3D Robotics

This isn't exactly a UAV product, but Jay Graves, who runs Hobby Lobby, emailed to say that they've just released a First Person View (FPV) kit, which looks very nice. FPV is a combo of a videocamera in the plane, an onboard wireless video transmitter, a ground receiver and video goggles. The point: you put on the goggles and you can see the perspective from the plane itself, which is the closest thing most of us will get to actually flying a real plane.

Along with sharing some imaging technology with our UAVs, FPVs often use autopilots because they can fly further away than you can see from the ground. When pilots get lost or lose the wireless connection (and thus their view), the autopilots can bring the planes back into range.

The initial kit, which costs $549, has the basics and looks like quite a good deal (Hobby Lobby has a great reputation, and the company that makes the equipment, Intelligent Flight, is one of the best in the business). But if you happen to be independently wealthy, you might want to wait for some forthcoming accessories that will complete the full FPV experience: a pan-tilt camera mount, which can be connected to a gyro in your video goggles so the camera will turn where you're looking; an On Screen Display that integrates telemetry data into the video stream (and has a basic "return home" GPS-only autopilot for very stable aircraft), and a directional antenna that can greatly increase the range.

I wouldn't be surprised if all that together runs over $1,000, so it's a bit out of our range. But if you can afford it, this is the ultimate RC experience.

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