Author: clayt
The Vamp: outdoor bat robot
Friday, April 11th, 2008 @ 10:52 am
Remember those people that brought us the Mosquito. They’ve come back to bring us THE VAMP the worlds smallest RC Ornithopter If your interested you can pick one up for about $40 bucks. I gata say the video they made is a little corny. “Do you Dare Harness the VAMP?!!!”
Heres some additional info for those of you that are interested 
The i-Fly VAMP ™ by Interactive Toy Concepts is set to take the notion of a flying RC Ornithopter to a whole new level. Coming to stores in Fall 2007, the i-Fly VAMP ™ is sure to be a big hit with flying toy enthusiasts of all ages. Packing state-of the-art technology, this toy provides an unparalleled level of control and stability within an in-doors as well as out.
An “Ornithopter” differs from all man-made flying devices in that it flaps its wings to propel itself through the air. This is a form of flight that most resembles the natural abilities of birds. The i-Fly VAMP ™ is styled to resemble a fantasy-inspired bat. At 12″ in width and 10″ in length it is the world’s smallest radio-controlled ornithopter in the form of a bat. The flapping wings mimic the behavior of a bird or an insect, giving the eerie illusion that the toy is alive when it is in flight. In addition, the ability to control the i-Fly VAMP ™ through the use of a digital proportional radio controller gives the illusion that the VAMP flies along an intelligent path. The glowing eyes of the i-Fly VAMP ™ add to its mystique as a supernatural nocturnal creature.
The i-Fly VAMP ™ has a built in lithium polymer battery which is charged by mounting it on the integrated charger/ controller. With 20 — 30 minutes of charging, flights of 10+ minutes can be attained. Once in the air, the i-Fly VAMP ™ has a natural forward motion. It is very easy to control the flight by the movement of two sticks on the controller. The left stick allows for digital proportional speed control and the right stick allows for the control of the direction. Due to this ubiquitous control method, it is very common for users to pick up and fly the i-Fly VAMP ™ with little or no learning curve allowing for instant gratification.
and a summarized version:
Compacted into a 12” wingspan, the i-Fly VAMP™ is the world’s smallest R/C ornithopter, all
the while maintaining pure flying control in both indoor and outdoor settings. Using a built-in
lithium polymer battery, a simple 20-30 minute charge allows the i-Fly VAMP™ a soaring
flight time of more then 10 minutes.
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May 1st, 2008 at 7:03 am
The iFly Vamp is a great toy and very well designed for an ornithopter. The ingenious control method makes it fly probably better than any other RC ornithopter out today.
Other options for finding almost any available “mechanical bird” can be found at the Ornithopter Zone (www.ornithopter.org)
If you’re interested in the research side of ornithopters, check out my blog (http://ornithopters.wordpress.com/)