(#133-1) February 12 2015. Yet again the Swiss demonstrate what added value means. They keep on coming up with clever products which justify a price premium but cost little more to make. This is no accident. It’s a cultural thing based upon a highly educated, attuned, outward-looking—and constantly learning—population. We, in turn, could learn a great deal from their approach. The answers are out there.

DRONES REALLY ARE GOING TO CHANGE OUR WORLD (sometimes for the better)

AND SOME ARE MORE INGENIOUS THAN OTHERS

THE INCREDIBLY INGENIOUS FLYABILITY GIMBALL DRONE

The Gimball is a twin reciprocating rotor copter inside a protective carbon fiber cage. This allows it to bump into things but continue flying—and it also makes it safe for people to handle.

The initial idea is for it to be used in disaster situations where debris makes it very difficult to avoid bumping into something.

Will the cage, itself, get caught? Well clearly it could—but the overall advantages of the thing are still substantial. But the Gimball is less likely to stay snagged than it seems because the cage rotates as it flies.

Are the weight and drag of the cage problematic? It appears the advantages dominate.

The developers are the Swiss company Flyability. The company has just won $1 million prize in the International Competition Drones for Good Award.

Truly amazing things are happening in the aviation world these days—and they are a pleasure to write about. Human ingenuity—a truly inadequately tapped resource—fascinates and inspires me.

There are no borderlines where creativity is concerned. Whether the endeavor is in the arts or in engineering, creativity is creativity. It lifts the soul.

VOR words 211.

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