While CES’15 is still fresh and buzzing with all the flashy gadgets trying to make their way out, it is impossible to not mention ‘Drones’. There was so much happening in the field of drones and many companies showcased their latest designs for the first time. The show floor included an area called Unmanned Systems Marketplace. About 20 companies showcased a wide range of products with capabilities of taking a flight in your homes to following you anywhere you go.
Until now, we’ve seen drones getting lighter, cheaper, easier to maneuver and with improvements in designs. But all in all, these machines needed some sort of human control that made it less appealing. But at CES’15, we saw drones with autonomous operations. The new models on the floor showcased features like “follow me” and integrated with all sorts of cameras, powerful battery units, better odometry sensors, etc. Some of the most talked about models include the Airdog, Hexo+, Ghost, Trace, etc.
These drones are equipped with high definition cameras and mechanisms allowing them to cover all sorts of aerial views. The “follow me” feature has enabled the drones to fly by themselves and record or snap all that you want autonomously. So the trend goes as – drones acting as your personal cinematographers and photographers, but of course they’re in aerial mode. Drones are now capable of capturing a 360 degree-selfie. Can you say no to that? Check out these drones in action.
The semiconductor manufacturers are spending a lot on research and development on drone technology, and it surely has the potential to be the next big thing. To mention, Intel collaborated with Ascending Technologies, for developing industrial grade drones using RealSense hardware and SDK. Also Qualcomm is working hard on visual-inertial odometry sensors and real-time vision systems integrating it with the Snapdragon processor series.
All these advancements will bring a lot more to the table and will help the smartphone industry flourish in unseen horizons. More developments on the ‘sense-and-avoid’ features of drones will help improve the processor potentials and their thorough usage.
Between the FAA norms curbing the commercial usage of drones and the industry momentum in ensuring constant upgrades, one cannot be sure about the drone technology actually coming into place for usage by the common man.
