Flying robots show tennis skills: viral video spotlight

(2011 YouTube, LLC)

On March 30, YouTube is buzzing with images of two quadrocopters playing what looks like a robotic version of tennis - minus the ball and net.

The video, titled " Quadrocopter Ball Juggling," was added on March 28 and, as of March 30 at 10pm GMT had attracted 350,751 views and been featured on tech and marketing blogs such as Wired, Engadget and Popsci.

Quadrocopters are circular flying machines powered by four upward-facing rotor blades set at equal distance apart. Though flying machines of this type have been designed to carry passengers, the ones featured in the video are much smaller and computer-controlled.

In the video, two computer-controlled quadrocopters with flat mesh surfaces pass a small ball back and forth between them for several minutes.

The makers of the video point out that the machines are controlled using computers and an overhead motion capture system - not by remote control as suggested by some viewers and tweeters.

The full video is available to watch at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CR5y8qZf0Y