5 ms·

Levitator 1: copter flys from the tips

doctor_eval 4y ago
It’s just so slow and graceful somehow.
ncmncm 4y ago
I love it. It reminds me of the "mapleseed" machine that has just one blade, instead, and the whole vehicle rotates. Probably it could have been easier to build if each blade had its own battery, and the flight controller would communicate with blades via radio, eliminating the commutator. Or even put a controller on each, all getting the same R/C input. Or the controller and battery rotate with the rotor, and the only bearing is on the landing gear. The more usual method for this kind of vehicle has a rocket motor at each tip, fueled by high-purity H2O2 going through a catalytic metal sponge before the nozzle, pressurized by centripetal acceleration from a tank at the hub. But those are notoriously noisy.
- kevin_thibedeau 4y ago
  With spinning batteries you have to burn energy fighting their inertia whenever the rotor speed changes.
  - ncmncm 4y ago
    At the hub, and at 1 RPS? Minimal.
neals 4y ago
So could you power the smaller propellers by even smaller propellers?
- zw123456 4y ago
  Propellers all the way down.
75central 4y ago
Reminds me of a tip jet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_jet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_jet
- knodi123 4y ago
  Reminds the creator, too, which is why at 2:38 he said "so, it's sort of a tip jet".
Greg_hamel 4y ago
Wonder if it is capable of flight out of ground effect. The video shows a flight height above ground roughly below the rotor diameter which could mean it is still in ground effect.
- lisper 4y ago
  Ground effect happens up to about half the wingspan, or about the length of one blade in the case of a rotorcraft. If you look at the 8:50 mark it seems to me that it's well above that (albeit not for very long). So yes, I think it's capable of free flight.
andrewl 4y ago
He posted a 35-minute followup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07jEAaAj1VA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07jEAaAj1VA
sambeau 4y ago
His video on driving his inflatable car on a lake is just beautiful. I've watched it a few times, now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMEtX0duGUg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMEtX0duGUg
killjoywashere 4y ago
Made me think about possible gravitational environment for space travel. Use solar wind to drive rotation of enormous blades, with living quarters at tips. Everything held tight with guy wires, propulsion on axis, potentially have rotational control thrusters on the blades.
- MH15 4y ago
  Someday.
- KineticLensman 4y ago
  > Use solar wind to drive rotation of enormous blades, with living quarters at tips. The sails would have to be constructed from some sort of ultra-strong unobtanium for this to work, or be so heavy that sunlight would not deliver the energy required.
- vbezhenar 4y ago
  Why do you need solar wind? Just use whatever engine you're using for moving this spacecraft.

It’s just so slow and graceful somehow.

I love it. It reminds me of the "mapleseed" machine that has just one blade, instead, and the whole vehicle rotates. Probably it could have been easier to build if each blade had its own battery, and the flight controller would communicate with blades via radio, eliminating the commutator. Or even put a controller on each, all getting the same R/C input. Or the controller and battery rotate with the rotor, and the only bearing is on the landing gear. The more usual method for this kind of vehicle has a rocket motor at each tip, fueled by high-purity H2O2 going through a catalytic metal sponge before the nozzle, pressurized by centripetal acceleration from a tank at the hub. But those are notoriously noisy.

kevin_thibedeau 4y ago
With spinning batteries you have to burn energy fighting their inertia whenever the rotor speed changes.
- ncmncm 4y ago
  At the hub, and at 1 RPS? Minimal.

neals 4y ago

So could you power the smaller propellers by even smaller propellers?

zw123456 4y ago
Propellers all the way down.

75central 4y ago

Reminds me of a tip jet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_jet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_jet

knodi123 4y ago
Reminds the creator, too, which is why at 2:38 he said "so, it's sort of a tip jet".

Greg_hamel 4y ago

Wonder if it is capable of flight out of ground effect. The video shows a flight height above ground roughly below the rotor diameter which could mean it is still in ground effect.

lisper 4y ago
Ground effect happens up to about half the wingspan, or about the length of one blade in the case of a rotorcraft. If you look at the 8:50 mark it seems to me that it's well above that (albeit not for very long). So yes, I think it's capable of free flight.

andrewl 4y ago

He posted a 35-minute followup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07jEAaAj1VA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07jEAaAj1VA

sambeau 4y ago

His video on driving his inflatable car on a lake is just beautiful. I've watched it a few times, now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMEtX0duGUg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMEtX0duGUg

killjoywashere 4y ago

Made me think about possible gravitational environment for space travel. Use solar wind to drive rotation of enormous blades, with living quarters at tips. Everything held tight with guy wires, propulsion on axis, potentially have rotational control thrusters on the blades.

MH15 4y ago
Someday.
KineticLensman 4y ago
> Use solar wind to drive rotation of enormous blades, with living quarters at tips. The sails would have to be constructed from some sort of ultra-strong unobtanium for this to work, or be so heavy that sunlight would not deliver the energy required.
vbezhenar 4y ago
Why do you need solar wind? Just use whatever engine you're using for moving this spacecraft.