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I'm pretty sure there's values to that activity beyond having photographic registrations to show afterwards. (I'm also not convinced the little ball of cuteness is anywhere close to matching their choice of scenes yet)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
From a related video: the reaction wheels spin up while keeping total angular momentum at zero, then apply a rapid (magnetic) brake to transfer the momentum to the body (from the wheels). I'm assuming if you do that precisely enough (and in three dimensions), you can generate linear movement. EDIT: I'm probably very wrong about the movement. EDIT: The video: https://youtu.be/n_6p-1J551Y
The system in the (cool) video is in contact with a table. The table exerts a "normal" force on the cube, allowing a change in vertical momentum. If the system in question is the cube alone, this is an external force. This method could be used if the drone were cubic and near a wall of the space-station, by kicking off of the wall. That could get it moving, but until it hit the opposite wall, there's nothing it could…
Love the robot, but I'm uncomfortable at what I see as an implication in the article that now the astronauts should stop taking pictures and do more productive things instead. I'm pretty sure there's values to that activity beyond having photographic registrations to show afterwards. (I'm also not convinced the little ball of cuteness is anywhere close to matching their choice of scenes yet)
2 of those working hours each day are blocked out for exercise, too, so this should be a real boon.
I can understand how it rotates, but how does it moves? as in going from one module to the next one?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Imagine holding up a bicycle in the air from the midpoint. Now spin both wheels in opposite directions. No movement. Now apply one brake. Now you have movement. Now do that in three dimensions with precision and you have this thing. Conservation of momentum applies when there are "no external forces", which wouldn't be the case here when you apply the brake. EDIT: Yeah, my apologies. I didn't mean to write "momentum"…
though less technical, "movement" implies "momentum", no? In the person + bike system, the brake action would result in internal forces. I don't see how this system could translate.
Thinking about it, the bicycle would only rotate about the center unless it had something to react against, as was pointed out by others.
and no word on how it moves. even bbc is going downhill :(
Forgive the stupid question: what makes the use of reaction wheels and fans preferred over fans installed at different angles? Energy efficiency or fan reliability perhaps?
Haro v0.1