One beer . . . to go

Dan Bersak

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Sure, you could just get up and get yourself a beer. But isn't this more fun? Yale engineers have developed an unmanned flying vehicle, aka a drone, that can touch as well as look. The Yale Aerial Manipulator is a powerful, toy-sized helicopter equipped with a robotic "hand" on its underbelly. According to Aaron Dollar, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering whose lab created the device, potential uses include "object retrieval, high-speed courier services, intelligence gathering, and explosives disposal." A video posted at Technology Review’s website concentrates on the object retrieval: a red cylinder, a wooden block, and, finally, a can of Guinness (above). Patience is rewarded.