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Drone Flies Into an Active Volcano [video]

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Re: Drone Flies Into an Active Volcano [video]

#71

Post by gcb0 »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #70
nlh wrote: post #18

This is supremely cool. Tangential stupid question: Obviously there's been a ton of buzz lately (and innovation) in the drone space. What's the big technological driver that's allowed / caused this to happen? I don't know the details of the internals but it seems that the tech has been around for a while (radio controlled planes, servos, helicopters, smallish cameras, etc.).

"What's the big technological driver that's allowed / caused this to happen?" As with most things, several things had to come together in order for this to happen. A probably incomplete list. 1) Lithium chemistry batteries - unlike Nickel, Cadmium, or Lead chemisty batteries, Lithium batteries are have a lower weight per watt-second than the others. 2) Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) - which is a technique fo…

isn't lithium more prone to failure on higher temps?

also, i'd love to know what the propellers are made of.

If it was me trying to film that close to a volcano, i'd simply use better lens :)

Re: Drone Flies Into an Active Volcano [video]

#72

Post by tunap »

sbirchall wrote: post #31
cooper12 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Every sound you've ever heard That's a really broad claim. DO you have a source for this statement?

yeah I wouldn't say _Every_ but a very large majority most certainly are. I used to delight in ruining people's enjoyment of nature documentaries by pointing out that anything walking on snow is the sound of custard powder being crunched and twisted in a rubber glove! Yeah: I'm a bastard ;)

I like the growl that is administered to every video cat larger than a fat tabby. IF I ever hear that sound IRL, I won't be thinking cougar or bobcat, rather how to deter the jaguar from crushing my skull.

Re: Drone Flies Into an Active Volcano [video]

#73

Post by jonknee »

gcb0 wrote: post #71
ChuckMcM wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"What's the big technological driver that's allowed / caused this to happen?" As with most things, several things had to come together in order for this to happen. A probably incomplete list. 1) Lithium chemistry batteries - unlike Nickel, Cadmium, or Lead chemisty batteries, Lithium batteries are have a lower weight per watt-second than the others. 2) Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) - which is a technique fo…

isn't lithium more prone to failure on higher temps? also, i'd love to know what the propellers are made of. If it was me trying to film that close to a volcano, i'd simply use better lens :)

The props are made of plastic (I have a similar unit as the person who made the video, I just don't live near a volcano). Coincidentally, I actually ordered a spare set today:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1013324-REG/dji_part3_...

Re: Drone Flies Into an Active Volcano [video]

#74

Post by fh973 »

lmm wrote: post #23
nlh wrote: post #18

This is supremely cool. Tangential stupid question: Obviously there's been a ton of buzz lately (and innovation) in the drone space. What's the big technological driver that's allowed / caused this to happen? I don't know the details of the internals but it seems that the tech has been around for a while (radio controlled planes, servos, helicopters, smallish cameras, etc.).

The multi-rotor drones are basically uncontrollable without computers; you need a reasonably powerful processor, which in turn means a fairly high-capacity battery. I think a lot of the innovation has come from mobile phone tech; there's now a lot more demand for small, light, high-performance processors, batteries and cameras, and so while much of the tech is not really new it's a lot more available to hobbyists tha…

Most fly with 8-bit Arduinos actually. Their power consumption is nil compared to the brushless motors.

Re: Drone Flies Into an Active Volcano [video]

#75

Post by ChuckMcM »

gcb0 wrote: post #71
ChuckMcM wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"What's the big technological driver that's allowed / caused this to happen?" As with most things, several things had to come together in order for this to happen. A probably incomplete list. 1) Lithium chemistry batteries - unlike Nickel, Cadmium, or Lead chemisty batteries, Lithium batteries are have a lower weight per watt-second than the others. 2) Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) - which is a technique fo…

isn't lithium more prone to failure on higher temps? also, i'd love to know what the propellers are made of. If it was me trying to film that close to a volcano, i'd simply use better lens :)

   > isn't lithium more prone to failure on higher temps?
Has not been my experience that this is the case, a low temperatures its storage capacity is reduced though.

Typical props are ABS plastic or Nylon. I suppose you could make them out of a higher performance plastic but I appreciate that they are cheap (I replaced a number of them learning to fly my quad copter)

Re: Drone Flies Into an Active Volcano [video]

#76

Post by MiguelHudnandez »

grinich wrote: post #45
mikeyouse wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Watching an uncontrolled drone strafe an overpass at street level and split power lines for a commuter train, really increases my sympathy toward those who want to regulate these.

We really should also regulate pigeons.

Pigeons usually do not have fast-spinning blades attached to them. I am not really for regulation, but these things can actually hurt people [1]. RC Helicopters (with one large, main rotor) have actually killed people [2].

Hobbyists must take great care to operate their drones safely, and companies should assume some liability for runaway situations like this if they ever result in injuries.

Warning, pictures of injuries:

[1a] https://www.google.com/search?q=quadrotor+injury&tbm=isch

[1b] https://www.google.com/search?q=multirotor+injury&tbm=isch

[2] RC helicopter fatalities: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2413231/Roman-Piroze...

Re: Drone Flies Into an Active Volcano [video]

#77

Post by [deleted] »

fnordfnordfnord wrote: post #52
mikeyouse wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Watching an uncontrolled drone strafe an overpass at street level and split power lines for a commuter train, really increases my sympathy toward those who want to regulate these.

Sure, everything has to be regulated; but how do you propose to regulate and then how do you propose to enforce those regulations?

[deleted]

Re: Drone Flies Into an Active Volcano [video]

#78

Post by [deleted] »

easy_rider wrote: post #32
Killah911 wrote: post #6

Footage got better by turning the sound off. I wonder if editors in general have poor taste in music or are simply trying to convey their excitement thru dub step background music.

Yes seriously, this was my first thought. The funny thing is that it isn't even dubstep. It is some kind of subgenre that seems to have been the trend for 2013/2014. It sounds like a microsoft surface commercial. I coined the term "clubstep" for it. Looks like someone beat me to it [1]. I've also noted an alarming trend in latest sci-fi movies with this awful music being portrayed still being the hottest thing in clu…

[deleted]

Re: Drone Flies Into an Active Volcano [video]

#79

Post by tlrobinson »

jonknee wrote: post #73
gcb0 wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

isn't lithium more prone to failure on higher temps? also, i'd love to know what the propellers are made of. If it was me trying to film that close to a volcano, i'd simply use better lens :)

The props are made of plastic (I have a similar unit as the person who made the video, I just don't live near a volcano). Coincidentally, I actually ordered a spare set today: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1013324-REG/dji_part3_...

Would you recommend DJI Phantom or are there other up and coming hobbyist drone manufacturers worth looking at?

Re: Drone Flies Into an Active Volcano [video]

#80

Post by tlrobinson »

baddox wrote: post #48
doctoboggan wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The cell phone industry has massively driven down the costs of the gyros and accelerometers needed to easily fly a quadcoptor. You also mentioned tiny cameras, another component that benefitted from the economies of scale of the cell phone manufacturers.. For example, you can buy a quadcoptor that fits int he palm of your hand for less than $40: http://www.amazon.com/Estes-4606-Proto-Quadcopter-Black/dp/B...

By the way, that's the best toy quadcopter I've ever used (sample size of 4), and to say it fits in the palm of your hand is overstating its size. Three or four of them would easily fit in the palm of your hand, or the quadcopter and its tiny controller: http://cdn9.modelairplanenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11...

I've got one of those too. I'm actually creeped out by how small it is, like a large dragon fly.
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