It looks like these guys are on the verge of a great new product, which is compatible with ArduCopter-based vehicles such as the PocketDrone and the 3DR platforms such as Iris. My guess is they are using image processing to track the subject and then command the multi-copter to follow. I wonder how long till they hit the market? Any ideas on how they get this to work on multiple platforms? Very impressive!
Jeff
Comments
Look at
http://robotics.asu.edu/ardrone2_ibvs/
Steven,
For an optical system, I think the ability to track a subject left/right and up/down isn't as tough as recognizing if subject's distance changes. I am becoming more of a skeptic of their claims.
Jeff
What i find strange, i had a ptz converance camera from sony +14 years ago and it already was able to track me in a room of people. It was all done in the camera, so i do not really grasp why things are not far more advanced now.
Actually over a year ago, one of our Russian members demonstrated a video of his system that was really very good at recognizing and tracking people.
Haven't heard anything since though, Hmm - wonder why?
Realistically, given the recent Kickstarter color tracking project, this guy in a red coat on a snow covered background might be fairly easy to track of course they didn't mention that part.
That's word by word identical to the posts at ardupilot.com and RCG... Smells even more fishy to me now.
Here is the link to the previous related blog post, as listed with other related links here.
This simply looks like the follow-me function with the framing of the shot being controlled by setting the distance the copter is from you through their app. At least that's what I make of it from looking through their website.
There was a blog post about these guys just a few weeks ago.
@Jack: Great concept, great promotional material, no product. Ripe for a buyout? ;)
They are spamming several RC forums with their announcements recently. I deleted some of their stuff from the ardupilot.com support forums...
If they are legit, why the forum spamming?
In our test is not possible to use standard technology available on the market for doing an advanced follow system for a lot of complex technical and safety reason .... We start to work at the project 2 years ago to test this kind of technology and evolve our vision and technology untill now ... :)