Skip to main content

Real-life transformer drone can switch between a helicopter and a truck

real life transformer drone can switch helicopter truck
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s not quite on the level of Optimus Prime, but the AT Black Knight Transformer is still an impressive vehicle nonetheless: it can take to the skies using 8 rotor blades as well as drive through the toughest terrain thanks to the four heavy-duty wheels underneath.

Or at least that’s the plan: its maker Advanced Tactics hasn’t tested the flying capabilities of the vehicle yet, though trial runs are scheduled for the start of 2014. The AT Black Knight Transformer has been put through its paces on land, with the helicopter-style blades folding into the sides of the machine while it’s on the ground.

The vehicle is being developed with the cooperation of the U.S. Army, which is keen to get its hands on a land/air evacuation drone that can get into tight spots without putting the lives of pilots at risk. Automated robot-driven machines like this one can get through weather or contaminated environments that would be hazardous to humans in order to reach the stranded and wounded.

Eventually the Black Knight could be used for cargo delivery as well, chief engineer Rustom Jehangir told Popular Science. “[The army has] done work on this in the past with other platforms, such as the Lockheed Martin K-Max, but our platform will be much less expensive.”

Once the vehicle has picked up passengers, they can take over the controls to drive or fly their way back to safety. One of the clever tricks employed by the Black Knight Transformer is the computerized feedback system that controls its rotor blades, which is much simpler and less expensive than the articulated mechanical systems used in conventional helicopters. What’s more, each of the 8 propulsion engines can be replaced in the field.

“The Black Knight Transformer is designed for autonomous casualty evacuation and manned or unmanned cargo resupply missions,” says the official Advanced Tactics press release. “Its unmanned capabilities keep pilots out of harm’s way, making it the safest casualty evacuation option. The interior volume is comparable to a Blackhawk helicopter, making it well-suited for cargo missions as well.”

Editors' Recommendations

David Nield
Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…
It sounds like utter madness, but you can now buy a flamethrower drone
flamethrower drone throwflame tf 19  3

Here in 2019, flamethrowers are in vogue in a way they haven’t been since Ellen Ripley stormed the Xenomorph hive in 1986’s Aliens. First there was Elon Musk’s “Not a Flamethrower” (which may or may not have been an idea stolen from Pablo Escobar’s brother). Now, a frankly bonkers new fire-shooting creation has been unleashed by the good folks at flamethrower manufacturer Throwflame.

Called the TF-19 WASP Flamethrower Drone, it’s a flamethrower attachment for commercially available drones which, according to its creators, “allows users to ignite aerial and ground targets from miles away.” The remote-operated flamethrower has a 25-foot firing range, and will be available for members of the public to purchase starting tomorrow. What could possibly go awry?

Read more
MIT’s new drone can hover like a quadcopter, soar like a plane
best drones under 100 parrot swing

Whether it’s in science fiction movies or according to the reported sightings of members of the general public, one repeated claim about so-called flying saucers is that they possess an extraordinary degree of maneuverability. One moment they could be hovering, the next moving rapidly vertically and, the next, speeding horizontally like a jet plane. It’s a movement that screams "alien presence" because, frankly, no earthbound vehicle is capable of pulling off such feats.

Of course, that’s exactly the kind of thing that sounds like a challenge to the researchers at MIT’s renowned Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). They have designed a new type of drone which can turn on a dime from hovering like an ordinary quadcopter to swooping and gliding like a fixed-wing airplane. In doing so, they may just have solved solve some of the biggest challenges which exist with modern drones.

Read more
This compact drone gun can down a rogue quadcopter at 500 meters
this compact drone gun can down a rogue quadcopter at 500 meters dronegun mkiii  1

An unprecedented drone incident at one of the world’s busiest airports in December 2018 led to flights being suspended for around 36 hours, which in turn resulted in ruined travel plans for around 140,000 people as well as huge costs for the airport operator and affected airlines.

The problem of rogue drone flights near sensitive locations such as airports and prisons is a growing headache for governments around the world, though slowly but surely various solutions are being designed to combat the illegal flight incursions.

Read more