When we think about flying drones in a crowded place, most of us will be concerned about safety. Our drone technology has not yet developed to the point where we feel completely safe flying a drone around big crowds. Consequently, business areas such as advertising and entertainment, have not yet come to find the true potential of drone usage, until now.
Aerotain, a Swiss company aimed at and achieved developing a drone that is safe to fly above crowds. Named Project Skye, it is an inflatable drone with a 3-meter-diameter (10-foot-diameter) controllable balloon filled with helium air for buoyancy. Three electric motors allow the drone to rotate 360 degrees around each axis. Around its surface are propellers whose direction can be adjusted, allowing the balloon to spin or move, by remote control. This helium air drone can perform accurate and responsive movements while carrying heavy weight for a long period of time. Besides the weight carrying capabilities, Skye can also display moving and still images on the balloon’s skin, thanks to an internal image projector. This inflatable drone has been used for aerial advertising due its capabilities and public safeness. Sky has been used in events as a crowd-pleaser and even at a stadium during a sporting event. If needed, Skye is also capable of carrying photography and videography cameras to be used for professional photographing and filmmaking.
For the moment, Skye requires an experienced operator. However, Skye plans to change this. The company is working on a more developed and autonomous version of Skye. Thus allowing anyone or any business to use this helium drone as a mean of advertising, for entertainment or for photography and videography. Skye can stay in air for periods of two to three hours, and works both indoors and out. Its flight altitude depends on wind conditions, being 20 to 30 meters the maximum. It can move at a top speed of 15 to 20km/h. All of this on a soft-sided body which represents no harm to people. Crowds can even interact with it, touch it, and play with it. If by any malfunction the drone stops working and “crashes”, it’s not a problem, it will just be a big ballon ball for people to play with. Co-Founder Daniel Meier said.
What are your thoughts on these type of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles? Did Aerotain finally found the best solution for aerial advertising and crowd interactivity? Do you see any safety issues that may occur and have not yet been considered? Do you think this types of helium drone can be developing and become widely used? Let us know what your opinion in this matter is, we at Drone Life always look forward to read your comments.
Here is a video of the Skye, courtesy of Aerotain.
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