"Follow Me Drones" these incredible projects that will revolutionize the sector drones leisure

Followers drones, or "Follow Me Drones" could well bring video and aerial photo in the public domain. Provided that the law permits ...

The drone leisure sector is booming, and technological developments are occurring at a rapid pace. A rate largely supported by crowdfunding (crowdfunding by users) since there are currently several ongoing projects on different platforms like Kickstarter, often exceeding their original purpose.

The first signal was given by the French pioneer Parrot AR. Drone, then the star DJI Phantom has upset everything in its path, with its many variations, some of which versions are even used by professionals. Side "amateur" range of micro-multirotors Hubsan X4 continues to amaze users with opportunities, including the X4 H107D FPV flight that offers immersion (live video back to the big screen on the remote) in one package ready to fly for less than 150 euros.

The craze for these little "flying camera" can not be denied and should even be amplified when you see the projects that some startups in their cartons. Furthermore the future Parrot BeBop, a new marvel of technology, a trend emerges clearly: the "Follow Me Drones" or drones followers.

What is it exactly?

Followers drones are smaller machines, the chassis dimensions are generally below 50 cm wide, with a particular characteristic: they do not fly anymore, but are programmed to follow a specific topic. And of course, as they are equipped with cameras, they do not just follow you like a good doggie propeller, but they also filmed on request. At the time of selfies, cameras filming the action in your subjective view of the great sporting achievements and widespread narcissism posted on social networks, we can easily imagine that the opportunity offered by the Follow Me Drones sense and should also have a bright future.

How does it work?

Technically, several approaches to this technology are being tested, but the method is almost always the same: the drone is linked to a transceiver that you carry with you and follows as if it were connected to it by a wire invisible. This can be a simple smartphone connected via WiFi or a special module that you wear on your wrist. Common to all these projects: an iOS and / or Android application that provides opportunities that you would perhaps not even imagined in your most crazy-mad dreams. Therefore, to make short, be aware that using the dedicated application, you can simply click to take off the drone, which will be put in stationary stabilized X meters above the ground waiting for your instructions. Then, still with the application through an intuitive visual interface, you will determine several parameters of robbery and shooting, namely: the altitude at which the UAV will fly, angle positioning in relation to you as well as the shooting settings for the camera, including target shooting. And it's done. Everything else will take place in an automated way: you hop on your bike or any other means of travel, and you do your thing without worry about anything, because the drone will begin to move, follow you like your shadow and you shoot for you to concentrate on your business.

When you have finished cycling or skiing or fly or ride or run or slip, the machine will stop again hovering a few meters from you flight, and you will only have to press new a button on the app on your smartphone screen to land the craft. Note that these followers drones also ship safety devices such as the "fail-safe" that allows them, for example, arise smoothly in case of loss of radio signal, or return to a point previously recorded manually via integrated GPS.

A selfie you HD video you can if you want to extract the best images, for example post in "  Dronies  "of Dronestagramicon smile Follow Me Drones: these incredible projects that will revolutionize the sector drones leisure

It makes you dream? You can, it's magic. It is magical and it is concrete with no less than three projects are currently under advanced stage of development, two of which are being funded on Kickstarter, and they should not soon be available to the general public .

See these three projects a little closer.

Hexo +

Start at the regional stage, which is also one of the most promising. Hexo + is originally a French project developed by Squadrone System (formerly Next Level Aerial Filming, which we already mentioned here ) a company born in Grenoble, but also based in Palo Alto in the heart of Silicon Valley . The Hexo + project has already begun with a record that is the buzz the last few days: the impressive amount raised on Kickstarter in just a few hours, then a few days after the launch of the project on the platform of crowdfunding: in three days, it is not less than 535.777 dollars were raised while the initial goal was $ 50,000. We can say that a project that triggers such a rush to reach 1000% of the target in a few days is certainly well-born.

It must be said that there is enough salivate. Hexo + The drone is equipped with a rotor 6 and a camera GoPro stabilized using an intelligent platform driver so that a finger using a smartphone application to make the settings in few clicks on a visual interface in 3D. Everything is automated, no need driver, or cameraman. The device, whose arms are foldable for easy transport, can reach 70 km / h and therefore follow without much difficulty most subjects in action, except maybe a car or motorcycle circuit. Regarding prices, they range from 300 to 1000 dollars depending on the level of options for availability in May 2015 if all goes well. Yes it will be a long wait.

Airdog

A project that is somewhat reminiscent of the previous one, but ... Latvian origin this time. It is also a drone with folding arm equipped with a GoPro stabilized, but it is a bit more crude from a design standpoint. The main difference with Hexo + lies in the fact that it comes with a remote control module to look rather unlikely science fiction shows of the 80s, which attaches to the wrist. This "let the air" (AirLeash) operates long range Bluetooth and it is she who controls the drone, and that it is tracking. The module is waterproof and shockproof, according to its designers and offers a much better performance than smartphones in terms of location accuracy and connectivity. Another advantage if you fancy really drive manually, it becomes standard remote control and you can take control of the drone.

The proposed Airdog system offers several ways to follow: Follow Me (UAV follows the module height and angle determined) Relative Position (constant angle) Follow Track (track repeat) and finally Hover and Aim, which controls the drone to stay at a height and a fixed position, but the camera lens to constantly keep the focus on the same target. Wholesale in the latter mode, it is you who turn around the drone as if the camera was on a fixed pylon and it rotated on its axis and is connected to you by a thread. The Airdog will be offered at $ 1,195 ready to fly and marketing should begin in November 2014.'s Funding target on Kickstarter has already been reached with 201.243 dollars for an initial target of U.S. $ 200,000.


3D Robotics Follow Me

American society 3D Robotics, founded by Chris Anderson, former editor of Wired and website publisher specializing DIYDrones, which is already causing quadricopter Iris is not left with the project Follow Me, whose phase beta has just started. Here it is simply an application for Android smartphones, named DroidPlanner which, among other control features, has recently acquired an option "Follow Me" to enslave a drone smartphone. It is basic but this feature provides the advantage of being free and - even if it is not explained clearly - can possibly work with-any drone equipped with a GPS. To access the beta DroidPlanner, simply  reoindre the Google+ community to become a beta tester , and finally download the application to download the application on the Play Store .

What applications for these Follow Me Drones?

They are obviously many, but we think in the first place the general public. When we know the success of GoPro cameras, one can easily imagine that these small devices packed intelligence will probably be the logical extension of the latter, which also move from a subjective to an objective view without recourse to a third camera, let alone a helicopter, or even a drone pilot. But given the level of automation, we can also consider professional use, for the indoor video for example, or for any purpose for which the monitoring of a target is necessary. Only downside: none of these machines still currently offering detection system and obstacle avoidance. It will still be content to use in an open environment. But there is no doubt that these devices might arrive in the coming months.

This is all well and good, but what does the law?

This is perhaps the only limit to these devices is. If we stick to the very restrictive French law, which basically says that anything that flies with a camera is prohibited unless specific approval of the DGAC, assigned to the dropper only to professionals, these drones will Follow Me unusable here. This is unfortunate and very annoying, but it is the law. And it's even worse for autonomous drones, since the legislation states that any aircraft without a pilot must be controlled by a "UAV which is at all times able to directly control its trajectory to avoid obstacles and other aircraft " . Sometimes our UAV flying at a few meters above us during a trip by bike to take the idea to go alone in a recessed Boeing passing by. In addition to the technological aspects and funding, it is perhaps one of the reasons that the team Hexo + went to settle in California, this digression is of course the result of my personal interpretation . However, one can only hope once again that the legislature knows evolve with technology, and adapts texts, because it seems quite logical that a well programmed autonomous drone has pledges of security in terms of path accuracy not a very experienced pilot could not necessarily assume, although I do not dispute the obligation to be able to regain control of the vehicle at any time. Should clarify this point and probably relax (like many others).

The semi-autonomous drones, or any "smart" cases are probably destined for a bright future, which is more generally within several trends ranging from robotics to need to shoot, to see and expose themselves. To say that all those who use GoPro will be equipped with this kind of machine, there probably has not, especially since the legislature before and might hinder the development of these new uses. But after all the world is large, and many countries will probably be less fussy our national DGAC, which still promises beautiful aerial images: Welcome to the world of "AirSelfies!"