A new drone system may soon be available to film your every move, no operator needed.
The world’s first autonomous drone system should be available by the end of the summer, according to the maker, French company Squadrone Systems.
The software package known as Next Level Aerial Filming controls drone mounted cameras so they lock on a subject, frame it at a specified angle and track the subject within the specified frame. It is controlled from the user’s mobile device.
No word yet on the price or when exactly it will be available other than sometime in 2014. An email from the company said “our engineers are currently working hard on finalizing a beta test version that is up too par with our expectations.”
The company claims that the system “turns your drone and your action camera into an intelligent flying camera that tracks you or your subject autonomously. Think of it as a smart auto-pilot that drives your drone and capture what you have decided. Aerial filming is now accessible to anyone and absolutely crash-safe.”
All types of drones (3d Robotics, Pocket Drone) and cameras (GoPro, Reflex, Red Epic) are compatible with the system, according to the company. How this gizmo avoids crashing into trees, houses, etc, is not clear.
There is a sign-up page for an email list to receive the first batch of product.
According to a report in DroneLife, the idea for Next Level Aerial Filming was pitched at Startup Weekend Grenoble in 2013 and was funded on French accelerator Startup Maker.
“We first intend to sell the software which will allow (you) to interact with different types of drones.” Squadrone CEO Antoine Level told Dronelife. “We are also looking to partner with different drone makers in order to sell complete packages including drone and software.” —Sean McCoy
