TechHaus Volantis

The TechHaus Volantis is an American electric-powered hover vehicle commissioned by pop star Lady Gaga as a "flying dress" in support of her 2013 album Artpop.

For the software company Volantis Systems Ltd, see Volantis.
Volantis
Role Electric-powered hover vehicle
National origin United States
Manufacturer TechHaus
Designer Studio XO[1]
First flight November 10, 2013
Introduction 2013
Status Operational
Primary user Lady Gaga
Number built One

Design and development

Volantis is a remote-piloted hover vehicle capable of carrying a single passenger. It was designed by the UK based agency Studio XO in consultation with drone designer and pilot Gus Calderon and was constructed in the US by TechHaus, the technology branch of Lady Gaga's creative team, the Haus of Gaga. Begun in 2011, it took two years to complete.[2][3]

The design is essentially a scaled-up drone.[2] Six lifting rotor units are mounted on booms in a hexagonal formation radiating from a central hub, giving the device the ability to hover three feet above the ground.[4][5]

A triangular vertical truss made of titanium extends down from the hub, with a circular landing platform at the bottom. A single passenger stands on the platform and is secured to the truss by a safety harness. The harness is in turn covered by a white moulded carbon fiber "dress".[6]

Each rotor unit comprises two concentric and contra-rotating rotors made from carbon fiber composite, driven by electric motors and mounted within a common duct. Power is provided by onboard batteries with a capacity of approximately 250 Ah. The battery system is located at the top of the central column, which helps to minimize the length and weight of power cabling. A remote pilot operates the craft via radio control.[7]

The passenger must wear a safety helmet and has no flight controls.

Operational history

At her ArtRave event in 2013, inside a building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Gaga hosted a press conference at which she introduced Volantis as "the world's first flying dress".[4][5] It has been described by Entertainment Weekly as a "hover dress".[8] At the event, Volantis took off and hovered a few feet (a meter or so) above the stage. It was flown forward a short distance, then brought back and landed.[9]

Gaga had promoted the dress by tweeting earlier in the day, "At 6pm EST today we will beta test VOLANTIS with the world. We invite you into our creative process during her initial stages of lift off."[3] She quipped that the dress was "maybe a small step for Volantis... but a big-time step" for her.[5]

In May 2017 Volantis was scheduled to be displayed in the "Drones: Is the Sky the Limit?" exhibition at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, New York.[10]

Specifications

Data from Hampp, Pallister[4][5][11]

General characteristics

  • Crew: none
  • Capacity: one passenger
  • Diameter: 13 ft 1.1 in (3.990 m)
  • Height: 7 ft 6.4 in (2.297 m)
  • Powerplant: 12 × electric motors powered by 250 Ah batteries and mounted two motors and rotors coaxially per duct unit

Performance

  • Service ceiling: 3 ft (0.91 m)

Avionics

  • Remote piloting control equipment

See also

References

Notes
  1. Dugdale, Addy (November 11, 2013). "Lady Gaga Unveils "Volantis," A Flying Dress". Fast Company. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  2. Cleghorn (2014)
  3. Shenton, Zoe (November 11, 2013). "Lady Gaga debuts flying dress called Volantis at Artpop album launch party". Daily Mirror. London, United Kingdom. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  4. Hampp, Andew; Lipshutz, Jason (November 11, 2013). "Lady Gaga's artRAVE Party: 'ARTPOP' Performance, Flying Dress & Costumes Galore". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  5. Hampp, Andew (November 10, 2013). "Lady Gaga Unveils 'Flying Dress' Volantis". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 14, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  6. Pallister (2014)
  7. "Volantis: The World's First Flying Dress", TechHaus website, 2013. (retrieved 19 June 2020)
  8. Anderson, Kyle (November 11, 2013). "Lady Gaga wears a hover dress, performs 'ARTPOP' songs at Brooklyn artRAVE". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  9. Phillips, Amy (November 12, 2013). "Lady Gaga's artRave: The Beginning of the End of the Extravagant Album Launch?". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on December 12, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  10. Palladino, Valentina (May 11, 2017). "Drones: Is the Sky the Limit showcases drone tech from earliest stages to now". ARS Technica. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  11. Pallister (2014), image of blueprint drawing.

Bibliography
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