An Indiegogo campaign recently kicked off for Sky Drone FPV, a project which would allow users to remotely view from an unmanned aerial vehicle via BlackBerry 10 device or PlayBook. Rather than relying on traditional image relay techniques which are subject to a lot of interference, the Sky Drone uses a 3G and LTE modem to send its image to the BlackBerry. Users will be able to record 1080p video and take still pictures, all transmitted over AES 256 encryption. On the ground, you'll be able to pilot the device from your phone or tablet and watch the action from the low-latency video feed and optional data overlay.
Remote control of drones by smartphone has been around at least as long as the Parrot A.R.Drone, but it's great to see something similar becoming available to BlackBerry owners. The funding campaign just kicked off yesterday and goes until September 17, by which point they need to have made $80,000 to go into production. If funding goes over the minimum, they'll have stretch goals which include Oculus Rift support, so you can get an extremely real first-person view of what your drone's up to. To actually get your mitts on the camera module, you'll have to take advantage of the $349 early bird backer tier. You'll still need a drone or RC copter to attach it to, though.
Any aerial enthusiasts out there eager to try this out? Hit up Indiegogo to pitch in to the project.
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