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Man Supposedly Flies With Custom-Built Bird Wings

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Re: Man Supposedly Flies With Custom-Built Bird Wings

#71

Post by moultano »

twelvechairs wrote: post #68
InclinedPlane wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sooooo fakity fakely fake! It's oh so convenient that the cameraman "happens" to look down and the camera happens to blur (what is it refocusing on?) between the time when the wings are resting on the ground and when they are picked up and ready for the test flight. Then the camera is conveniently moving and keeping things just a tad blurry while the wings start up. If you compare the appearance of the wings before a…

Definitely fake as there is a black square on the right wing in the later (CGI, after the camera has looked up again) images that doesn't exist in the earlier (real) footage. You can clearly see this in the video and your screengrab. From the video it is also obvious that there is no way someone could have stuck that there in the time it took for the camera to turn away and back again.

Wow, thanks. That clinches it for me.

Re: Man Supposedly Flies With Custom-Built Bird Wings

#72

Post by joshmlewis »

iandanforth wrote: post #64

Disclosure: I fell for this. That said here is another red flag: The guys reaction at the end of the video is not one of triumph and excitement. Here are some videos of what real reactions look like: First time skydiving: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v... Breaking a world record: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v... Winning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOcf6oEiRT0&f…

I haven't done anything ^ extreme or cool on that level, but I'm pretty introverted and don't necessarily get excited externally too much. It could be plausible that he's introverted as well and doesn't go crazy like some people. My parents often were upset with me because they didn't think I liked what they got me for my birthday, christmas, etc. but on the inside I really was happy/excited.

So all that to say, everyone handles events differently and it's hard to have a set guideline for how people act.

Re: Man Supposedly Flies With Custom-Built Bird Wings

#73

Post by moultano »

saturn wrote: post #69

This video is fake, that has been established beyond doubt. But CGI, even "prosumer" CGI like this, is really getting better. Even at this level, people are relying on "hints" that a CGI transition has taken place - camera looks away, is obscured, or the picture is blurry. Give it a couple of years and those distracting-from-transition tricks probably won't be necessary any more. Then what?

"If the US could create Avatar, it could fake 9/11" http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/if-us-could-create-avata...

Probably, we won't believe anything.

Re: Man Supposedly Flies With Custom-Built Bird Wings

#74

Post by jQueryIsAwesome »

InclinedPlane wrote: post #51

I made this for a nested comment, I'll bring it up a level. Think this looks real? http://i.imgur.com/YtPMI.png The grass in the second one (suspected CGI) isn't even the same color or saturation level.

My biggest issue is with a piece of the machine that suddenly appears 2 seconds latter: http://i.imgur.com/xZCAu.jpg

Re: Man Supposedly Flies With Custom-Built Bird Wings

#75

Post by Steko »

I've thought about whether we'll start to see things like this soon with composites and nanofibers. I'd love to see the math taken apart, I assume we're still a ways away from it.

The first person to really fly like this may well be a double amputee or other person generally thought of as "disabled". Someone like Bob Wieland would have an enormous advantage on paper over someone like the guy in the video.

Re: Man Supposedly Flies With Custom-Built Bird Wings

#76

Post by marshray »

twelvechairs wrote: post #68
InclinedPlane wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sooooo fakity fakely fake! It's oh so convenient that the cameraman "happens" to look down and the camera happens to blur (what is it refocusing on?) between the time when the wings are resting on the ground and when they are picked up and ready for the test flight. Then the camera is conveniently moving and keeping things just a tad blurry while the wings start up. If you compare the appearance of the wings before a…

Definitely fake as there is a black square on the right wing in the later (CGI, after the camera has looked up again) images that doesn't exist in the earlier (real) footage. You can clearly see this in the video and your screengrab. From the video it is also obvious that there is no way someone could have stuck that there in the time it took for the camera to turn away and back again.

Not saying it isn't fake, but the black squares look like silhouettes of some structure underneath. It could easily change as the fabric moves.

Re: Man Supposedly Flies With Custom-Built Bird Wings

#77

Post by angersock »

JoeCortopassi wrote: post #34

Things that make this video implausible: 1) You have the engineering fortitude to come up with something that has never been done before, and you choose to attach it to your body with a consumer grade backback? And not even a full hiking one with multiple points of attachment? No rock-climbing harness? 2) Fabric is waaay too loose on the wings to be effective in any kind of aerodynamic sense. At best this is a kite 3…

1) Backpack is clearly attached with better-than-normal strapping in front. Watch preflight carefully. EDIT: Look here (http://www.humanbirdwings.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IMG...)

2) If it's a kite and gets off the ground, so what? Worked, didn't it? Also, for wings, it just has to be glider plus produce enough thrust off the flapping to keep it aloft, yeah? We're not making an airplane here. EDIT: Looks like there is an internal core wing structure (http://www.humanbirdwings.net/wp-content/gallery/fixingwings...) with the extra fabric functioning somewhat like secondary feathers.

3) Motors alone aren't made for rapid oscillation--that's why we have other mechanical devices such as cams, pistons, etc. If you listen carefully at liftoff you can hear a highpitched whine, perhaps a small IC engine. EDIT: Confirmed as electric motors using battery packs.

4) You probably just need to change the angle of attack, and maybe dick around with Cg and Cp. So, until I see your numbers, I'm not discounting this out of hand.

5) Where in the press release does it say he uses an Android OS? It says he uses accelerometers from an HTC smartphone, sure, but I didn't see anything about running Android. EDIT: Taking my own advice, look here for system diagram: (http://www.humanbirdwings.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/exp...). He uses one phone per wing, plus additional computation power.

6) So what? That alone isn't implausible.

7) That's probably because this is worth good money in patents. EDIT: Check the website here (http://www.humanbirdwings.net/press/).

Why is it so absurd that this might work?

Re: Man Supposedly Flies With Custom-Built Bird Wings

#78

Post by mhb »

JoeCortopassi wrote: post #34

Things that make this video implausible: 1) You have the engineering fortitude to come up with something that has never been done before, and you choose to attach it to your body with a consumer grade backback? And not even a full hiking one with multiple points of attachment? No rock-climbing harness? 2) Fabric is waaay too loose on the wings to be effective in any kind of aerodynamic sense. At best this is a kite 3…

There's much more information on his site (motors, batteries, drawings): http://www.humanbirdwings.net/.

Maybe it's fake but plenty of effort went into it.

Re: Man Supposedly Flies With Custom-Built Bird Wings

#79

Post by angersock »

Hey, for all you people that are pulling things out from their collective asses, at least criticize from the damned website and press release:

http://www.humanbirdwings.net/press/

Closeup of backpack here:

http://www.humanbirdwings.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IMG...

Re: Man Supposedly Flies With Custom-Built Bird Wings

#80

Post by 6ren »

Conceptually plausible: the cyclic motion of articulated wings (flapping) seems understood in models e.g. http://www.ornithopter.de/english/clips.htm Jarno's idea of a powered exoskeleton wing to provide x20 power is right in principle, but needs light batteries: Prof Otten http://www.humanbirdwings.net/about/interview-with-bert-otte...

As comparison, a human-powered articulated wing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E77j1imdhQ A non-articulated wing http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1638710914506519616 (18km) And the famous Gossamer Albatross flew from England to France http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Albatross Also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithopter#Manned_flight

To the downvoters: haters gonna hate, hackers gonna hack

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