The Astounding Advances in "Athletic" Drones

And Why It's Finally TIME TO BUY ONE! Watch!

Jul 22, 2023

You've seen drones “flip” but I bet you didn't know the maneuvers in the video above were physically possible. Take a minute to watch!

In a robot lab at TEDGlobal, Raffaello D'Andrea demos his flying quadcopters: robots that think like athletes, solving physical problems with algorithms that help them learn. In a series of nifty demos, D'Andrea show drones that play catch, balance and make decisions together -- and watch out for an I-want-this-now demo of Kinect-controlled quads.

By the way, prices have plummeted on drones, and the video quality and stabilization has advanced by leaps and bounds.

Brushless motors, until recently a high end option, are now standard on even beginner models. They are far more efficient and have extended flight times from a pesky 5 minutes to 30 minutes and more before a fresh battery is needed.

Automatic GPS way pointing, return home (when lost) and cinematic “follow me” and “circle the object” features are standard, reliable and so easy to use now.

It’s a great time to finally get your feet wet with drone flying, video making and high definition still photography, with something more than a toy drone. You can get started now with professional tech that would have cost you $2000-$3000 just a few years back for a mere fraction of that.

Here’s a great one to start with, under $250 and just under the weight that requires FAA registration (all drone operator rules still apply, regardless):