Abstract
A small battery-powered helicopter with a total weight of about 200 g and a rotor diameter of about 35 cm has been developed. Some indoor flights were performed without a human operator using a transmitter. The helicopter is capable of autonomous hovering flight near walls when IR range finders mounted on it are used to measure distances to walls and the floor. Four mounted photodetectors permit two maneuvers. In the first maneuver, the helicopter can follow a moving light. So it can be controlled simply by moving a light, and can follow a robot or a person carrying a light. In the second maneuver, the helicopter flying over a first light can fly towards a second light, when the first light is turned off and the second light is turned on. The position of the helicopter can be controlled by successively switching (on and off) lights in a row.
