Otter Drone Video 28 Jul 2014

If you have been intrigued by the aerial videos of Otter Week you might like to know a little bit more about them. They were made using a DJI Phantom Vision quad copter with a camera. Igor had to modify it by adding a gimbal to make the footage more stable and independent of the drone’s sharp movements.

Both drone and camera are controlled independently and remotely. This particular model is comparatively easy to control as it has built in GPS which makes it aware of its own location and provides stable hovering as long as there is a strong GPS signal. It is configured to return to its launching position in case the remote control signal is lost.

The cameral is very wide angle, almost fisheye, which is why the horizon is curved (it’s not the earth’s curvature!)

Despite all this hi-tech aided control, for safety it is very important to maintain visual contact with the drone and for the pilot not to be distracted. Just like a bus driver, avoid talking to Igor when he is flying, he’ll be happy to explain it all once the drone is safely on the ground (hopefully not the water!)