Camera on the bottom of a drone to take overhead pictures

[Digital Doctor]

Camera on the bottom of a drone to take overhead pictures
- it would fly up take a picture and come come straight down.

Uses: For Landscapers to take pictures of properties (backyards, etc.)
- save on measuring time (more accurate too) (quicker quotes for jobs)
- better communication with their landscape architect.
Use: For real estate agents to take pictures of backyards.
Others: To look up on roofs ? I am sure there would be other uses.
Essentially this is a go between device ... someone who doesn't want to pay for a fly over with a plane (too $$$) ... but wants an overhead shot.
Device requirements:
- pretty cheap.
- mostly take off straight up - take the pictures - and come straight down.
- probably needs to have a light string on it for safety ?
- has to be steady enough to get clear pictures !
- not take up too much trunk space.
- might send small snapshots to a smartphone ... so you know if you have gone high enough for the best picture ?
- almost automated vs. manual (not sure).
craigiri: Is there such a drone device ?
New and Fledgling Site for Quadcopters, Multirotors, Consumer Drones
http://www.droneflyers.com
- cool site.
I've been expecting the commercialization of drones ... I expect they will eventually fly around NFL games taking cool footage and entertaining the crowds.

 

[Neal]

My only concern with these is the problems they can cause to commercial and military aviation, and also the privacy of others if anyone can buy one (I think they should be licensed so they can be traced, etc).

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http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/drone-jfk-airport-pilot-spotted-drone-landing-york-18654926

 

[craigiri]

I'm covering some of this stuff on my new blog and forum. If you check the news feed menu, you will see a lot of stories about Drones for Good.....

Obviously, they should not be flown near airports, etc. - but they are already being used for Agriculture and other such things and in the near future you will see MANY uses including power line inspection and other constructions uses.

My new site - join the forum if you have interest (no one there yet) and we'll all learn together.
Oh, I will be giving away some drones and other prizes to those who join the forum (drawings start April 1, but anyone who signs up before is entered automatically).

http://www.droneflyers.com

 

[Digital Doctor]

Ever heard of anything like my idea ?
I swear I thought I saw a kid's helicopter toy that was good at hovering.
I guess what I really want is a helicopter - they fly straight up ... drones are good at going forward.

 

[Neal]

I'm covering some of this stuff on my new blog and forum. If you check the news feed menu, you will see a lot of stories about Drones for Good.....

Obviously, they should not be flown near airports, etc. - but they are already being used for Agriculture and other such things and in the near future you will see MANY uses including power line inspection and other constructions uses.

My new site - join the forum if you have interest (no one there yet) and we'll all learn together.
Oh, I will be giving away some drones and other prizes to those who join the forum (drawings start April 1, but anyone who signs up before is entered automatically).

http://www.droneflyers.com

I'll join, mainly as I was thinking of getting one myself

The cyan colour on your site makes it a little hard to see the different cats just for your info.

 

[craigiri]

Ever heard of anything like my idea ?
I swear I thought I saw a kid's helicopter toy that was good at hovering.
I guess what I really want is a helicopter - they fly straight up ... drones are good at going forward.

Lots of stuff like this already existing - drones refer to Quadcopters also which hover even better than helicopters.

You can buy off-the-shelf stuff for crop inspection, etc.
Other uses may need a small amount of modification.

Prices start at about $50.
For $300 you can get an AR Drone which has front and bottom cams and record video (better from the front) and runs from a smart phone.
For about 700 plus camera, you can get the DJI Phantom which has GPS, "return home" and other advanced features.
http://droneflyers.com/2013/02/dji-phantom-quadcopter-the-first-true-mass-market-drone/

If you are handy and a hobbyist, you can put stuff together to get many features.....

 

[craigiri]

Those who never flew anything should order the $40 syma X1 from Amazon just to get the experience. You can even mount a $12 keychain cam on it and get video (after you get the hang of it)....

http://droneflyers.com/2013/01/syma-x1-a-great-starting-quadcopter-for-less-than-40/

 

[craigiri]

I'll join, mainly as I was thinking of getting one myself

The cyan colour on your site makes it a little hard to see the different cats just for your info.

Thanks for the tip! I will make it more readable!

 

[Digital Doctor]

Lots of stuff like this already existing - drones refer to Quadcopters also which hover even better than helicopters.

A quadcopter is perfect.
Looks very stable.

probably need to be careful on windy days

 

[Digital Doctor]

Thanks for the tip! I will make it more readable!

Why not use the same green colour from the blog in the forum.
For a bit of continuity.
I know you like things rustic (http://www.hearth.com/ homepage).
But ...

 

[Kevin]

My new site - join the forum if you have interest (no one there yet) and we'll all learn together.
Oh, I will be giving away some drones and other prizes to those who join the forum (drawings start April 1, but anyone who signs up before is entered automatically).

I just joined the forum as well. I recently picked up a cheap quadcopter to play around with in the back yard now that Spring is approaching and I could always use some drawing prizes.

 

[Ingenious]

This is such an interesting subject as the technology gets cheaper, lighter and better. Lots of privacy debate now both in the US and here in the UK.

You can even mount a $12 keychain cam on it and get video (after you get the hang of it)....

These are the most fun you can have with a camera and $12 I've attached these to rockets and sent them up, here are some stills from the video, you can imagine how great these are on drones (or balloons or kites):

The thing at the top of the frame is the wooden rocket stick - these were fireworks rather than model rockets (the ones with parachutes).

 

[CTXMedia]

For a minature surveillance copter, check out the link in this post:

http://geekschat.net/threads/so-you-are-tracking-me.4077/#post-13128

 

[Digital Doctor]

One of these things in the hands of a pyromaniac ...
scary.
It could just fly over houses and light them on fire.

 

[Kevin]

One of these things in the hands of a pyromaniac ...
scary.
It could just fly over houses and light them on fire.

Same could be said for 'bottle rockets' during July in the US.

 

[craigiri]

Why not use the same green colour from the blog in the forum.
For a bit of continuity.
I know you like things rustic (http://www.hearth.com/ homepage).
But ...

Well, the color of the blog was inherited too - I bought the abandoned blog!

I guess I should restyle the whole thing at some point - but, hey, part of my attempted proof that Content is King may be that info is more important than style....

Will gladly give credits and maybe even some $$ in the future to any expert who wants to work on it sometime in the future. I'm a content guy! Heck, my XF forum is pretty much stock.

I did buy Arty's style so it would start out responsive.....

These drones are going to be part of our everyday lives. Not to say we will use them as much as a smartphone, but they will do amazing things like search and rescue, etc.

This is all going to happen quickly, IMHO.

 

[craigiri]

For the lowest price decent drone with video camera, try the 959 from Massive Overkill (US folks) or from elsewhere if you are overseas.....

Well less than $100 with a video camera on board. Not high-res, but good for discovery. It can be retrofitted with FPV (that means YOU see what it sees), but that is separate and more costly.

Basically, most instances of FPV require two totally different systems- and therefore two radio tx/rec combos. The FPV is usually an analog system like from most security cams, while the video shooting is just regular digital video.

http://www.massiverc.com/PrestaShop/en/69-wl-toys-v959.html

(PS, I make no money from these referrals - but these guys are small business and they actually answer questions, etc.)

 

[Ingenious]

One of these things in the hands of a pyromaniac ...
scary.
It could just fly over houses and light them on fire.

Well, we already add pyrotechnics, flames and SFX to model planes and helicopters to have replica battles, I am pretty sure I have seen footage on Youtube of the same stuff being fired/dropped from a drone. Probably not surprising some people are so worried about drones being in the hands of the public!

Having said all that, if you wanted to get into arson and set someone's house on fire, I am sure there are easier, cheaper and more reliable ways of doing it than using a drone

 

[Digital Doctor]

Having said all that, if you wanted to get into arson and set someone's house on fire, I am sure there are easier, cheaper and more reliable ways of doing it than using a drone

If I do become a pyromaniac ... and I hadn't even considered a career in the Pyromania Arts until you mentioned it ... I don't want to be an old school pyromaniac.

I want to be part of the new schoo. a "Next Gen PyroManiAc®".

With a drone carrying a molotov cocktail.
playing some gangster rap songs.
and with a twitter feed of my drone in flight.
so I can be famous.

 

[craigiri]

This was me with my bro and a model rocket circa 1963 or so....

Heck, we used to walk into the local pharmacy and ask for saltpeter in bulk! Blowing things up was an important part of growing up for boys!