Spherical Flying Machine Developed by Japan Ministry Of Defense

From Neatorama:

It may not yet teach train young Jedis to use the Force, but you've got to admit that the spherical flying machine developed by Japan Ministry of Defense is pretty cool: The drone can hover like a helicopter and take off and land vertically while maintaining an ability to propel itself forward with wings flying at speeds up to 40 mph. There are three gyro-sensors embedded into the drone to maintain altitude and autopilot even if it's flight path is disrupted. And probably most frightening, it can hit the ground and roll in any direction, then immediately pop back up into mid-air. The cost of parts for the machine is approximately US$1400, and the lead engineer Fumiyuki Sato explained that the parts were purchased off the shelf.

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