The fastest, most painless way to learn this information by far is by taking a course to guide you through the process.
427 Drone Safety Day 2023
Drone Safety Day is April 29, a drone that changes shape, jump-starting your car with a drone, Florida bans DJI from government agencies, decision-making for small UAVs, drones that work together without colliding, adding VTOL to a fixed-wing drone, agave farmers saving water, land a drone in Red Square.
UAV News
Drone Safety Day
Drone Safety Day is Saturday, April 29, 2023. The annual campaign is dedicated to educating the drone community on the importance of flying safely. You can download the 2023 Drone Safety Day Playbook and 2023 Drone Safety Day Flyer. You can also visit the Drone@Home page to find ideas to participate at home. Register your event.
Crazy shapeshifting drone inspired by dragons forces itself around objects
University of Tokyo graduate students created drone prototypes that can rearrange into different structural shapes midair. The drones have individual segments with multi-axis gimbal systems. Each segment has its own propulsion unit, that can thrust in any direction. The drones can change their configuration to hold or move objects. They’ve also developed the SPIDAR quadruped robot that has joints in each leg and can fly.
Could Drones Come Jump Start Your Car When You’re Stranded? Ford’s New Patent
This patent contemplates drones that assist motorists stranded with a dead battery. The Ford vehicle would transmit a “dead battery” signal and its location then a drone would fly to the vehicle, open the hood, connect to the battery, and jump-start the vehicle.
Despite police outcry, DeSantis administration bans Chinese drones
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is forbidding government agencies from using drones manufactured by DJI. Only drones made by a small number of “approved manufacturers” can be purchased. Agencies have until January 1, 2023, to stop using drones not on the list. Many departments have already grounded their fleets. They told lawmakers that the Florida-approved drones are far more expensive and much less capable.
Sen. Tom Wright, R-New Smyrna Beach said, I’m not going to let one officer risk his life or her life because somebody thinks that these things talk to China. I cannot imagine what China would really want to see when we pull over a DUI, when we stop a speeding car, when we arrest somebody for an outstanding warrant.”
Making the skies safer with smarter drones
University of Notre Dame computer scientists and engineers are developing an automated decision-making system for small drones under a $5.3 million 3-year NASA grant. Notre Dame will enhance NASA’s current drone traffic management system and develop decision-making software that permits or denies flight requests by evaluating a drone’s safety track record, equipment readiness, operator preparedness, and maintenance procedures.
MIT researchers create algorithm to stop drones from colliding midair
The Robust MADER system lets drones work together without collisions. Each drone calculates its own trajectory and checks with nearby drones to be sure it won’t collide with any of them. The system is an asynchronous, decentralized, multiagent trajectory planner. By broadcasting both the newly optimized trajectory and the committed trajectory, and by performing a delay check step, RMADER is able to guarantee safety even with communication delays. The new system has been validated through simulation and hardware flight experiments. A 100% success rate of collision-free trajectory generation was achieved.
FLARES system gives non-VTOL drones a VTOL boost
The Flying Launch and Recovery System (or FLARES) turns a fixed-wing drone into a VTOL. The FLARES aircraft is a multicopter drone with four propeller arms. A mechanism on the underside clasps onto the body of a fixed-wing drone. The pair then rise vertically. At altitude, FLARES releases the fixed-wing drone. FLARES is manufactured by Hood Tech and was primarily designed for use on ship decks.
Boeing’s Insitu subsidiary offers a package that includes its Integrator fixed-wing drone and Hood’s FLARES system. Integrator flight time is reportedly up to 16 hours with a maximum payload of 40 lb (18 kg). Insitu says that payload capacity would be lower if Integrator had its own integrated VTOL system.
Video: Integrator VTOL joins Insitu’s best-in-class products & technology
Diageo Drones Improve Efficiency of Tequila Farming in Mexico
Tequila producer Diageo started using drones in 2022 to identify agave plants that need pesticides, fertilizer, and water. The 2022 pilot developed the flying skills of the agave planters and introduced more efficient farming practices with environmental benefits.
The drones work in pairs: One identifies plants that need attention and collects agave growth data while the other dispenses a water, fertilizer, and pesticide mix. Water use is dropping by two-thirds.
Video: Society 2030 | Introducing drones to drive efficient tequila farming | Diageo
Ukraine launches competition to land a drone on Red Square during Russian military parade
May 9, 2023, marks Victory Day in Russia and parades celebrate the Soviet victory in World War II. To help “celebrate,” a competition with a cash prize was launched for landing a UAV in Red Square that day. A bank co-founder who is also the developer of the Dovbush drone said, “I am officially awarding a prize to a Ukrainian UAV manufacturer, whose aircraft, with the help of the military, of course, will fly and land on Red Square in Moscow on May 9”. The prize fund is currently £440,000 and there is an open invitation for those who would like to contribute to the fund.
426 ADS-B Spoofing
uAvionix detects ADS-B spoofing, racing drones are delivering explosives, an aerial tanker that autonomously guides and controls multiple drones, self-flying F-16s that test loyal wingmen, the Condor heavy-lift UAV wins its first customer, a new mini light tactical UAS, and Archer Aviation and United Airlines plan air taxi service in Chicago.
UAV News
uAvionix Announces truSky ADS-B Spoofing Detection for SkyLine UAS BVLOS Operations
uAvionix offers its SkyLine UAS BVLOS service to manage the command and control infrastructure and assets across diverse frequency and radio types. Now the company is introducing truSky ADS-B spoofing detection for Skyline. It validates that a particular ADS-B signal is actually coming from an aircraft, and not being broadcast to spoof the signal.
ADS-B spoofing can be used for nefarious purposes and interferes with ATC and detect and avoid systems. It compromises airspace awareness and risks airspace safety and security.
uAvionix truSky works with a network of low-cost dual-frequency ADS-B ground receivers. The aircraft’s signal is confirmed to come from the aircraft’s position. With multiple sensors, truSky backward calculates the aircraft’s position and compares it to the position stated in the ADS-B transmission. When used with the uAvionix SkyLine platform, aircraft are color-coded based on confidence scores.
How racing drones are used as improvised missiles in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine seems to be demonstrating the use of drones in a conflict like never before. Ukraine is even using racing drones as loitering munitions. In a video released last year, a racing drone dives through an open doorway into a building occupied by Russian troops and explodes. There is even a Ukrainian military drone team called Angry Birds. They say they carry out half a dozen racing-drone attacks a day.
Airbus tanker plane takes autonomous control of multiple drones
Airbus Defence and Space has autonomously guided and controlled drones using an A310 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) flying testbed. The technology is called Auto’Mate, which cuts down on crew fatigue, human error, and training costs. This is seen as a milestone on the way to fully Autonomous Formation Flight and Autonomous Air-to-Air Refueling (A4R).
US Air Force plans self-flying F-16s to test drone wingmen tech
The Air Force plans a fleet of at least 1,000 collaborative combat aircraft, or CCA. But you can’t have loyal wingmen without trusted autonomy, so the service has asked for $50 million to start Project Venom (Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model). The project would let the Air Force experiment with six F-16s to test and refine the autonomous software.
Drone Delivery Canada sells its first Condor heavy-lift UAV
Drone Delivery Canada sold their first Condor heavy-lift UAV to the Transport Canada agency. The sale was valued at CAD $1.2 million ($880,000) and the company will provide operating and testing support. Air Canada was the sales agent brokering the deal. The Condor is 22 feet long, five feet wide, and seven feet tall with a cargo capacity of 400 pounds. The range is just over 124 miles and the operating speed is nearly 75 mph.
SURVEY Copter Unveils ‘CAPA-X’ Modular VTOL UAV
At the SOFINS Special Forces exhibition, SURVEY Copter presented a new light tactical UAS called the CAPA-X [PDF]. It features a modular design: Propulsion can be configured for VTOL or HTOL and the payload bay can integrate different types of sensors. Either short or long wings can be configured for hovering at high cruising speeds, or for increased flight autonomy. SURVEY Copter has been an Airbus subsidiary since 2011. They design, produce, and provide operational support for light tactical UAS.
Archer Aviation and United Airways Establish Air Taxi Route in Chicago
The companies announced their plans to launch an air taxi service in Chicago in 2025. Passengers will fly a 10-minute trip between O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Vertiport Chicago. Archer Aviation has flown its prototype, the “Maker” and the production aircraft is the “Midnight.” Archer plans to deploy 6000 aircraft By 2030.
Video: United and Archer Announce Next UAM Route: Chicago
425 Drone Delivery Network
Alphabet’s Wing subsidiary wants a drone delivery network, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces consider using drones to intercept aircraft, DJI is reportedly dropping AeroScope, U.S. Senators want an assessment of DJI security risks, cardboard drones from Australia are going to Ukraine, the USAF has plans for 1,000 loyal wingmen drones, Zipline’s next-generation aircraft, and Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercept a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper.
UAV News
Google company unveils drone delivery-network ambition
Alphabet’s Wing subsidiary is delivering up to 1,000 packages a day in Australia, but to scale up to millions of deliveries daily, Wing says it needs to develop a network service. The Wing Delivery Network would enable the management of large numbers of drones. This would consist of three hardware elements:
- The delivery drones.
- Pads where drones take off, land, and recharge their batteries.
- Autoloaders that allow companies to leave packages for collection.
Delivery drones would travel from pad to pad (or node to node) rather than use fixed routes that return to a “home base” after each delivery.
Video: The Wing Drone Delivery Network
Japan weighs using drones to chase away foreign aircraft
Chinese military flights in the East China Sea have increased and scrambling jets is expensive for Japan. So the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JDSF) are thinking about using drones instead, either the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 or the MQ-9 Reaper. It’s estimated that scrambling manned jets costs 40 times more than sending drones. The JSDF will first train its forces to use drones to identify foreign warships. If that proves successful, drones would be used to identify fast-approaching aircraft. Then if the threat is significant, the JSDF would send manned aircraft.
DJI quietly discontinues its drone-detecting AeroScope system
According to The Verge, the DJI AeroScope product page displays a pop-up that reads: “The Aeroscope is no longer in production. For the latest in DJI technology, please view our product recommendations below.” AeroScope is a drone detection platform that identifies UAV communication links and gathers information in real time like flight status, paths, and other information.
Senators Request Cyber Safety Analysis of Chinese-Owned DJI Drones
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators is asking the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to conduct an investigation and evaluate potential risks associated with DJI drones. In its letter, the Senators say, “Identification of this relationship between DJI and the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] suggests a range of risks to U.S. operators of the technology, including that sensitive information or data could wind up in PLA hands.”
Paper Planes? Ukraine Gets Flat-Packed Cardboard Drones From Australia
SYPAQ announced it is shipping its Corvo drones to Ukraine. The drones come in flatpack form and the bodies are made of waxed cardboard. The autonomous Corvo PPDS has been shown to be simple to construct using only a glue gun, knife, pen, tape, and perhaps rubber bands. Only one tool is needed to attach the propeller. Corvo Autonomous Systems provides a family of autonomous systems for both military and commercial applications.
US Air Force eyes fleet of 1,000 drone wingmen as planning accelerates
The USAF has big plans for loyal wingmen drones – perhaps 1,000 of them. The Air Force plans to ask Congress for funding for the collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program in the fiscal 2024 budget, as well as the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. The Air Force estimates two CCAs for each of 200 NGAD platforms, and two CCAs for each of 300 F-35s.
Zipline unveils P2 delivery drones that dock and recharge autonomously
Zipline is showing their next-generation aircraft, called the Platform 2 or P2 Zip with an eight-pound payload and a ten-mile radius. It can land a package on a space as small as a table or doorstep. The original P1 Zip has a greater range but requires more space for takeoff, landing, and package delivery. The P2 has both lift and cruise propellers for quiet operation and better maneuverability. It can dock at a charging station and power up autonomously. Zipline says they’ve flown more than 38 million miles with its autonomous delivery drones.
Video shows moment Russian fighter jet hits US drone over Black Sea
Two Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jets intercepted a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, dumped fuel on the drone, and struck and damaged the MQ-9s propeller.
424 Personal eVTOL
Another personal eVTOL, cops flying BVLOS, military drones with facial recognition, a lethal drone designed in Australia, the Lilium Jet eVTOL, and moving air quietly.
UAV News
Is this one-seat flying saucer the future of flight?
ZEVA Aero designs and builds electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles. The company’s flagship product is the Argon, based on a pre-existing airframe. But their Zero is a personal eVTOL for one person. It launches with the pilot standing, but the position is prone in horizontal flight. The 8-foot-wide flying saucer-shaped aircraft uses 8 propellers and is expected to cost $250,000.
A one-eighth-scale model has been flight-tested and tethered tests are underway with a full-sized prototype. Zeva says the prototype should be ready for remote-controlled flights within a month, and tests with a pilot could take place in three to six months.
Video: ZEVA 1/8 Scale Model flying
Welcome to Chula Vista, where police drones respond to 911 calls
The Chula Vista, California police department operates 29 drones. The program runs 10 hours a day, seven days a week using four launch sites. Officers routinely request aerial reconnaissance. More than 1,500 U.S. police departments use drones, mostly for search and rescue, to document crime scenes, and to chase suspects. About 225 police departments have FAA waivers to fly BVLOS. Privacy and civil liberty groups are taking notice.
US Military Signs Contract to Put Facial Recognition on Drones
The Air Force’s Drones Can Now Recognize Faces. Uh-Oh.
The U.S. Air Force plans to deploy facial recognition technology on drones. RealNetworks LLC has the contract to supply its SAFR technology on small drones used for special operations missions. RealNetworks says SAFR Scan is “the first full-featured intelligent biometric access controlled edge solution.”
Australian-designed lethal drone to be unveiled at Avalon Airshow
BAE STRIX
BAE Systems Australia unveiled the armed STRIX VTOL at Avalon 2023. It’s a hybrid, tandem wing, multi-domain and multi-role UAS that could be used for air-to-ground strike, persistent ISR, and as a loyal wingman for military helicopters. It can carry up to a 160kg payload over 800km with a variety of munitions. The collapsed footprint is only 2.6m x 4.5m (roughly 8.5 x 15 feet).
Lilium sees premium service entry for Lilium Jet eVTOL
Vertical flight takes a lot of energy and most eVTOL designs have significant aerodynamic drag. These limit, l eVTOL range. The Lilium Jet is designed to overcome those obstacles. The wing and canard aircraft have a good lift-to-drag ratio, and power requirements are low at cruise speed. Power for both vertical and horizontal flight comes from many small electric motors pushing air through variable nozzle ducts. Electric power comes from 330 Wh/kg density batteries. Service entry will be in the premium sector.
Whisper Aero Set to Reveal Details About Its Ultra-Quiet Propulsion System
Whisper Aero has been working on quiet propulsion technology for two years, looking for a noise reduction of about 20 dB for drones and electric fixed-wing aircraft. The company has provided no specifics but is expected to reveal details about its propulsors “toward the end of March or early April.” They’ve built a 55-pound demonstrator drone to test the concept. Reportedly, the company plans to offer different propulsion system models with different power outputs.
423 Ameriflight Cargo Drones
Ameriflight plans to purchase cargo drones from Natilus and Saberwing, a plan for autonomous wind turbine inspections and repair, the American Security Drone Act, an arrest made for flying a drone at Dublin airport, a new hydrogen-powered octocopter drone, and Green and Blue UAS.
UAV News
Ameriflight adds 35 heavy-duty cargo drones to wish list
Ameriflight is a regional cargo airline (Part 135) that operates 156 turboprop twins for customers such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL. They recently signed a tentative agreement with Natilus for pilotless cargo planes. Now Ameriflight has signed a Letter of Intent to purchase 35 VTOL cargo drones from Sabrewing Aircraft Co.
Ameriflight has 15 bases across the Western Hemisphere with 200 service destinations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as the Caribbean and South America. They typically experience over 1,500 weekly departures.
The Natilus agreement to purchase is for the Kona aircraft, a 3.8-ton payload, short-haul feeder uncrewed aerial vehicle. Nautilus says the Kona planes will be operated by remote control and have the ability to be fully autonomous at some point in the future.
Project Using Automated Drones for Offshore Wind O&M Aims for Reducing Downtime and CO2 Emissions
The Flexible Offshore Drone for Wind (FOD4Wind) project envisions a system that can conduct autonomous wind turbine inspections and repair as well as package deliveries from service operation vessels to offshore turbines.
Drones would take off from service operation vessels and carry gear and tools to the nacelles of Siemens offshore wind turbines. The Upteko partner says “If we can replace sailing with drone flights from larger ships, then many of the trips around the wind farm will be saved. There is great potential in that – both in terms of time and CO2 emissions.”
The project, which runs until the end of 2024, is first working with payloads of 12 kilograms, with a long-term goal for the drones to be able to carry a cargo of up to 100 kilograms.
The FOD4Wind project is being undertaken by Siemens Gamesa (produces wind turbines), ESVAGT (operates the service operation vessels), Upteko (developer of the automated UAS), and the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) with Energy Cluster Denmark managing FOD4Wind.
Warner, Scott Introduce Legislation to Ban Purchase of Drones Manufactured in Countries Identified as National Security Threats
The American Security Drone Act of 2023 was introduced by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Rick Scott (R-FL)
Senator Warner: “…the purchase of drones from foreign countries, especially those that have been deemed a national security threat, is dangerous. I am glad to introduce legislation that takes logical steps to protect our data from foreign adversaries and meanwhile supports American manufacturers.”
Senator Scott: “I’ve been clear for years: the United States should never spend taxpayer dollars on anything made in Communist China, especially drones which pose a significant threat to our national security. Xi and the Communist Party of China are on a quest for global domination and whether it’s with spy balloons, TikTok or drones, they will stop at nothing to infiltrate our society and steal our data.”
The American Security Drone Act:
- Prohibits federal departments and agencies from procuring certain foreign commercial off-the-shelf drones or covered unmanned aircraft systems manufactured or assembled in countries identified as national security threats, and provides a timeline to end the current use of these drones.
- Prohibits the use of federal funds awarded… to state or local governments from being used to purchase [these drones].
- Requires the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report to Congress detailing the amount of foreign commercial off-the-shelf drones and covered unmanned aircraft systems procured by federal departments and agencies from countries identified as national security threats.
The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Josh Hawley (R-MO).
Man accused of flying drone at critical area of Dublin Airport
They charged the man under section 43 of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1988. He is accused of knowingly flying a drone into the critical area of Dublin Airport which interfered with the operation of an aerodrome on July 2nd, 2022. The 41-year-old was remanded on bail to appear again on March 21, 2023. Meantime, he’s banned from flying drones and going within two kilometers of the airport.
Commercial and military hydrogen drone unveiled by Heven Drones
Israel-based Heven Drones unveiled its H2D55 hydrogen octocopter drone. It can fly for over 90 minutes with a 15-pound payload. This is the first in a series of hydrogen-fueled drones to be released. The others will have longer flight times and greater payload. The drones are built to spec and take two-three months to complete. The price is not announced
The drones are built in-house, in a 20,000 sq. ft. production facility adjacent to R&D and administrative offices in the North of Israel. Up to 200 fully customizable drones per month can be built at the current capacity.
AUVSI Green UAS: Expanding the Pool of Trusted Drone Options
Green UAS is part of AUVSI’s Trusted Cyber Program, which seeks to verify a greater number of commercial UAS in line with the highest levels of cybersecurity and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) supply chain requirements.
AUVSI launched the Trusted Cyber Program in August 2022 in collaboration with cybersecurity firm Fortress Information Security.
Green UAS is an industry-standard assessment process that mirrors the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)’s Blue UAS certification program. It is administered by AUVSI to vet drones that are seeking Green UAS certification. Green-compliant drones that have a DoD customer/sponsor willing to sponsor and fund a DoD Authority to Operate (ATO) will have the opportunity to transition from the Green UAS cleared list to Blue UAS cleared list.
Green UAS builds on the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)’s Blue UAS certification program, an approach to rapidly prototyping and scaling commercial UAS technology for the DoD. Green UAS is meant for customers without an immediate need for Department of Defense (DoD) authority to operate and provides a more straightforward pathway to the Blue UAS 2.0 cleared list.
Rick Boss: go behind-the-scenes with the leader of Sky Elements
Rick Boss is the leader of Sky Elements Drones, the leading provider of drone light shows around the U.S. He recently invited me behind-the-scenes of his company’s Star Wars drone light show at the Oakland Coliseum as part of the team’s Star Wars Night.
I’ve got a big recap of the event here, including tons of photos, which you can read and view here. There’s also a video on my YouTube channel featuring some of the highlights, right below:
But while that video has a few snippets of our Q&A, it doesn’t include all of it. Thus, I’ve decided to share our full Q&A in text form. In our behind-the-scenes interview, he shares how they manage to travel with all those drones, what the setup entails and more. So without further adieu, here’s that interview with Rick Boss!
Drone Girl: What are we looking at behind us?
Rick Boss: Tonight we’re looking at 500 drones for a show that’s going to be Star Wars themed. What’s going on right now is the crew is setting up all the drones, calibrating the drones, and making sure we’re ready to go for tonight.
DG: And there’s actually a pretty decently sized crew. How many people do you have putting on this whole endeavor?
RB: Typically for a show the size we have about 15 to 18 people to get all the drones set up, but just one person flying the show.
DG: So these folks have been doing a lot of work calibrating the drones. Tell me, what all goes into the setup ahead of time?
RB: A lot of the work, well, most of the work, happens beforehand. So our creative team has spent probably about a hundred and fifty hours of programming just for this show. So much work goes on ahead of the show, and tonight it’s just setting up the drones to make sure everything works well today.
DG: As far as programming, what are we going to see?
RB: You’re going to see a lot of Star Wars.
DG: Do you think we’ll see Baby Yoda?
RB: There’s a good chance that Grogu is up there.
DG: Yes! Amazing! And so you do a bunch of these shows. Just before this you were at the Dodger’s Game. I hear you also did the Serena Williams baby gender reveal show.
RB: We did. We did the Serena Williams baby gender. We also did the Dodger’s show, which was 1,000 drones. For context, we’re doing 500 tonight. We have another Star Wars show coming up for FC Dallas with 1,000 drones.
DG: Oh my gosh, so you’re busy! How many shows are you doing each month or each week?
RB: We fly 5-6 shows every week, all over the country. So yes, we’re pretty busy. From Key West to Seattle, Washington to the Caribbean as well as Hawaii. We’re everywhere.
DG: So do you have a truck? How do you get drones to all these places?
RB: So right behind me is a truck trailer there. The trailer is the most common way we transport our drones. The primary reason for that is because of all those lithium batteries. It is otherwise just a pain to fly twitch them all over the country.
DG: Flying with drones — and perhaps more critically, flying with LiPo batteries — is complicated, so I’m not surprised to hear you say that.
RB: It’s especially tough when your shows are big.
DG: So on that note, how does the size of this show compare to most drone light shows?
RB: This is a medium-to-large show. Our average drone is about 300 drones. With 500 drones, that’s a nice sized show.
DG: How do I get my own personal drone light show, like what Serena got?
RB: *Laughs* You can call us, or visit our website at SkyElementsDrones.com, hit the request button and we’ll get you a quote.
DG: And I probably need to win the lottery to get some money to do that?
RB: The cost of a drone show is expensive still. It’s more than fireworks, that’s for sure. That said, the prices are always getting better. I mean, the price right now is half what it was a year and a half ago.
DG: It’s becoming more affordable, and it’s also more environmentally friendly — which I do like that aspect as well.
RB: No doubt about it. Particularly in some states where there is fire danger, that is a great benefit. There’s the fact that these are low noise. We’re not impacting the neighbors, we’re not impacting the pets, and it’s certainly we’re leaving no debris behind.
DG: And, we get far more custom, exact designs. I’m personally excited to see Baby Grogu tonight.
And just like that, you can watch their timelapsed version of the show right here:
You met Rick Boss, but one of the other geniuses powering Sky Elements is Preston Ward, who serves as the company’s chief pilot. Come back to The Drone Girl next week to read a similar Q&A, but with Preston!
The post Rick Boss: go behind-the-scenes with the leader of Sky Elements appeared first on The Drone Girl.
The best drones for wedding photography
Drone photography offers unique perspectives and breathtaking aerial shots that can transform any wedding album. If you are looking to spice up your wedding photography by adding a drone, we’ve got some tips and recommendations for you.
We’ll break down the best wedding photography drones in greater detail later on but of the drones out there today, here are the handful that I’d at least recommend in some capacity:
Here’s a quick comparison of some of the key specs on those six drones:
| DJI Mavic 3 Pro | DJI Air 3 | DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine | DJI Inspire 3 | DJI Air 2S | Autel Evo Lite+ | |
| Price | $2,199 | $1,099 | $4,799 | $16,499 | $999 | $1,399 |
| Camera | -4/3 CMOS Hasselblad Camera -1/1.3″ CMOS Medium Tele Camera -1/2″ CMOS Tele Camera |
-1/1.3″ CMOS Wide-Angle Camera -1/1.3″ CMOS 3x Medium Tele Camera |
-4/3 CMOS Hasselblad Camera -1/1.3″ CMOS Medium Tele Camera -1/2″ CMOS Tele Camera |
-Full-frame 8K/75fps ProRes RAW -Full-frame 8K/25fps CinemaDNG |
1” CMOS | 1” CMOS |
| Approximate flight time | 46 mins | 46 mins | 46 mins | 28 mins | 31 mins | 30 mins |
| Dimensions (folded, without propellers, and presented as Length x Width x Height) | 231.1 × 98 × 95.4 mm | 207 × 100.5 × 91.1 mm | 231.1 × 98 × 95.4 mm | 500.5 x 709.8 x 176 mm | 180 × 97 × 77 mm | 210 x 123 x 95mm |
| Weight | 958 g | 720 g | 958 g | 3,995 g | 595 g | 820g |
There are tons of excellent camera drones on the market, and it can be difficult to know which one is best specifically for wedding photography. But there are a few key features that every wedding drone photographer should prioritize in their equipment.
Here are the critical specs that photographers should look for in a wedding drone:
Key features of wedding photography drones
Zoom capabilities
Ever been to a wedding where the photographer runs right up to the bride and groom after you hear “You may now kiss the bride?” blocking them completely from friends and family? Buzzkill. You’ll want to capture the shot, without being in the shot. Zoom capabilities allow you to capture candid quest reactions and intimate moments from afar. A long lens is recommended as it allows for variety in shots and shooting at a distance. A lens with an 80-200mm f/2:8 zoom is a good option.
Low-Noise
Similarly to the drone blocking the shot, the noise can interfere with the vibe. No one wants to hear the low humming of your drone during the vows.
Opting for a drone with advanced noise reduction technology will help you while capturing breathtaking visuals. As a rule of thumb, smaller motors produce less sound than larger ones. Of course, that zoom capability can also cut back on noise by nature of the sound having to travel farther.
Support for RAW Format
The ability to shoot in RAW format provides greater flexibility during editing which is especially critical for wedding photography. While landscape photographers might have the flexibility to sit around and wait for the perfect light, wedding photographers don’t have that luxury. Should lighting conditions be tricky during the ceremony, you’re stuck with the photos you got. But shooting in RAW can at least fix poor lighting conditions in post-processing.
That’s because RAW images contain more data and allow for finer adjustments to color, exposure, and other settings.
Just know that RAW files are huge in comparison to compressed file formats like PNG or JPEG, so make sure you have enough space and buy a spare MicroSD card or bring a wireless SSD.
Flight Time
Since you can’t afford to miss any memorable moments, look for drones with extended flight times so you can spend more time shooting and less time recharging. Of course, purchasing an extra battery or two is also a solid option.
Internal Storage
Ideally, you’ll bring plenty of MicroSD cards, and never run out of memory. But accidents happen and things get left behind. And since you can never be too prepared, I’d recommend finding a drone with a good amount of internal storage to serve as a backup.
The overall best drone for wedding photography: DJI Mavic 3 Pro
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro has it all and is generally the best in the market for wedding photography. It’s tough to narrow down the best features on the Mavic 3 Pro, but probably the top two most important to photographers are the three cameras and 46-minute battery life.
The Mavic 3 Pro has a three-axis gimbal with three cameras built-in, which are:
- A custom Hasselblad wide-angle camera (24 mm)
- Medium tele camera (70mm)
- Tele camera (166mm)
The three different camera lenses allow you to stay far away but still get that perfect shot without disturbing guests.
The DJI Mavic 3 is also set up with MasterShots, a suite of professional-quality drone and camera movement settings to create cinematic wedding content quickly and easily. The DJI Fly app can take your footage and automatically edit it for share-worthy content in a few taps. Making your job as a wedding photographer a little bit easier.
With a price tag of $2,950, it’s more expensive than some other picks — but it provides excellent overall value.
The best if you prioritize dual-cameras (budget pick): DJI Air 3
The DJI Air 3 is the best option for wedding photographers who are on a budget yet are looking for something portable and versatile. The photo quality is certainly not as good as the DJI Mavic 3, but at $1,099, it’s far cheaper.
The newest addition to the DJI Air series is by far the most powerful yet and steadily climbing into the top spot of the best drones for photographers of 2023 seeking a high-quality camera.
The DJI Air 3 takes on a dual-primary camera system, meaning one drone has two cameras integrated with it. Like the Mavic 3, the Air 3 comes with MasterShots and four other intelligent features, as DJI calls them (FocusTrack, Night mode, hyper-lapse, and Slow motion).
The Air 3 also has 46 minutes of flight time, certainly making it a suitable alternative to the Mavic 3.
The best drone for wedding photography (upgrade pick): DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine
If you’re intrigued by the DJI Mavic 3 but really want the most top-of-the-line product, then consider our upgrade pick, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine.
The ‘Cinema’ version of the Mavic 3 Pro, the Mavic 3 Pro Cine has everything the Mavic 3 Pro has and then some. Visually, the two drones look virtually similar. The major differences are what happens under the hood (and the price point, of course). The Mavic 3 Pro Cine starts at $4,799.
The major upgrade of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is its support of the Apple ProRes 422 recording codec. Apple ProRest can be used to capture rich wedding footage that’s easier to edit when it comes time for post-production.
The Mavic 3 Pro Cine comes with a built-in 1TB SSD, eliminating the need for external recording devices. No more lost or corrupted SD cards! However, it still does support MicroSD cards.
If you are a wedding photographer who needs as much video data as possible and the highest quality footage, then the DJI Mavic Pro Cine is for you.
Most wedding photographers should be able to get away with simply the DJI Mavic 3 Pro. However, if you’re a serious wedding photographer seeking to run the absolute, most professional operation, you’ll want to upgrade to the Mavic 3 Pro Cine.
- Order the Mavic 3 Pro Cine drone from Amazon now.
- Order the Mavic 3 Pro Cine drone from B&H Photo now
The best drone for wedding photography (serious upgrade pick): DJI Inspire 3
If the Mavic 3 Pro Cine isn’t professional grade enough, and you are looking to shoot an Oscar-worthy wedding ceremony and have a massive budget then the DJI Inspire 3 is the right pick for you. The Inspire 3 is DJI’s only cinema-grade drone with a price tag of $16,499.
The DJI Inspire 3 most impressive features include a full-frame 8k imagine system, Tilt Boost and 360° Pan dual configurations, and dual-control for operators.
Keep in mind, that the Inspire 3 is much bulkier than other drones on the list, something photographers may want to keep in mind when traveling from venue to venue with your equipment.
- Order the DJI Inspire 3 now from Adorama.
- Order the DJI Inspire 3 now from B&H Photo.
- Order the DJI Inspire 3 now from GetFPV.
The best drone for wedding photography (ultra-budget pick): DJI Air 2S
DJI Air 2s is small but mighty, and with a folding design, it is a solid choice for wedding photographers who are always on the move and don’t mind losing a little quality. With a price tag starting at $799 (that’s the lowest-priced of any done in this guide to best wedding drone), it is the ideal choice for anyone on a budget.
The DJI Air 2S has advanced features such as MasterShots and FocusTrack modes and 31 minutes of flight time.
Unlike many of the other drones that made this list, the DJI Air 2S only has 1 camera, which has a 1” sensor offering 20-megapixel photos and 5.4k video. While the camera images are still stunning, you’re zoom capabilities will be significantly hindered. Keep this in mind when planning your key shots.
The best DJI alternative: EVO Lite+
What if you want to patronize a company that is not DJI? The Autel Evo Lite+ is an affordable and respectable alternative for any wedding photographer looking for a higher-end DJI alternative drone. ‘
While the EVO Lite+ provides a 6k camera and 40 minutes of flight time, your video quality won’t be as crisp or colorful as its DJI competitors. If you are looking to veer away from DJI, due to concerns of huge market share or some politicians seeking to blacklist it over its Chinese ties, then EVO Lite+ is a solid and reliable alternative.
Prices for this easy-to-fly drone start at $1,399.
- Order the Autel Evo Lite+ Amazon
- Order the Autel Evo Lite+ from Adorama
- Order the Autel Evo Lite+ directly from Autel
- Order the Autel Evo Lite+ from B&H Photo
Other tips for using drones for wedding photography
If you’re already an established wedding photographer, it can be smart to add a drone to your camera kit. There’s no shortage of reasons why you should incorporate a drone into your wedding photos.
All of the above drones are easy and safe to fly, but there are still a few additional things you need to know before flying drones at weddings.
- Insurance: While drone insurance is not required by the Federal Aviation Administration, some venues might require that photographers have it. Check out this quick guide to drone insurance.
- Where you can legally fly: Especially if a venue is near an airport or in otherwise restricted airspace or airspace that bans drones (including National Parks), you might not be cleared to takeoff there. Use this guide to find out if you can legally fly at that particular venue.
- You need a pilot’s license: Under the FAA’s Part 107, anyone wanting to operate a drone commercially (that includes wedding photographers) needs to obtain a drone pilot license, formerly referred to as a “remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating.” In order to get that, you will need to pass an in-person written exam., which many people refer to as the “Part 107 test.” The best way to pass that test is usually by enrolling in a Part 107 online test prep course.
For more, check out these 7 tips for using drones for wedding photography.
What drone do you prefer for wedding photography? Tell us in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of Matthew Robert Creative, a wedding videographer based in Chicago, Illinois.
The post The best drones for wedding photography appeared first on The Drone Girl.
The best drone simulators
Drone simulators can be a great way for newbies to learn how to fly a drone without risking damaging your expensive new toy. But they’re not just for newbies. Pilots using drones for industrial applications, intricate cinematography and even competitive drone racing turn to drone simulators to practice advanced maneuvers and to prepare for flying in challenging conditions.
Given the range of use cases and target audiences, there are all sorts of drone simulators on the market — and not all of them are created equal. Some are more realistic while others have more of an imaginative video game vibe. Some offer more features — and often typically come with a higher price tag.
As you search for the best drone simulator, here are a few things to consider:
- Realism: How realistic is the simulator’s physics engine? Does it accurately simulate the flight characteristics of real drones?
- Features: What features does the simulator offer? Does it have a variety of different drones to choose from? Does it allow you to practice flying in different environments?
- Price: Drone simulators can range in price from free to hundreds of dollars. Choose a simulator that fits your budget and needs.
With those three features in mind, we analyzed about a dozen drone simulators on the market, and decided to call out a few of the best ones. So with that, here are the best drone simulators on the market in 2023:
Zephyr: the best drone simulator for industrial applications
Cost: starts at $10 for “hobbyist” version, though full feature version costs $50
Target audience: hobbyists who might be interested in getting into the industrial side of drones, as well as pilots seeking to practice for industrial applications
Company behind it: Little Arms Studios, based in Manassas, Virginia
Zephyr Drone Simulator is a drone pilot training simulator developed by Little Arms Studios, which is a Virginia-based software company building flight simulation products for high schools, higher education, public safety entities, businesses and even the United States Air Force.
Zephyr takes the cake as the best drone simulator for industrial applications because it has among the most realistic flight models you’ll find in a simulator. When using the simulator, you can select the specific drone you want to use from more than a dozen popular enterprise and camera drones, ranging from the DJI Mavic Pro and Autel X-Star on the consumer end, to products like the DJI Matrice or Freefly Alta X on the enterprise end.
The customization doesn’t stop there. You can select flight conditions to operate in (e.g. ultra-bright, sunny day vs. heavy rain) and the place you want to fly (e.g. interior of a warehouse vs. through the posts of a bridge).
When you first use Zephyr, you’ll likely want to start out with the hobbyists version, which costs just $10. If you’re ready for more, you might upgrade to the full-feature version for $50. There are also a few options for in-simulator purchases to add on more flight scenarios, such as a bridge inspection scenario and a NIST/APSA bundle designed specifically to provide training and test prep for the NIST Open Lane Test.
Zephyr has some pretty strong endorsements, including a partnership with APSA and DRONERESPONDERS, as well as a partnership with the United States Air Force through the AFWERX program.
Download the Zephyr drone simulator here. Or if you want to learn more, check out The Drone Girl’s in-depth, Zephyr flight simulator review.
DRL SIM: the best drone simulator for FPV racing
Cost: $10
Target audience: Gamers, drone racers
Company behind it: Drone Racing League, based in New York, New York
The Drone Racing League, which is generally considered the largest drone racing company in the world, offers its own drone simulator, which is available for purchase for about $10 on PlayStation, Xbox, Steam and the Epic Games store.
The video game nature of this drone simulator makes it a fun pick for people who might not necessarily be interested in flying physical drones, but who like gaming and might want something a bit more unique from the classic car racing games. Then again, it’ll likely inspire you to actually get into drone racing, regardless.
The whole thing has an incredible community vibe, with fun features like a public leaderboard posted online.
The DRL SIM is also pretty neat in that it has a real, in-person component of high value: DRL hosts an annual Racing Cup to find the world’s best drone pilot. And every year, one of the slots to compete in the tournament comes from the DRL Sim. DRL hosts DRL SIM Tryouts, with the winner of that receiving an invite to compete as the official DRL SIM Pilot in the real DRL World Championship for that year.
DJI Try Virtual Flight: best free option for DJI pilots
Cost: $0
Target audience: Consumer drone pilots looking for a free option
Company behind it: DJI, based in China
DJI Flight is a fun, free simulator built into the DJI Store app, which is available in the Google Play and Apple App stores. When you download the app, the homepage is all about the DJI Store (after all, DJI wants your money). But when you navigate to the Explore tab, you can virtually fly DJI’s latest consumer drones, such as the DJI Mini 4 Pro.
The app is free, and it definitely serves as cool marketing for the latest and greatest features, which in the case of the DJI Mini 4 Pro is omnidirectional obstacle sensing (with four wide-angle vision sensors and two downward vision sensors).
The simulator app is pretty fun in that DJI gives you ‘missions,’ like ‘find the source of the river,’ upon which you’ll have to navigate through their made-up animated world along the water.
The app is pretty basic with three flight modes, but it does throw in some realistic flight physics that entail real-world scenarios like wind gusts.
Unlike the other simulators, it’s not very robust so will likely only keep your attention for a limited time. But given that it’s free to download and play, there’s not a lot to lose by giving it a try.
DJI Flight Simulator: best paid option for serious DJI pilots
Cost: $0 for trial version, otherwise varies by dealer
Target audience: Enterprise drone pilots using DJI drones
Company behind it: DJI, based in China
DJI Virtual Flight is fun for casual consumer pilots, but drone pilots seeking serious skills training specific to enterprise applications such as power line inspections or search and rescue will want to turn to the DJI Flight Simulator.
This professional pilot training software uses DJI’s existing flight control technology to recreate the natural flying experience in a digital format. There is a freebie trial version, though you won’t get all the features with that one. For the most valuable features like application training, you’ll need to reach out to a DJI enterprise dealer to buy the full software.
And, it’s definitely not cheap. For example, B&H Photo sells a single seat for the Energy version of the DJI Flight Simulator Software for $1,350. To unlock the full version, which you’ll want for teams, it’s $7,500.
You’ll also need a Windows PC and DJI Remote controller to access the DJI Flight Simulator. Once downloaded, you can use it to simulate flying various DJI drones from the Mavic Series, Phantom Series, Inspire Series, and the Matrice 200 Series. Then again, while the price tag isn’t cheap, it’s a lot cheaper than getting into a crash in a hairy flying environment on critical infrastructure.
Download the free trial version of DJI Virtual flight here.
The bottom line on drone simulators
Clearly there’s a drone simulator for everyone. Serious enterprise users flying DJI drones and who want to ensure they’ve received top-of-the-line practice might pay $7,500 for DJI’s official Flight Simulator software. But even for just $50, third-party flight simulators like Zephyr offer a similar experience at a far lower price point.
And for people looking to just mess around and have fun, products like the DJI Try Virtual Flight simulator or the DRL Simulator can provide some of the joy of flying drones, without actually having to fly a drone.
Which drone simulator do you use and recommend? Leave a comment below!
The post The best drone simulators appeared first on The Drone Girl.
The best indoor drone for fire investigations
What’s the best indoor drone for fire investigations? That’s the latest in our “Ask Drone Girl” series. If you have a question for Drone Girl, contact her here.
I am a member of a fire investigations task force. We were working through a problem involving best practices for collecting photo evidence inside of unstable fire buildings, and we thought a small drone for indoor use would be a good solution. There are concerns about signal loss, destruction of evidence, and battery life. Could you provide some guidance?
-Mike
Hey Mike,
This is a great question, and it is rather timely, as indoor drones just this year have become far more reliable and accessible. Depending on how advanced of equipment you’re seeking out, the best indoor drone for fire investigations might cost you less than $1,500.
As you noted, there are a few criteria that stand out when selecting an indoor drone. Among the biggest factors to consider are:
- Small size (must be agile to fit through doorways or other tight spaces)
- First person view (FPV) camera
- Sensors to meet your needs (this could be a basic camera that collects imagery, or might be more advanced with something like a thermal camera or other sensor.
- Long flight time (most indoor drones offer less than 10 minutes, which might not cut it)
We’ll break down the best indoor drones for fire investigations in greater detail later on, but of those on the market today, you really have two options. The good news is, they couldn’t be more different from each other. So once you define the parameters of what you need, the answer is clear. So with that, here are my two recommendations for the best indoor drone for fire investigations:
- DJI Avata: best for most people
- Flyability Elios 3: best if you want robust, enterprise applications
Both of these drones were specifically designed to fly indoors. On the physical side, they have some level of propeller guards (the Elios 3 has a full cage on all sides) which protect the drone should it hit a wall. Both offer more than 10 minutes of flight time, so you can get in and out of the building, while still leaving time to actually see what you intended to see inside. And both have cameras to not just capture data, but to allow for FPV flying to navigate even in areas you can’t physically see yourself — a situation you’d likely commonly encounter to avoid otherwise sending your own personnel through an unstable building.
With a starting price at less than $1,500, DJI Avata is ultra-accessible. You could likely walk into your local electronics retailer and buy one off the shelf today. Upon buying it off the shelf, you’ll have a drone that’s ready to fly once you’ve charged it up — and you don’t really need to be a pro to operate it either as it’s relatively easy to fly. It comes with FPV goggles (which are the VR-like goggles) that enable you to see what the drone is seeing, it can capture videos, and it can fly up to 18 minutes.
For the drone that is an ultra powerhouse, you’ll want the Flyability Elios 3 drone. Launched in May 2022, the Elios 3 is the world’s first collision-tolerant drone equipped with a LiDAR sensor for indoor 3D mapping. You’ll want this drone if you don’t need to simply see what’s inside those unstable buildings, but to truly understand it by way of mapping it and generating data that can reproduce 3D models. While the drone itself is pretty high-end, it’s not actually that difficult to fly. You’ll likely need just a day of training (and the training is critical almost entirely due to the fact that flying it incorrectly could be costly).
And what exactly does costly mean? Flyability doesn’t publicly share the prices of its drones, but you should expect it to be in the many, many thousands of dollars realm. Considering its predecessor, the Elios 2 Premium Package, was going for 39,000 Swiss Francs (more than $40,000), don’t expect the newer Elios 3 to be cheap.
Both drones are super different. One is low cost and accessible, while the other one unlocks opportunities for serious, enterprise use cases. Here’s a deeper dive into not just those two drones, but some key points you should know about flying drones indoors:
What you need to know about indoor drones
Particularly when flying drones indoors there are a few additional risks you need to be aware of that you wouldn’t necessarily encounter when flying drones outdoors?
Large drones can be challenging to fly indoors
It’s not just about the drone being too large to fit through doorways. Sometimes when large drones are confined to a small area, they can create their own ‘weather patterns’ that cause the drone to fly differently than expected.
Prop guards are important
When flying indoors, you’ll likely want some sort of indoor hull, like rotor or propeller guards. These are generally placed around the rotor spinning blades, and not only protect objects that the drone might hit (like walls or people) but also protects the propellers from breaking off (and thus causing the drone to crash) in the event they strike something.
Obstacle avoidance can be helpful, but it may not always work
Having an indoor positioning system or obstacle avoidance feature on your drone can be helpful to ensure the drone doesn’t crash. However, obstacle avoidance can sometimes prove to be completely useless in very tight spaces.
That’s because many drones with obstacle avoidance also have a minimum object detection range that can be something like 6 feet, meaning the drone absolutely will not fly closer than that distance. If you’re trying to fly into, say, a closet, that might not be possible. In fact, let’s say your drone offers 6 feet of detection on all sides, but the room is 12 feet across or smaller. It might not be able to operate in that room.
Most drones with obstacle avoidance enable you to turn it off so you can get into those tight spaces, but then realize that you’re flying sans the obstacle avoidance feature which can increase crash risk.
Know your flight control settings for indoor flying
When flying indoors, you’ll likely need to disable GPS and other visual positioning systems. Sometimes, drones have preset configurations for flying indoors (you may often see this listed as ATTI mode). But if not, you can adjust the settings yourself. Check the user manual of your own setup so you can adjust your drone and flight controller accordingly.
Why do I recommend disabling GPS for indoor drone flights? While GPS is a useful technology in allowing drones to navigate and hover in place, realize that GPS just often does not perform well indoors as signa can easily get lost.
Instead, be prepared to be able to fly your drone without GPS-aided stabilization, which means you need to be a confident pilot.
Do you need any sort of certification or license to fly drones indoors?
The short answer: no.
The long answer: drones operated solely indoors are not regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA defines ‘indoors’ as a “covered structure that prevents access to the national airspace system.”
That said, if your drone flight starts outdoors and then heads indoors (e.g. a drone starting on the lawn outside and then flying into a house), then technically you do need a drone pilots license — assuming your drone flight is for a commercial purpose as opposed to a hobby purpose.
Getting your drone pilot’s license is a requirement under the FAA’s Part 107, which states that anyone operating a drone commercially must hold a “remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating.” In order to get that, you will need to pass an in-person written exam, which many people refer to as the “Part 107 test. Learn more about getting your Part 107 drone pilot’s license here.
The best indoor drones for fire inspections
So with that, let’s dive into the best picks of indoor drones you might consider using with your fire team.
The best indoor drone for most teams: DJI Avata
Price: Starts at $629 (though that’s for just the standalone drone, so expect to pay $1,000+ for the controller and goggles)
Flight time: 18 minutes per battery
Camera? Yes; 1/1.7” CMOS sensor with 48 million effective pixels. Films at 4K/60fps and slow-motion footage at 2.7K/50/60/100/120fps.
The DJI Avata drone has high appeal as a cinematic drone that creates beautifully dizzying first person view footage. But while plenty of artists use it for photography and videography (after all, it’s considered the overall best indoor drone), this Cinewhoop-style FPV drone could have real enterprise use cases as well.
Released in summer 2022, the Avata was designed specifically with indoor drone flights in mind, able to navigate tight spaces thanks to its compact size at just 180×180 mm in width and length. Plus, built-in propeller guards eliminate the risk of scratching walls or other items inside, should you crash.
While wind likely is a non-issue for you if you’re flying indoors, it does hold up in high winds given its Level 5 max wind resistance, which means it can fly in wind speeds ranging from 19 to 24 miles per hour (which is about the equivalent of winds that generate moderate waves at the beach).
Note that the DJI Avata does not have obstacle avoidance sensors (the only sensors it has are downward vision and precise hovering sensors). If obstacle avoidance is critical (though see my notes above on why it may not be), you’ll need another drone — perhaps even my upgrade pick below.
The Avata is an FPV drone, meaning it is designed to be flown with FPV goggles as well as the DJI RC Motion 2. It is also compatible with the DJI FPV Remote Controller 2, which you can buy for less than $200.
If a high-quality camera is important to you (which it may well be if you need more pixels to zoom in on specific areas, or the camera needs to perform well in low-light), then the Avata delivers. Here are some key specs:
- 1/1.7” CMOS sensor
- 48 million effective pixels
- Films at 4K/60fps and slow-motion footage at 2.7K/50/60/100/120fps.
- f/2.8 aperture
- Ultra-wide-angle lens with a viewing angle of up to 155°
- D-Cinelike color mode for a broader color palette that enables detailed chromatic adjustments
The standalone Avata goes for $629, though you should expect to spend more like $1,388 for the Pro-View Combo with DJI Goggles 2. You might also throw in the Fly More Kit for $279.
Related read: Porsche Museum let the DJI Avata fly around its multi-million dollar historic cars — and here’s what happened
The best indoor inspection drone for advanced use cases: Flyability Elios 3
Price: Contact Flyability Sales (but expect to spend tens of thousands of dollars
Flight time: Up to 12 minutes (without a payload), 9.1 minutes (with a LiDAR payload), or 8.2 minutes (with a maximum payload)
Camera? Yes; 1/2.3” CMOS sensor with a fully unobstructed 180° field of view to a 4K camera, plus a thermal camera, and a distance sensor.
The real reason you’d want this upgrade pick is not simply to see what’s inside the building, but to be able to make a full 3D map of it. The Elios 3’s key feature is a SLAM engine (that’s short for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) that can generate 3D models through a new software called Inspector 4.0. The Elio 3 drone has proven valuable for mapping areas that are out of reach or too dangerous for humans to enter, like sewers or caves. Exploring buildings damaged by fire might be a use case too.
There’s also no safer drone to fly indoors. The Elios 3 relies on a combination of computer vision, LiDAR technology, and a powerful NVidia graphic engine to maintain centimeter accuracy when flying indoors, even if there is no GPS signal available. And it’s surrounded by a signature cage and is equipped with unique reversing motors, which can help it recover from flipping upside-down without crashing. It also has a P-44 compliant design, which is a rating to show it can fly in rugged, harsh environments without concerns of water splashes or dust — again something that might be critical if flying amidst ash.
While the Elios 3 is all-around a far more powerful drone than the Avata (and comes with a heftier price tag), there is one huge reason why the Avata is superior, beyond accessibility and affordability. That’s battery life. The Avata offers 18 minutes of flight time, while this one offers up to 12 minutes and that’s without a payload. 6 minutes might not seem like much, but when you consider the Avata entails 50% more flight time, that can be critical.
Picking the best indoor drone
Indoor drones have seen substantial improvements in their stabilization and control systems in recent years, now boasting sophisticated algorithms and onboard processors that enable them to maintain steady flight even in tight or cluttered spaces. As a result, the risk of unexpected crashes or unintended landings has been dramatically minimized, granting users greater confidence in operating these aerial machines indoors.
Furthermore, the integration of intelligent software has revolutionized indoor drone autonomy. These drones can now perform pre-programmed tasks with exceptional accuracy, eliminating the need for constant manual control. This increased autonomy significantly reduces the chances of human error during flights, making using indoor drone for fire inspections more reliable and less prone to accidents.
Of course, while battery technology is good, it’s still not great. Many indoor drones are capable of only a few minutes of flight time. My two picks offer at least 8 minutes (assuming the maximum payload).
The bottom line is: you have two real choices to make when it comes to the best indoor drone for fire inspections, and they are so different that it should be an easy choice. For a drone that simply shows you what’s inside the building, the DJI Avata is your best bet. But for a more advanced use case that has ultra safe flight and can even map what’s inside, you’ll want the Flyability Elios 3.
What indoor drone do you recommend for fire investigations or similar use cases? Tell us in the comments, and happy flying!
The post The best indoor drone for fire investigations appeared first on The Drone Girl.