In January 2010 I wrote about an amazing radio controlled four rotor helicopter known known as the Parrot AR.Drone, which utilised the iPhone gyroscope, touch screen and built in wifi to produce the most amazing flying toy I’d seen at the time.

Two years have passed and now the GRASP Lab at the University of Pennsylvania with development by KMel Robotics have miniturised the same basic concept to produce nano quadrotor helicopters.

As you’ll see in the video, a lot has changed and they possess some amazing built in technology, such as being able to right themselves when thrown into the air, along with clever algorithms to control moving between obstacles, flying in formation and much more.

I think this is absolutely mind blowing, least of which because they’d make an amazing toy but mainly because it represents a huge leap forward in robots and sensing, a lot like the self driving cars that Google have developed.

Amazing.

After being amazed and inspired by the incredible talent of Danny Macaskill in Industrial Revolutions, the following video by Sebastien Montaz-Rosset of a group of extreme sport fanatics is sure to blow your mind. Following is a trailer for his upcoming 40 minute documentary that is due to be released online in the next few days.

A Dutch artist named Theo Jansen makes kinetic sculptures from PVC pipe that walk along the beach using nothing but wind power and he calls them Strandbeests.

This is some of the most creative and beautiful art I’ve ever seen. I love the strong geometric lines, symmetry and the fact that they move, let alone walk is spectacular.

Following on from the last installment of Danny MacAskill’s Way Back Home and his unbelievable mountain biking, we have his latest video Industrial Revolutions.

The balance Danny has is honestly hard to comprehend, watching him ride along the length of a railway track and doing a 180 spin to land on the opposite track is amazing, though topped by bouncing along the metal ribs on the top of an old train carriage which was blown out of the water by riding along a wobbly steel cable!