Why Drones are Ditching their DIY Roots
By AINSLEY O'CONNELL for FastCompany: When hobbyist drone pilot Michael Kolowich ordered his Cinestar-8 octocopter in 2013, he traveled from Boston to Montana, where it had been assembled, to pick it up. "I went up there for four days of training in how to fly it safely, how to get great shots with it, the ins and outs of the platform," he says. "It really did take that much training to get the most out of it."
How the world has changed in just two years. "Almost every serious video drone then was somewhat custom-built," he says. Now, for a fraction of what Kolowich paid, aspiring drone pilots can pick up a "serious" drone at their local Best Buy. The drone community, circa 2015, is at an inflection point, with DIY tinkering giving way to mass-market distribution.
"A year or two ago it was far more custom builds. Now you see it standardizing quite a bit," says Dan Burton, CEO and cofounder of Dronebase, an online platform for booking commercial drone services. Burton was first introduced to drones while serving in the Marines; after returning to the U.S. and attending business school, he began helping commercial drone pilots manage their financials. Dronebase, which effectively allows pilots to outsource their sales and operations, is a natural extension of that hands-on experience.
Burton describes the drone community as comprised of "very passionate hobbyists." But increasingly, the community’s creative, maker mindset is directed toward the cinematics of operating the drone camera, rather than toward the construction of the flying robot itself. Cont'd...
Drones Deliver New Vision to Films
Some big budget film/TV production houses are using these more expensive systems and still come in under budget, compared to using a big helicopter for just a few hours a day or multiple camera cranes/dollies.
Adept Technology Adds New Distributor
Olympus Controls Will Market, Integrate and Sell Adept's Mobile
Robots in Seven States
Blue Frog Robotics Rolls Out Developer Program for BUDDY
The Worlds First Open-Source Companion Robot
Belimed Announces Washer/Disinfector Compatibility with Latest Automated Robotic Cleaning Process
Belimed announced today that their WD 290 washer/disinfector, together with a new specialty robotic rack has been confirmed acceptable for use in the Automated cleaning process for Intuitive Surgical's EndoWrist surgical instruments designed for use with the da Vinci Xi Surgical System.
Velodyne LiDAR to Co-Sponsor Automotive Vehicles Symposium
LiDAR Market Leader on Hand During High-Level Gathering in Michigan
Proto Labs Expands Its Additive Manufacturing Footprint
The acquisition of a new facility significantly increases Proto Labs additive manufacturing space and overall capacity.
Toyota Accelerates Home Helper Robot Program
Toyota is accelerating development of a robot that can perform tasks in the home to help elderly and disabled people lead independent lives.
The Human Support Robot (HSR) is its response to the rising demand for long-term elderly care. The World Health Organisation predicts that by 2050, 22 per cent of the world’s population will be over 60 years old.
The HSR is compact and highly manoeuvrable, with a lightweight, cylindrical body and a folding arm. It can pick up objects off the floor, reach things down from shelves and perform a variety of other tasks.
Toyota is teaming up with a number of research bodies to set up the HSR Developers’ Community, making a combined effort to hasten development and early practical adoption of the HSR.
Artificial intelligence is not yet a substitute for human care, but the HSR will be able to be operated remotely by family and friends, with the operator’s face and voice being relayed in real-time. This will allow for genuine human interaction as the HSR goes about its work. Cont'd...
Japan`s Vision as Robotics Super Power; New Industrial Revolution Driven by Robots
For 2015, a Grand Robot Exhibition in Japan is taking place during December 2nd to 5th as a joint venture of Japan Robot Association and the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun.
How to Prepare Now for the Industrial Internet of Things
The inevitable Internet of Things is already taking shape, absorbing the world of consumer devices and hovering on the horizon of industrial manufacturing.
MICROMO Introduces The most compact 3‐channel encoder of its class!
The most compact 3‐channel encoder of its class!
ITyX Solutions selects Orlando for its Americas headquarters
German market leader in self-learning software opens a new office in Florida
ULTIMAKER RELEASES THREE NEW PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS HIGHLIGHTING THE CAPABILITIES OF THE ULTIMAKER LINE
New Video Series Launches to Showcase Ultimaker Lines User-Friendly Printing Capabilities Featuring A Unique One Year Warranty
Fisher Unitech Now Offering Makerbot 3D Printers
Desktop 3D Printer Line A Gateway Between Hobby and Professional 3D Printing
Embedded Vision Alliance Adds Ten New Members in the First Half of 2015
Rapidly growing membership reflects the importance of computer vision
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