Phoenix, AZ—I just had to
have one of these things when I learned they could carry my wildly popular high
definition GoPro cameras to new heights capturing previously impossible video.
I now have the Blade 350
quadcopter that I obtained from B&H Photo.
I also now have two GoPro cameras and a large box of accessories
including lots of clever camera mounts.
Two GoPro cameras are not enough for filmmakers that need to cover every
angle. I think I need three more.
Amazon.com just announced
their plan to utilize drones to deliver packages less than five pounds in 30
minutes to our homes. There are some
huge hurdles that may prevent that from ever happening. However the free publicity for Amazon at the
beginning of the Christmas season obviously motivated that announcement.
A drone was recently
discovered being used to deliver drugs and cell phones to prison inmates.
One drone owner friend said
using his drone in Las Vegas enabled him to peer into various hotel windows to
see who was having more fun than he was.
In an era where TV news is
losing its audience to bloggers and other Internet sources drones can cheaply
and easily obtain video images that only incredibly expensive helicopters could previously cover.
The drones can legally be
flown at much lower heights than traditional helicopters. Drones for Electronic
News Gathering or ENG will become routine.
Ranchers and farmers can use
the little drones check on cattle and crops with ease.
Micro-budgets filmmakers can
get those overhead shots from the angles of those expensive cranes and
jibes. Of course the angles and heights
only helicopters could reach are easy for drones to handle.
GPS and operators using line
of sight presently guide the new crop of affordable drones. There
are remote viewing devices including the GoPros alone sending back live video
to tablets and smartphones at a somewhat limited range.
The real estate industry can use
these things to obtain terrific aerial images of the properties they're selling. Building contractors can
inspect their projects at every stage of development.
Mall security workers can
inspect and patrol their vast parking lots by drone.
Research and development into
drone technology is right now in overdrive. A
simple small drone with a GoPro or similar camera like mine can be purchased for around
$1,000.00. There are bigger and more
complex drones with much higher price tags.
I anticipate drones will very
soon be available that can livestream quality video on the Internet for
extended periods for less than $10,000.00 in the near future.
We don’t yet know what laws
will be put into place regulating drones or how they will even begin try and to enforce
them.
The survivalists and anti-government
crowd were complaining about Big Brother using drones to spy on them. The tables are turning because these same
tools can be now be used to spy on Big Brother.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Be relevant, intelligent, and please leave out the four letter words.