In our Hofstra graduate product innovation class this semester, we have talked about the possibility of a commercially-viable, hands-free, voice-activated, floating camera. We have had fun with what we thought was a hypothetical class discussion. But, it seems that at least aspects of the product we talked about in class may be coming sooner than we thought.
As reported by Priya Ganapati for the Wall Street Journal:
“Camera drones are increasingly popular among sports and photography enthusiasts for their ability to capture stunning images from above. DJI, a company that specializes in small remote-controlled aerial vehicles, now sells a camera-equipped quadcopter that can shoot photos and high-definition videos in winds of up to 25 miles per hour. The newly updated Phantom 2 Vision+ drone comes outfitted with a 14-megapixel camera that captures 1080p high-def video at a rate of 30 frames per second. In order to generate less-blurry images and steadier video when faced with challenging wind conditions or high flight speed, the drone camera also now has integrated stabilization.”
“The drone comes with an app — available for iOS and Android devices — that pilots and/or photographers can use to see what the aerial camera is seeing in real time and even control the camera from up to 700 meters away. (The camera has its own Wi-Fi network, so additional Wi-Fi or a cellular network are not necessary.) The app also shows flight information including altitude, distance from pilot and battery strength.”
One obstacle to the mass marketing of this device: The price of the Phantom 2 Vision+ drone is $1,299. The release date for the latest version has not yet been released.
Check out the video below.
DJI – Introducing the Phantom 2 Vision Plus from DJI on Vimeo.
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Thanks to AJ for suggesting this post.