aerialphotography
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1960s aerial spy photos reveal hidden archaeological sites
Archaeologists use satellite photos to spot potential archaeological sites, but urban sprawl and other human development has erased many traces of ancient civilizations. To get around that, Harvard's Jason Urs and Emily Hammer from the University of Pennsylvania figured out how to effectively go back in time to when the land was less despoiled. They dug up and archived a trove of U-2 spy photos from the '50s and '60s, eventually finding ancient canals and "desert kite" stone structures built in northern Iraq by the Assyrians up to 8,000 years ago.
Watch a mesmerizing New York flyover shot with a 12K camera
Some folks believe that 8K TV is overkill, but cinematographer Phil Holland just flaunted video of New York City captured in sweeping 12K. He used three RED Weapon Monstro 8K VistaVision cameras (turned sideways) mounted on a special rig called the Shotover K1 Hammerhead. The videos were then stitched together to create a 12K, 48fps film with each frame equivalent to 100 megapixels, using a sensor area roughly equivalent to 645 medium format film.
Hover Camera is a safe and foldable drone that follows you
"Follow me" is an up-and-coming feature on consumer drones, and then you've also got those that are foldable for the sake of portability. Very few devices carry both advantages, but Beijing startup Zero Zero Robotics has already gone further with its Hover Camera. As the name suggests, this drone is mainly for aerial photography and videography, but what makes it even cooler is the fact that its propellers are fully enclosed by a strong carbon fiber frame, thus making it the safest drone we've ever played with. As you can see in our hands-on video after the break, you can literally grab it whenever you like without sacrificing any of your fingers to the drone gods.
FAA slaps drone video firm with record $1.9-million fine
It looks like the FAA is getting serious on unauthorized UAV flying. The department's just slapped SkyPan, a Chicago-based aerial video company, with a record $1.9-million dollar fine for violating flying regulations in its home city, and New York. The FAA states that SkyPan engaged in a total of 65 "unauthorized operations" between March and December 2012 -- 43 of them in NYC's highly restricted airspace.
DJI's sub-$800 drone packs smart features for first-timers
After the Phantom 3 Professional and the Phantom 3 Advanced, DJI's back with an even cheaper drone dubbed Phantom 3 Standard to tempt beginners. It costs just $799, which is $200 less than the Advanced and $460 less than the Professional, but you still get all the essentials: a built-in 3-axis stabilization gimbal, 12-megapixel still image capture (supports RAW shooting), up to 2.7K of video capture at 30 fps and 40 Mbps, video downlink at up to 720p and a slightly longer flight time of up to 25 minutes. The only real downside here is that the Standard can only transmit video back to your phone at up to 1km or 0.62 miles, which is half as much as the other two models.
DJI's Phantom 2 Vision takes a stabilized camera to the sky, we go hands-on (video)
You may not have come across DJI before, but this brand is no stranger in the world of hobbyist drones. Even production studios use the company's gear for aerial videography, but that involves a lot more money than the average consumer can stomach -- DJI's three-axis camera gimbal alone can cost up to $3,500, on top of about $3,000 for its latest six-rotor aircraft. And this is before you include a camera plus a remote control. Fortunately, we now have a more affordable option that still comes with camera stabilization: the Phantom 2 Vision. With a $1,199 price tag, this all-in-one package is aimed at prosumers who are looking for something more serious than, say, Parrot's AR.Drone series. While the latter's designed for entertainment, the Phantom 2 Vision gives you a taste of the advanced maneuverability and camera features from DJI's pro-level products. The relatively light 1.16kg drone features a built-in 14-megapixel camera (with a 1/2.3-inch sensor), which is mounted on a tilt-axis gimbal under the belly. The only bits that need to be installed are the four self-tightening propellers, along with a swappable 57.72Wh battery that lasts up to 25 minutes (but takes from one to two hours to fully charge when depleted).
New construction at Apple's North Carolina data center poses for aerial photographs
Photos courtesy of Wired reveal that Apple's new "tactical" data center at its Maiden, North Carolina facility is well on its way to completion. Captured with the help of a decidedly low-tech airplane -- a 1949 Piper PA-11 Cub Special, if you must know -- the shots feature what appear to be the facade of the $1.9 million, 21,000 square-foot structure that was outed last month. The images also show glimpses of a second 20-megawatt photovoltaic array and what may be the foundations of the complex's planned 4.8-megawatt biofuel cell plant, which will convert biogas into electricity. With Apple's upcoming Reno project getting the rubber stamp of approval, it doesn't seem like the company will run out of construction projects any time soon. Click on through to the source link for the full set of pictures and analysis.
Bing Maps piles on 215TB of new Bird's Eye imagery, proves it's a small world after all
Did you think Microsoft was done with Bing Maps updates after it threw a whopping 165TB of satellite imagery at virtual explorers? You've got another thing coming. The mapping crew in Redmond has thrown another 215TB of data over the fence, this time targeting its Bird's Eye views. Most of the attention is on Australia, Europe, New Zealand and Tokyo, although Microsoft has seen fit to sharpen up some of its US visuals in the process. All told, there's over 88,800 square miles covered by the new and updated aerial shots -- enough to make sure that we'll never have trouble finding Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disneyland.
Google Earth adds balloon and kite aerial imagery, invites you to contribute
Google Earth already offers quite a variety of ways to explore the planet, but the folks in Mountain View never seem content to leave things alone for long. Their latest addition is some aerial imagery of a slightly different sort -- images shot from ordinary balloons and kites. That initial batch of photos comes courtesy of The Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science, which is itself a grassroots effort that anyone can contribute to. And that's apparently what Google hopes folks will do in order to expand the aerial views available -- as Google notes on its Lat Long blog, all that you need to get started is a digital camera and about $100 in parts, plus a little initiative. Complete details on how to start your own DIY mapping effort, or simply explore the options now available, can be found at the links below.
DJI multi-rotor aircraft with Ruling live video feed controller hands-on (video)
Well that's a mouthful. Shenzhen-based DJI Innovations was on hand at NAB today to demonstrate its new hex-rotor aircraft, designed to provide photographers (and videographers) with a low-cost tool for capturing aerial images. The vehicle we saw today, coined Spreading Wings S800 (its rotors retract for storage) is a fairly straightforward multi-rotor aircraft, save for a couple pretty slick enhancements. Even more impressive, however, was DJI's Ruling, a "ground control terminal" that enables you to adjust not only aircraft direction and elevation, but also the camera position, complete with a live video feed as captured by a Sony NEX-5N mounted on a multi-axis camera gimbal. The camera mount is designed to maintain a stable image regardless of the craft's position -- once it's fixed on a subject, it will adjust to retain the pre-selected angle. The Ruling controller is very much still a prototype, with a yet-unpolished military green plastic housing and a built-in LCD. There's also dual joysticks -- one on the left to adjust the camera platform, and a second on the right to control the aircraft itself, letting you climb, descend and turn in every which way with a flick. The duo was very responsive during a brief demonstration, making calculated movements with what looked to be precise accuracy. The video feed was interrupted slightly by the multitude of wireless connections littering the Las Vegas Convention Center airwaves, but reps were still able to verify framing and adjust position -- the aircraft itself never faltered, with a maximum range of 10 kilometers (5km for the video feed, in ideal conditions). The Spreading Wings S800 is available for pre-order now and is expected to ship next month for roughly $8,500. That clever live video controller will cost you another pretty penny, however, with an estimated $5,000 price tag and a TBD ship date. You'll want to take a closer look in the video after the break.
RED ONE mounted to UAV, flown around San Juan Island (Update: false alarm, it's a Panasonic)
Never one to miss a chance to feature action-packed UAV footage on this space, here we have a behind-the-scenes look at the new Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band video for you. While it ain't exactly Hearts of Darkness or Burden of Dreams, sometimes there are more important things than pathos, obsession, and heartbeak -- in this case, up close and personal shots of AerialPan Imaging's custom-built remote control camera rig, complete with mounted RED ONE HD video camera. Not too many technical details for you, but there is enough remote controlled helicopter excitement to make you wish you were on location at San Juan Island with one of these bad boys. Check it out for yourself after the break. Update: As one of our colleagues (and a couple eagle-eyed readers) so graciously pointed out, the camera mounted to the helicopter has the tell-tale markings (peep the on-board mic) of a Panasonic HVX200. Thanks, kids! [Via CNET]
DraganFlyer X4 UAV puts the camera where it needs to be, even when the floor is lava
It's been a while since we've heard from Draganfly, a name familiar to connoisseurs of unmanned aerial photography. The company's latest outing, the DraganFlyer X4, is a four-rotor UAV that measures only 30.5-inches across and since it ships with your choice of either a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580, Watec WAT-902H2 Ultimate (for shooting in low light), FLIR Photon TAU (infrared), or the Highg Res 480 Board Camera (analog motion video with an 8GB DVR), we imagine that this thing ain't going to be cheap. That said, if you are a well-heeled creepy stalker, southern border vigilante, or even someone with legitimate military / industrial business, there are plenty of features to make it worth a second look, including: computerized stabilization, altitude hold (maintains its position in the air without user input), and an automatic landing feature that kicks in if the control link is lost. But most importantly for the airborne auteur, this guy sports a wireless video downlink that sends the viewfinder signal that can be displayed either on the device's handheld controller or a pair of video goggles, allowing real-time manipulation of zoom, tilt, and shutter settings. Get a closer look at the thing after the break.
Microsoft's Vexcel Imaging announces 92-megapixel UltraCamLp
Microsoft's Vexcel Imaging division hasn't exactly caused a whole lot of fanfare during its short time in existence, but it has managed to carved out a nice little niche for itself in the field of aerial cameras, and it's just kicked out its latest model in the form of the 92-megapixel UltraCamLp. Apart from that boost in megapixels, this one looks to be mostly identical to the medium-format UltraCamL that it's based on (pictured above), although it does make use of a smaller 6 μm CCD array that makes that increase in image format possible. Otherwise, you can expect a 1:2.2 pan sharpen ratio, and the ability to collect RGB and NIR in parallel with forward motion compensation by TDI, which will let you use the camera in a whole host of applications ranging from orthophoto production to corridor mapping to lidar integration. No word on price just yet, but it looks like existing UltraCamL users will be eligible for a free upgrade when the UltraCamLp rolls out in November.[Via GIM International, thanks Thijs]
Remote controlled Aeryon Scout snaps stills from above
Though certainly not the first gizmo designed with aerial photography in mind, the Aeryon Scout is a notch above most alternatives. The hovering platform enables users to capture still shots and log digital video from up above, and while it can be controlled remotely, we're also hearing that autonomous navigation isn't totally out of reach. Currently, the device is still looking to escape the prototype stage, but its creators are already eying police forces, security firms and surveying / engineering businesses in hopes of landing a few clients. Considering the stunningly high $30,000 to $50,000 price tag, we'd say they're looking in the right (read: only) direction.[Via Coolest-Gadgets, image courtesy of InventorSpot]
DIY'er crafts affordable gyro-stabilized camera platform
We've definitely seen a camera(phone) holding on for dear life whilst snapping pics of the world below, but an adventurous DIY'er apparently felt the need to conjure up an inexpensive alternative of his own. Aiming to keep the camera steady while the conjoined aircraft moved above, a relatively thin sheet of aluminum, Canon point-and-shoot camera, an "off-the-shelf heading hold gyro (preferably one that resists gyro drift)," and a few utensils were basically all that was needed to finish the job. Best of all, the creator was kind enough to leave us a few templates and words of advice, but for those just window shopping for DIY endeavors, check out the video waiting after the break.[Via HackedGadgets]
Quadrocopter project takes aerial photography open source
While there's already at least one relatively-inexpensive device out there to let you partake in some aerial photography, those not satisfied with ready-made solutions may want to give the OpenSourceQuadroCopter project a look, which (as its name suggests) takes a decidedly more hands-on route. Apparently the result of some 75 developers from around the world, the system is supposedly easy to assemble and, from the looks of it, can be attached to a variety of remote-controlled helicopters. What's more, the system can also be outfitted with a range of add-ons, including a GPS module and a parachute that can be automatically-triggered when the copter runs into danger. While you'll obviously have to supply some of the components yourself, you can order a kit with some of the key parts for just 25 €, or about $34.[Via MAKE:blog]