Drones are about to get even more interesting
UAV's or "Drones" as they are often know are fast becoming the hottest thing in video. The increasing accessibility of technology has meant that highly professional aerial shots have become accessible to everyone. Sort of.
You see there is a bit a problem with UAV's in that the laws regarding their use vary widely from country to country, and overwhelmingly the authorities are not very happy at all at the thought of mere civilians using them.
Fly them at your own leisure and you are fine, within reason. Put a camera on one and charge for the service and immediately you become a commercial provider and hand over many thousands of Pounds for the privilege of being flight tested and registering your drone. Not a totally bad thing I must say since it does ensure some modicum of safety, although it does rather put the start up price for those starting out in the field.
Now there is a newcomer on the scene with a device that is sure to have the hairs on the backs of the aviation authorities and Governments stand on end. It comes in the form of the Hexo+, a totally autonomous drone that is designed to track and film its user.
The results from the prototype devices look very good indeed. The device tracks a smart phone with an app. The user sets the framing they require with the app and the drone then takes off from wherever it is and then automatically adjusts its flight path to keep the composition that was set. The results as seen by the demo video look very impressive indeed.
The only niggling issue is the legality of the thing. It is a bit of a mess right now with manually controlled drones, so throwing a full automated one into the mix I would imagine may well face a total ban. I sincerely hope this does not happen and that the built in safety systems are taken into account, but I am not going to hold my breath.
Regardless of what the legal future might hold, check out the demonstration video. I think you'll be impressed!