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Risso

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If these get to market then I expect they'll be sub-£100 within 12-15 months with the usual mark ups for extra batteries etc.

 

The legal landscape needs to change before it becomes irrelevant. The current laws really weren't written with a 60g semi-autonomous vehicle in mind. It's all written from the pov of a pilot.

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The new DJI Inspire has got a 4K camera and a max altitude of 4,500m!

It probably won't be long until they're heavily regulated. There's a Phantom user page on Facebook, and some dick from the Netherlands uploaded a video of him using his drone to fire fireworks at people.

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The new DJI Inspire has got a 4K camera and a max altitude of 4,500m!

It probably won't be long until they're heavily regulated. There's a Phantom user page on Facebook, and some dick from the Netherlands uploaded a video of him using his drone to fire fireworks at people.

Existing drones are adequately covered by existing laws as they still have a pilot. 

 

The Zano (above) starts to push the limits of the current legal framework. It's going to need a whole new type of law. The process has to start soon as it's needed for driverless cars too. It's about where the liability lies for autonomous vehicles.

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Another quick vid of Ramsey in the north of the IOM.  Don't be expecting a Richard Attenborough master piece of filmography!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohO0luVH3B4&feature=youtu.be

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Risso that is impressive. How high can the thing go before you lose control? Looks really high.

 

I think it's about 700m, but the limit is set at the moment to 400ft which they don't suggest you go over due to light aircraft.  The above max height was about 350ft, after which I couldn't see it any more!

 

They're so smart though, you can set a home landing place, so if they break contact they automatically come back down.

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So in response to the suggestions to have a quick update, below is a list of changes to the original specification. The new production Zano will include all the following;
  • Hardware - A MicroSD card socket has been added and the firmware/app support for this will also be added. This supports local storage of photos and video. 
  • Software - Zano will support 1080p video.
  • Software - Zano will support a throw in the air AKA 'Toss to launch' function. This means if powered up, you can throw Zano into the air, it will lock on its current GPS location, hold position and if configured take a photo or start videoing.
  • Hardware - New gold charging pads have been added to the arms of Zano. This supports quicker charging in the case or the idea of an automated landing/recharge platform.
  • Hardware - The Zano camera is modular, we already have a FLIR LEPTON Thermal imaging module that can be used with Zano, we will also design and develop new, better quality camera modules with the aim of releasing OIS (optical image stabilised) modules. As they are completed and the firmware has been updated to support these modules we will make them available on www.flyzano.com .
  • Software - RGB display will act as display, icons, animations, pictures etc but also display battery status when powered up, act as a torch, flash, act as a beacon, display QR codes of sorts, work as SOS, support display of lives left for dog fighting Zano's etc etc. 
  • Software - RGB will also display a QR code of the Zano's serial number.
  • Software - Zano will support the ability for not just flips and stunts but to fly upside down.
  • Hardware - We are looking into case as a landing pad/launching pad option for later add on. We are also investigating an automated landing/launch pad for use in the home or office.
  • Hardware - We are looking into charging Zano whilst in the case without need to connect cable. We have built support for this but need to speak with the case manufacturer to get costings. This may be a small add-on module and if such will be available on www.flyzano.com.
  • Hardware - We are looking into solar booster for case for outdoor enthusiasts.
  • Software - We will release all manner of panoramic and inverse panoramic pictures support
  • Software - We will release all manner of firmware updates to support beacon mode, toss to launch and carry out auto photos without use of phone, plus many many more. 
  • Hardware - Tiltable camera. This will be manually adjustable but this will be done.
  • Hardware - UV Leds. To support glow in the dark and other neat functions, Zano will now have four UV leds on the top side of the flight frame arms. These are controllable independently of all other functions.
There is more changes and enhancements but the rest are mainly aimed at developers. These include support for Unity3D, Forums, WIKI, beta-tester network etc.
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You really can start to see how Amazon's plans to deliver by drone aren't as far fetched as you might think.  I can send my drone around our garden and beyond, missing all objects in the way like trees and walls simply by plotting points on a map on my mobile phone. 

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There's loads of these now.

 

The big UK broadcast show, The Broadcast Video Expo, could have been mistaken for an RC convention over the past couple of years.

 

29q0akh.jpg

 

This one's quite modest.

my brother was on a Live aboard boat in the Maldives over Christmas and said they used one of those to go up and look for pods of whales and dolphins ..and also to spy on girls in bikini's on other boats  :)

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So in response to the suggestions to have a quick update, below is a list of changes to the original specification. The new production Zano will include all the following;
  • Hardware - A MicroSD card socket has been added and the firmware/app support for this will also be added. This supports local storage of photos and video. 
  • Software - Zano will support 1080p video.
  • Software - Zano will support a throw in the air AKA 'Toss to launch' function. This means if powered up, you can throw Zano into the air, it will lock on its current GPS location, hold position and if configured take a photo or start videoing.
  • Hardware - New gold charging pads have been added to the arms of Zano. This supports quicker charging in the case or the idea of an automated landing/recharge platform.
  • Hardware - The Zano camera is modular, we already have a FLIR LEPTON Thermal imaging module that can be used with Zano, we will also design and develop new, better quality camera modules with the aim of releasing OIS (optical image stabilised) modules. As they are completed and the firmware has been updated to support these modules we will make them available on www.flyzano.com .
  • Software - RGB display will act as display, icons, animations, pictures etc but also display battery status when powered up, act as a torch, flash, act as a beacon, display QR codes of sorts, work as SOS, support display of lives left for dog fighting Zano's etc etc. 
  • Software - RGB will also display a QR code of the Zano's serial number.
  • Software - Zano will support the ability for not just flips and stunts but to fly upside down.
  • Hardware - We are looking into case as a landing pad/launching pad option for later add on. We are also investigating an automated landing/launch pad for use in the home or office.
  • Hardware - We are looking into charging Zano whilst in the case without need to connect cable. We have built support for this but need to speak with the case manufacturer to get costings. This may be a small add-on module and if such will be available on www.flyzano.com.
  • Hardware - We are looking into solar booster for case for outdoor enthusiasts.
  • Software - We will release all manner of panoramic and inverse panoramic pictures support
  • Software - We will release all manner of firmware updates to support beacon mode, toss to launch and carry out auto photos without use of phone, plus many many more. 
  • Hardware - Tiltable camera. This will be manually adjustable but this will be done.
  • Hardware - UV Leds. To support glow in the dark and other neat functions, Zano will now have four UV leds on the top side of the flight frame arms. These are controllable independently of all other functions.
There is more changes and enhancements but the rest are mainly aimed at developers. These include support for Unity3D, Forums, WIKI, beta-tester network etc.

 

 

does the kickstarter option just mean you get one early ? presumably they will be available on usual retail after launch ?

 

be interesting to see what happens when you go somewhere like an airshow and 500 people turn up with one looking for aerial shots of parked planes

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does the kickstarter option just mean you get one early ? presumably they will be available on usual retail after launch ?

 

be interesting to see what happens when you go somewhere like an airshow and 500 people turn up with one looking for aerial shots of parked planes

Kickstarter means that you get that warm fuzzy feeling that in some way you made it happen. They need to hit the final stretch goal to fund swarming in the initial product. It usually means you get the device a long time before consumers do.

 

They weigh 60g. I don't think anyone at an air show will care if people want to throw 60g of electronics at them, even lots of people.

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You really can start to see how Amazon's plans to deliver by drone aren't as far fetched as you might think.  I can send my drone around our garden and beyond, missing all objects in the way like trees and walls simply by plotting points on a map on my mobile phone.

"Technically feasible" versus "legally, reliably, verifiably safely achievable" are so far apart as to make their "plans" very "far fetched". (IMO).
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You really can start to see how Amazon's plans to deliver by drone aren't as far fetched as you might think.  I can send my drone around our garden and beyond, missing all objects in the way like trees and walls simply by plotting points on a map on my mobile phone.

"Technically feasible" versus "legally, reliably, verifiably safely achievable" are so far apart as to make their "plans" very "far fetched". (IMO).

 

That doesn't mean they won't though. Although I don't think they will either.

 

I can remember just a couple of years ago people in my office stating as fact that we'd never have autonomous cars. Now they wonder who'll get there first.

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In the UK they won't. They won't be allowed to for a very very long time.

Also think about it like this.

A customer orders a low cost, low weight, item from Amazon. Amazon can pay a very low price to the Post Office to deliver it. End of process really. Sorted.

The process to programme a "drone" send it off, get it back, refuel/recharge it, fetch it if it breaks, and all the other carry on is and always will be more than the Post office way.

A customer orders a high cost low weight item from Amazon. Now the risk is greater still. Loss of the item from the "drone" would be more problematic, still.

High cost and weight items are not appropriate for drone delivery.

The regulation and operational overheads for "drones" will be punitive in this country. The operator training, the maintenance, the repairs, the safety... the potential risks of being suded when one causes a car accident/kills a pet/does someone an injury/lands in the wrong place...

Nah.

And while autonomous anythings can be designed and built, the legal side to allowing them to be used and operated is massive and there's a lot of inertia there. Trust me.

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In the UK they won't. They won't be allowed to for a very very long time.

Also think about it like this.

A customer orders a low cost, low weight, item from Amazon. Amazon can pay a very low price to the Post Office to deliver it. End of process really. Sorted.

The process to programme a "drone" send it off, get it back, refuel/recharge it, fetch it if it breaks, and all the other carry on is and always will be more than the Post office way.

(I assume you mean Royal Mail). True. There are parts of the world where there isn't a reliable postal service though.

 

And while autonomous anythings can be designed and built, the legal side to allowing them to be used and operated is massive and there's a lot of inertia there. Trust me.

Do you think the UK government (or more likely the public) will allow us to be late to this party? We'll be one of the first countries to allow autonomous vehicles. I'm not saying it'll be easy or soon, but it's going to happen and I hope that we lead the process, not follow others. Xano are British and I'm happy championing them in this....

 

Have you seen some of the morons they allow to drive vehicles already? I think for an increasing number of the population autonomous vehicles can't improve safety quickly enough.

 

(I think we may be going off topic :D)

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Autonomous cars don't need to be perfect, they just need to be safer than the ones driven by people.    They will be a much more disruptive technology than people think too.  

 

UnDV1ke.png

 

I'm of the opinion that the intermodal container was (arguably) the most important invention of the late 20th century. It's a boring metal box which revolutionised the transport of goods, prompted the outsourcing of The West's manufacturing industry to Asia and brought about globalisation and all the economic changes which came with it.  It's probably indirectly responsible for the rebuilding of London's East End and the very existence of Canary Wharf and London's resurgence as a financial power.  Autonomous vehicles on the road and in the air could have a similar effect on 21st century life.  Imagine what it will do for haulage for example, a lorry driven by a robot can be on the move 24 hours a day for a fraction of the cost of one driven by a human who can only be on the move for as long as his tachograph dictates. Drones could do the same in the courier industry in the medium to long term.  I agree that it will take a while, inertia will keep the status quo in place for a few decades but in 2050 or 2070? You could argue the technology is here already but that will continue to improve and by the time it's a social norm then our kids and grandkids are going to wonder what life was like before you could order stuff online at 3am and have it show up within a few hours. 

Edited by The_Rev
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