Lily, The Drone Camera

<p>GoPro + Drone = Selfies on steroids. Check it out:</p>

<p>(You may have to copy/paste the link - it doesn't seem to work here.)</p>

<p>https://www.youtube.com/embed/4vGcH0Bk3hg?rel=0</p>

<p>And, bear in mind the Law of Unintended Consequences... ;-)</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Alas, it has no provision for object avoidance, for understanding when that cool snowboarding shot is going to take it right into people sitting in a lift chair 40 feet off the ground, etc. <br /><br />I can see the appeal for certain users, but that promotional video glosses over a LOT of logistical (and inevitably legal/liability) issues. Autonomous flight without direct control by (or at least immediate ability to switch to) the operator is likely to be considered naughty by the FAA in their upcoming rule making. Anyone using something like this to promote their activity on revenue-enabled YouTube vids is going to be in for a surprise when then find out they'll need to pass an FAA test every year, file flight plans, and all the rest that the agency is currently lining up. That will take (in the US market, anyway) a lot of the steam out of the market for devices like this. </p>

<p>Holy Cow.....I was amazed when that kayak girl tossed it right into the river.</p>

Cute gizmo. When I next have an anniversary meal at the Black Angus I want one to fly overhead and shoot our group so I can have control and not rely on a waitress to manage my camera. Does Black Angus have a defined policy on drones in the dining room. How about in the bar. Yeah, the bar sounds like the place to test it out. I would hate to dissassemble one at a TSA inspection point. It is clever. And looks not unlike Artoodeetoo.. I mean innocuous, friendly, helpful robotic servant with wings like the old apprentice angel helping James Stewart in" It's A Good Life. " Name Lily sounds friendly, angelic..

 

Rats. FAA like all agencies are out to spoil our fun. Pass a written and medical test and we would get to wear qualfied drone operator wings maybe,Matt?

<p>Not only was it a "Good Life," it was a "Wonderful Life." ;-)</p>

<p>The angel's name was . . . Clarence! (Great name for an angel, no?)</p>

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<p>Or you could just continue using your stick while employing this new drone...<br>

(Matt I know you want one :) )<br>

https://www.facebook.com/cbcnews/videos/10153729011224604/</p>

Why not the size of a dragonfly. If police can wear cameras on lapels, and short range communication is improving, and insect flight has been studied to decode their secrets. Come to think of it, mosquitoes for instance are poor flyers but make our lives pretty miserable. Dragonflies, much larger do wonders over the pool.. This idea provokes a string of what ifs, Ifs that might be a goal in some NSA contract lab right this moment. (What is that buzzing in the bedroom that RAID won't stop. Didn't Michael Crichton do a novel on nano swarms that pool info) . When I looked into small backup camera to retrofit on my 2012 sedan I found the camera itself will be almost invisible. I keep getting surprised at what is on offer in micro miniaturization, -how about you.

<p>At some point we will have a forum on classic digital cameras</p>