TL17DRNFLW
Latest
Hover Camera can now follow and record its owner sans phone
The term "selfie drones" may suggest an added level of convenience, but in reality, these machines still share one common pain point with conventional offerings: they need to be connected to a mobile device for initiation, mode selection and landing. The folks over at Zero Zero Robotics, however, are tackling this issue with a software update for their Hover Camera Passport. As we previewed back at CES, this foldable, fully-enclosed drone is finally getting an "Owner Mode," in which it can follow and record its owner without ever having to turn on the smartphone.
Parrot brings fancy follow-me features to its Bebop 2 drone
With a price tag of $550/£440, Parrot's Bebop 2 drone is aimed at budding pilots who want more than a toy, but can't justify spending four figures and up on a flying camera. The problem with getting something in between, though, is you can't expect all the features of more expensive drones. There are a couple of third-party mobile apps floating about that add auto-follow features to the Bebop 2, but today Parrot is updating its official FreeFlight Pro app with what it claims is the "most accurate and reliable" implementation around.
This drone follows you down the trail after you toss it up in the air
Aerial footage is a nice way to capture those action sports endeavors, and it's even better if you can fit the gear in your backpack. Lily ticks those boxes, and all you have to do to launch it is toss it up in the air. Once airborne, the camera UAV will follow you down the slopes or along the trail thanks to a tracking device that you wear on your wrist (or stuff in a pocket, we'd surmise). It's a similar setup to the Airdog we saw on Kickstarter last year. On board, the drone packs a camera capable of 12-megapixel stills, 1080p footage at 60 frames per second and 720p video at 120 fps. Those optics offer a 94-degree filed of view and the settings can be dialed in with a smartphone app. You can take the thing out on the water too, as the drone is waterproof and floats -- should it land in the rapids.
A first look at Hexo+ -- the slick-looking drone that follows you
If you're in the market for a drone, you won't be short of choices in 2015, if CES is anything to go by. Even if it's one that follows you. Hexo+ is no new kid on the block, though. We actually saw it back in the summer when it launched on Kickstarter the same week as that other follow-you drone, AirDog. A rivalry no doubt heightened by the fact that both campaigns bagged almost identical amounts of money ($1.3 million) in funding. Until now, though, any evidence of a physical Hexo+ had remained out of view. With just the occasional teaser clip of sample video to whet the appetite. Finally, here at CES, we get a look at the drone itself. In the fairly utilitarian world of multirotor-design, it's a stealthy-looking piece of kit. The six sets of rotors give it a more aggressive appearance, and the blue front props add a splash of color. Of course, looks are one thing; another is seeing it do its job. Sadly, that's not possible in the confines of a Las Vegas exhibition hall, but all going well, we'll remedy that later in the week.
AirDog's action sports drone followed me through the desert
If 2014 was the year that drones entered the (deeper) reaches of the mainstream mindshare (thanks to Amazon, among many other things), then 2015 is the year they start getting put to work. Videography is probably the most obvious consumer application -- evidenced by the sheer number of options. AirDog is one such contender, that offers something the others don't -- a wrist-worn "leash" that makes the drone follow you. Let's be clear, there are other drones that can follow things/people; in fact 3D Robotics made this technology available to everyone through open source. AirDog just took it to the next level, created the leash hardware (other systems use a mobile phone), ramped up the game by adding even more sensors to its craft and designed custom flying "profiles" for different action sports. We took it out for a spin in the Nevada desert to see if it could keep up with a quad bike (spoiler: It did).
GoPro-ready Ghost drone touts easy tilt control and auto-follow mode
As a recent South Park episode suggests, Parrot and DJI are the two most recognizable names in the consumer drone market right now, but they are about to face a new contender. Merely three months ago, we met Ehang who showed off its heavy-duty hexacopter at TechCrunch Beijing; and now, the Chinese company is also pushing its more affordable Ghost quadcopter onto Indiegogo. While said drone has been seeded to select e-tailers since April, Ehang co-founder Derrick Xiong said the latest offering is no longer a "beta version," but rather a retail-ready package aimed at the Western market. Most interestingly, the starting price is now just $375 -- a steal when compared to the $679 DJI Phantom 2 with similar specs.
Nixie is a wearable drone that captures your activities on the fly
Remember the dronie? If not, it's a self-taken photograph (sigh, selfie) from a UAV like the Parrot AR Drone 2.0 that provides a bit more creativity than your arm reach allows. Imagine that you can attach that drone to your wrist and launch it instantly, and you have some idea about how the Nixie works. Once aloft, it's designed to detect your presence and fly around you, pointing its camera to film your exploits -- ranging from tourism to mountain climbing, as the video below shows. The project is part of Intel's Make it Wearable contest, and uses an Edison chip to track you and avoid obstacles. For now, it's just a delicate prototype that can fly off your wrist and not do much else. But it's scored a $50,000 finalist prize from Intel, meaning our dream of having aerial footage of all our hum-drum activities could finally come true -- yes, we are that vain.
