Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Finnish Filmmakers Gave a Drone a Chainsaw

popsci.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 59 posts

Re: Finnish Filmmakers Gave a Drone a Chainsaw

#21

Post by chris_wot »

prawn wrote: post #7
chris_wot wrote: post #5

This article is redirecting me to an error.

If you're also in Australia, popsci.com has some idiotic redirects to popsci.com.au that throw errors when they can't find a localised version of the article you're trying to reach. I don't think I've ever had one actually work.

Seriously, this deserves an automatic penalty until they fix their issues. Business Insider do the same thing.

What's to localise though? We speak English!

dang... if you're reading this, anything you can do? Very frustrating for the many Australians who read articles on HN.

(a side note: when are U.S. sites going to stop treating Australians as second class citizens? We are a pretty wealthy nation filled with people willing to participate in the online world in a meaningful way, and yet we are constantly screwed over either in terms of pricing or just plain being blocked from stuff we are willing to actually pay good money for).

Re: Finnish Filmmakers Gave a Drone a Chainsaw

#22

Post by danielvf »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #13
athenot wrote: post #12

This is something I often thought about, for the purposes of tree pruning. What if you could point a laser-like LED beam to the location you want cut on a 55ft-high pine tree, and have the drone-chainsaw cut that exact location? That would beat using cranes or bucket lifts to hoist a person with their chainsaw way up in the air. (Of course the ground would still have to be cleared of people, as a branch would be fall…

Around here, they have used helicopters for years to prune trees away from high-line power lines. That chainsaw is like 10 feet long and hangs straight down from between the skids. The pilot hovers and inches forward alongside the lines, and the tree limbs fly! Its got to be the coolest job ever - helicopter chainsaw operator. I put it above even wrecking ball operator.

Here's a video of the helicopter chainsaw

http://youtu.be/Mfz1YrpMbBg

Re: Finnish Filmmakers Gave a Drone a Chainsaw

#23

Post by OldSchoolJohnny »

As someone who has personally used a chainsaw for many years I saw that video with interest but realized quickly it's faked. It takes a substantial amount of force on a chainsaw to keep it cutting. A real chain saw is a relatively heavy device. I see no evidence in that video that the chainsaw is in fact cutting anything while only under the forces afforded by the drone. Every cutting shot is from closeup and I did not see a single shot of it cutting from a distance. Either it's very poor choice of editing since it doesn't show what the whole video purports or it's a fake.

Re: Finnish Filmmakers Gave a Drone a Chainsaw

#24

Post by johansch »

OldSchoolJohnny wrote: post #23

As someone who has personally used a chainsaw for many years I saw that video with interest but realized quickly it's faked. It takes a substantial amount of force on a chainsaw to keep it cutting. A real chain saw is a relatively heavy device. I see no evidence in that video that the chainsaw is in fact cutting anything while only under the forces afforded by the drone. Every cutting shot is from closeup and I did n…

That is a pretty substantial drone they are using - it looks like the kind that can carry RED ONE cameras, which are about the same weight as the light weight chainsaw they used in the video.

Regarding the amount of force required to cut things: they are only cutting snow and small tree branches.

I think you are being overly paranoid here.

Re: Finnish Filmmakers Gave a Drone a Chainsaw

#25

Post by JoeAltmaier »

danielvf wrote: post #22
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Around here, they have used helicopters for years to prune trees away from high-line power lines. That chainsaw is like 10 feet long and hangs straight down from between the skids. The pilot hovers and inches forward alongside the lines, and the tree limbs fly! Its got to be the coolest job ever - helicopter chainsaw operator. I put it above even wrecking ball operator.

Here's a video of the helicopter chainsaw http://youtu.be/Mfz1YrpMbBg

Wow very different. Mine had no cable or a very short one - the chainsaw was directly under the helicopter.

Re: Finnish Filmmakers Gave a Drone a Chainsaw

#26

Post by wastedhours »

afsina wrote: post #10

I really dislike filmmakers doing this kind of stupid stunts (Ok I admit I hate the film makers tries do deceive even more . Like the idiots who make eagle taking a child or flying wing man etc.). Why not put a Ak-47 or a hand grenade to the damn drone? You would get more attention.

I'm always 50/50 on these things. Fun to watch, and whilst I'd be wary of it giving ideas to people who might not be as responsible as the video makers, it also makes sure the general public/regulators know what's possible and how we might curb misuse in the future.

Re: Finnish Filmmakers Gave a Drone a Chainsaw

#27

Post by DanBC »

theklub wrote: post #17
xiphias wrote: post #9

This should be illegal everywhere. I'm really afraid of the not too distant future when drones are cheap and autonomous enough so that they are able to be controlled by a small crazy group and used to harm lots of people. I don't think we as a society are prepared for it.

I seriously want to start a drone defense company.

Defending people from drones?

Or using drones to defend people?

(Or both?)

Re: Finnish Filmmakers Gave a Drone a Chainsaw

#28

Post by Roboprog »

theklub wrote: post #17
xiphias wrote: post #9

This should be illegal everywhere. I'm really afraid of the not too distant future when drones are cheap and autonomous enough so that they are able to be controlled by a small crazy group and used to harm lots of people. I don't think we as a society are prepared for it.

I seriously want to start a drone defense company.

DoD won't appreciate the competition :-)

Re: Finnish Filmmakers Gave a Drone a Chainsaw

#30

Post by [deleted] »

chris_wot wrote: post #21
prawn wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're also in Australia, popsci.com has some idiotic redirects to popsci.com.au that throw errors when they can't find a localised version of the article you're trying to reach. I don't think I've ever had one actually work.

Seriously, this deserves an automatic penalty until they fix their issues. Business Insider do the same thing. What's to localise though? We speak English! dang... if you're reading this, anything you can do? Very frustrating for the many Australians who read articles on HN. (a side note: when are U.S. sites going to stop treating Australians as second class citizens? We are a pretty wealthy nation filled with people…

[deleted]
Post reply on HN