New Multi-Function Unmanned Vehicle
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עברית (Hebrew)
Unmanned aerial vehicles are usually capable of performing various tasks as they fly through the air, some unmanned vehicles can perform missions at sea, but most of them are limited to just one terrain: either land, air or sea. Now the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is working on an unmanned vehicle that can perform tasks in two terrains: both water and sea. The Flimmer (a combinations of flying and swimmer) is actually a combination of aerial capabilities with an ability to dive. The vehicle flies towards its target and soon before reaching it, it lands on water and dives in to get closer to it.
The technology for the Flimmer was in part already developed by the U.S. Navy for unmanned vehicles to dive underwater. This special vehicle moves underwater with four fin-like winglets that allow movement backwards and forwards. The technology developed especially for the Flimmer allows it to analyze in real-time, with no human interference, the area around it and adjust direction accordingly, as well as speed so as not to crash into objects or be damaged by sea currents that might make it harder for it to move underwater, say U.S. Navy officials.
The team of researchers who developed the Flimmer encountered several setbacks during development. One of the main problems was the difficulty positioning the fins meant for swimming underwater in a way that they won’t interfere with the aerodynamics during flight, and on the other hand positioning the wings meant for flight in a way that they won’t interfere with the hydrodynamics during the dive.
