  I've done some pretty crazy things with a chainsaw but that has to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen.
xiphias 11y ago
This should be illegal everywhere. I'm really afraid of the not too distant future when drones are cheap and autonomous enough so that they are able to be controlled by a small crazy group and used to harm lots of people. I don't think we as a society are prepared for it.
- JoeAltmaier 11y ago
  Of course its illegal everywhere to kill people with chainsaws.
  - orbitingpluto 11y ago
    Even Texas? (yes I know, I deserve to be downvoted, guilty pleasure)
    - bluejekyll 11y ago
      Depends on if they are looking at you threateningly...
- theklub 11y ago
  I seriously want to start a drone defense company.
  - DanBC 11y ago
    Defending people from drones? Or using drones to defend people? (Or both?)
    - theklub 11y ago
      both but more the former
    - pmalynin 11y ago
      I like the framing you've used there, but mostly military drones are used to "attack" people
afsina 11y ago
I really dislike filmmakers doing this kind of stupid stunts (Ok I admit I hate the film makers tries do deceive even more . Like the idiots who make eagle taking a child or flying wing man etc.). Why not put a Ak-47 or a hand grenade to the damn drone? You would get more attention.
- fsloth 11y ago
  It is illegal for a civilian to possess automatic weapons or grenades in Finland. Chainsaws are quite legal.
- exDM69 11y ago
  Some background from a Finnish news article [0]: these guys are experienced, professional RC and drone camera operators and the copter is a professional quality photography drone. They describe the copter as a "5 horsepower circular saw" which is "pretty dangerous even without a chainsaw attached". Indeed, you have to operate such machinery with caution and respect. All in all, it looks like they were operating with caution and in an isolated area without causing any risk to outsiders. Silly and pointless? Yes. Reckless and stupid? Perhaps not. Fun to watch? Hell yes. [0] http://nyt.fi/a1459480177666 http://nyt.fi/a1459480177666
- wastedhours 11y ago
  I'm always 50/50 on these things. Fun to watch, and whilst I'd be wary of it giving ideas to people who might not be as responsible as the video makers, it also makes sure the general public/regulators know what's possible and how we might curb misuse in the future.
athenot 11y ago
This is something I often thought about, for the purposes of tree pruning. What if you could point a laser-like LED beam to the location you want cut on a 55ft-high pine tree, and have the drone-chainsaw cut that exact location? That would beat using cranes or bucket lifts to hoist a person with their chainsaw way up in the air. (Of course the ground would still have to be cleared of people, as a branch would be falling down and in case the chainsaw/drone combo malfunctions.)
- JoeAltmaier 11y ago
  Around here, they have used helicopters for years to prune trees away from high-line power lines. That chainsaw is like 10 feet long and hangs straight down from between the skids. The pilot hovers and inches forward alongside the lines, and the tree limbs fly! Its got to be the coolest job ever - helicopter chainsaw operator. I put it above even wrecking ball operator.
  - cmdrfred 11y ago
    Where do you put this then? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV8dk0XucNA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV8dk0XucNA
    - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
      Pretty cool! Still, you have to see the chainsaw in action. And landing it! That was amazing. Had to descend until the (inactive) chainsaw touched the ground. Then land the helicopter in a sort of arc, to lay the rigid chainsaw on the ground without tipping the helicopter nor dragging the blade along the ground. Artistry!
  - danielvf 11y ago
    Here's a video of the helicopter chainsaw http://youtu.be/Mfz1YrpMbBg http://youtu.be/Mfz1YrpMbBg
    - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
OldSchoolJohnny 11y ago
As someone who has personally used a chainsaw for many years I saw that video with interest but realized quickly it's faked. It takes a substantial amount of force on a chainsaw to keep it cutting. A real chain saw is a relatively heavy device. I see no evidence in that video that the chainsaw is in fact cutting anything while only under the forces afforded by the drone. Every cutting shot is from closeup and I did not see a single shot of it cutting from a distance. Either it's very poor choice of editing since it doesn't show what the whole video purports or it's a fake.
- johansch 11y ago
  That is a pretty substantial drone they are using - it looks like the kind that can carry RED ONE cameras, which are about the same weight as the light weight chainsaw they used in the video. Regarding the amount of force required to cut things: they are only cutting snow and small tree branches. I think you are being overly paranoid here.
  - wdmeldon 11y ago
    And balloons. If this was fake, I'd imagine they would have made it more impressive.
  - fezz 11y ago
    Red One with lens was about 13-15 lbs although I don't remember a Red One used on an octocopter. Red Epics were out by then which brought the weight down to under 10lbs. Chain saws without blades are around 10 lbs?
- oliwary 11y ago
  I also believe some scenes are faked - at 1:30 the chainsaw is turned sideways instantly, a maneuver which should not be possible with the gimbal setup they are using, and especially not without moving the center of mass way of balance. Fun video nonetheless! :) EDIT: Although, at 1:54 the rest of the copter can be seen after the cutting. Strange that they would not include any outside view of the cutting or even the chainsaw in a sideways position though.
exabrial 11y ago
So, better than sharknado?
PeterTMayer 11y ago
It is a dangerous experiment. Luckily it only hurt a snowman. :)
ldonley 11y ago
If anyone is interested in some more drone chainsaw action, they should check out when Jamie from Mythbusters attempted to make one of these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fe9IDx3vCs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fe9IDx3vCs He was unable to get it to work effectively or safely, though his drone was not as heavy-duty as the one from this thread.
- maaaats 11y ago
  Could this video be fake, though? Hitting the snowmen in that speed should seriously alter the movement of the drone. And can you get enough force to actually cut through a branch from a drone?
  - ldonley 11y ago
    Based on the video from Jamie, I would say yes, it is probably a fake. But that's just my thought.
weld 11y ago
Combine this with a vulnerability that allows you to take over a professional drone and it could get messy. https://www.blackhat.com/docs/asia-16/materials/asia-16-Rodday-Hacking-A-Professional-Drone.pdf https://www.blackhat.com/docs/asia-16/materials/asia-16-Rodd...
dsugarman 11y ago
the perfect weapon for the next zombie video game
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

77 points by venti 11y ago

amelius 11y ago

Why did this have to be built and can't we just imagine things anymore?

zellyn 11y ago
It appears you've accidentally wandered into hacker news. Welcome!
dustinupdyke 11y ago
Build to think.
gagege 11y ago
Oh, hello Ken M.
746F7475 11y ago
remember this when you are building something next time

chris_wot 11y ago

This article is redirecting me to an error.

prawn 11y ago
If you're also in Australia, popsci.com has some idiotic redirects to popsci.com.au that throw errors when they can't find a localised version of the article you're trying to reach. I don't think I've ever had one actually work.
- chris_wot 11y ago
  Seriously, this deserves an automatic penalty until they fix their issues. Business Insider do the same thing. What's to localise though? We speak English! dang... if you're reading this, anything you can do? Very frustrating for the many Australians who read articles on HN. (a side note: when are U.S. sites going to stop treating Australians as second class citizens? We are a pretty wealthy nation filled with people willing to participate in the online world in a meaningful way, and yet we are constantly screwed over either in terms of pricing or just plain being blocked from stuff we are willing to actually pay good money for).
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
  - strictnein 11y ago
    > a side note: when are U.S. sites going to stop treating Australians as second class citizens? Once we figure out how to digitally accept kangaroo pelts as payment.
    - chris_wot 11y ago
      Cool, so we'll just continue pirating your content and bypassing your filters at record levels then :-)
      - SmkyMt 11y ago
        That's actually a most generous and humane service you provide the world. Seriously.
        chris_wot 11y ago
        I don't know if I agree with the pirating business (I don't do this) but certainly I don't think it's unethical to bypass geoblocking which I find borderline racist - and definitely greedy in the worst sense of the word.
  - prawn 11y ago
reustle 11y ago
Here is a link directly to their video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Viwwetf0gU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Viwwetf0gU

eCa 11y ago

That's kind of the 21st century evolution of this[1]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHuJGhe4oGw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHuJGhe4oGw

cglace 11y ago
I've done some pretty crazy things with a chainsaw but that has to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

xiphias 11y ago

This should be illegal everywhere. I'm really afraid of the not too distant future when drones are cheap and autonomous enough so that they are able to be controlled by a small crazy group and used to harm lots of people. I don't think we as a society are prepared for it.

JoeAltmaier 11y ago
Of course its illegal everywhere to kill people with chainsaws.
- orbitingpluto 11y ago
  Even Texas? (yes I know, I deserve to be downvoted, guilty pleasure)
  - bluejekyll 11y ago
    Depends on if they are looking at you threateningly...
theklub 11y ago
I seriously want to start a drone defense company.
- DanBC 11y ago
  Defending people from drones? Or using drones to defend people? (Or both?)
  - theklub 11y ago
    both but more the former
  - pmalynin 11y ago
    I like the framing you've used there, but mostly military drones are used to "attack" people

afsina 11y ago

I really dislike filmmakers doing this kind of stupid stunts (Ok I admit I hate the film makers tries do deceive even more . Like the idiots who make eagle taking a child or flying wing man etc.). Why not put a Ak-47 or a hand grenade to the damn drone? You would get more attention.

fsloth 11y ago
It is illegal for a civilian to possess automatic weapons or grenades in Finland. Chainsaws are quite legal.
exDM69 11y ago
Some background from a Finnish news article [0]: these guys are experienced, professional RC and drone camera operators and the copter is a professional quality photography drone. They describe the copter as a "5 horsepower circular saw" which is "pretty dangerous even without a chainsaw attached". Indeed, you have to operate such machinery with caution and respect. All in all, it looks like they were operating with caution and in an isolated area without causing any risk to outsiders. Silly and pointless? Yes. Reckless and stupid? Perhaps not. Fun to watch? Hell yes. [0] http://nyt.fi/a1459480177666 http://nyt.fi/a1459480177666
wastedhours 11y ago
I'm always 50/50 on these things. Fun to watch, and whilst I'd be wary of it giving ideas to people who might not be as responsible as the video makers, it also makes sure the general public/regulators know what's possible and how we might curb misuse in the future.

athenot 11y ago

This is something I often thought about, for the purposes of tree pruning. What if you could point a laser-like LED beam to the location you want cut on a 55ft-high pine tree, and have the drone-chainsaw cut that exact location? That would beat using cranes or bucket lifts to hoist a person with their chainsaw way up in the air. (Of course the ground would still have to be cleared of people, as a branch would be falling down and in case the chainsaw/drone combo malfunctions.)

JoeAltmaier 11y ago
Around here, they have used helicopters for years to prune trees away from high-line power lines. That chainsaw is like 10 feet long and hangs straight down from between the skids. The pilot hovers and inches forward alongside the lines, and the tree limbs fly! Its got to be the coolest job ever - helicopter chainsaw operator. I put it above even wrecking ball operator.
- cmdrfred 11y ago
  Where do you put this then? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV8dk0XucNA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV8dk0XucNA
  - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
    Pretty cool! Still, you have to see the chainsaw in action. And landing it! That was amazing. Had to descend until the (inactive) chainsaw touched the ground. Then land the helicopter in a sort of arc, to lay the rigid chainsaw on the ground without tipping the helicopter nor dragging the blade along the ground. Artistry!
- danielvf 11y ago
  Here's a video of the helicopter chainsaw http://youtu.be/Mfz1YrpMbBg http://youtu.be/Mfz1YrpMbBg
  - JoeAltmaier 11y ago

OldSchoolJohnny 11y ago

As someone who has personally used a chainsaw for many years I saw that video with interest but realized quickly it's faked. It takes a substantial amount of force on a chainsaw to keep it cutting. A real chain saw is a relatively heavy device. I see no evidence in that video that the chainsaw is in fact cutting anything while only under the forces afforded by the drone. Every cutting shot is from closeup and I did not see a single shot of it cutting from a distance. Either it's very poor choice of editing since it doesn't show what the whole video purports or it's a fake.

johansch 11y ago
That is a pretty substantial drone they are using - it looks like the kind that can carry RED ONE cameras, which are about the same weight as the light weight chainsaw they used in the video. Regarding the amount of force required to cut things: they are only cutting snow and small tree branches. I think you are being overly paranoid here.
- wdmeldon 11y ago
  And balloons. If this was fake, I'd imagine they would have made it more impressive.
- fezz 11y ago
  Red One with lens was about 13-15 lbs although I don't remember a Red One used on an octocopter. Red Epics were out by then which brought the weight down to under 10lbs. Chain saws without blades are around 10 lbs?
oliwary 11y ago
I also believe some scenes are faked - at 1:30 the chainsaw is turned sideways instantly, a maneuver which should not be possible with the gimbal setup they are using, and especially not without moving the center of mass way of balance. Fun video nonetheless! :) EDIT: Although, at 1:54 the rest of the copter can be seen after the cutting. Strange that they would not include any outside view of the cutting or even the chainsaw in a sideways position though.

exabrial 11y ago

So, better than sharknado?

PeterTMayer 11y ago

It is a dangerous experiment. Luckily it only hurt a snowman. :)

ldonley 11y ago

If anyone is interested in some more drone chainsaw action, they should check out when Jamie from Mythbusters attempted to make one of these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fe9IDx3vCs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fe9IDx3vCs He was unable to get it to work effectively or safely, though his drone was not as heavy-duty as the one from this thread.

maaaats 11y ago
Could this video be fake, though? Hitting the snowmen in that speed should seriously alter the movement of the drone. And can you get enough force to actually cut through a branch from a drone?
- ldonley 11y ago
  Based on the video from Jamie, I would say yes, it is probably a fake. But that's just my thought.

weld 11y ago

Combine this with a vulnerability that allows you to take over a professional drone and it could get messy. https://www.blackhat.com/docs/asia-16/materials/asia-16-Rodday-Hacking-A-Professional-Drone.pdf https://www.blackhat.com/docs/asia-16/materials/asia-16-Rodd...

dsugarman 11y ago

the perfect weapon for the next zombie video game

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]