Monday, June 16, 2014

Autonomous camera drone lets you shoot your own action scenes

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/15/hexoplus-autonomous-camera-drone/

Hexo+ captures an extreeeeeeme biker

If you want to record a bike ride or some other adventure by yourself, you typically have to wear an action camera. Going that route is fine for a first-person view, but what if you want some more dramatic shots? That's where Hexoplus' crowdfunded Hexo+ camera drone comes into play. The robotic hexacopter captures aerial footage of your expeditions simply by detecting where you are (or rather, where your phone is) and following along -- you only have to set a preferred distance. It's fast (43MPH) and stabilized, too, so it should keep up even if you're racing across hilly terrain.

Should you like the idea of starring in your own sports movie, you'll need to pledge at least $499 if you want a Hexo+ and already have a GoPro camera on hand; $699 will get you both the craft and a camera. That's a lot of money just to get yourself in the frame, but it might be worthwhile if it gives you the production quality you usually only see from a big studio. You'd better hope that the FAA gets its drone rules in order before Hexoplus' planned May 2015 ship date, though. After all, you don't want to get into a legal battle over your airborne magnum opus.

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Source: Hexoplus, Kickstarter