Drone News Roundup: Man Flying in a Jetsuit Captured by Skydio Drone, CineWhoop Video of Historic Mansion, and More!
BY Zacc Dukowitz
2 July 2021This week we’re covering a video of a man flying in a jetsuit over a field, which was shot autonomously by a Skydio drone.
We’re also covering a new CineWhoop video from Jay Christensen, a fun FPV video shot in the canals of Venice, the FAA’s recommendations on gender neutral language for drones, and U.S.-based Skyfish’s recent $20 million funding round.
Now on to the links!
Video of Man Flying in a Jetsuit Shot by Self-Flying Skydio Drone
A pleasure to arrive @Founders_Forum by #jetsuit thanks @brenthoberman @SohoHouseGroup . Great job @SkydioHQ pic.twitter.com/tFEHEeKHsh
— Gravity (@takeonGravity) June 20, 2021
Wondering if jetsuits will ever be a reality? Well, it looks like they already are, based on this video shot by a Skydio drone flying in follow-me mode. The video was shared recently on Twitter by Gravity, a British company focused on aeronautical innovation whose mission is to re-imagine human flight and inspire a generation to dare ask ‘what if!’ While the jetpack technology itself is very cool, the video also displays the impressive autonomy of Skydio’s drones.
SEE MORE FROM GRAVITY
“Up Our Alley” CineWhoop Pilot Jay Christensen Back with FPV Tour of Historic Mansion
A new CineWhoop video made by Jay Christensen takes you on a tour through the historic Glensheen Mansion in Duluth, Minnesota. The video takes the CineWhoop fly-through to a new level of creativity, opening with a horse and buggy and featuring people dressed in historic garb, with a shift from black and white to color as we enter the mansion. Christensen first went viral for “Up Our Alley,” a single-shot CineWhoop video highlighting a Minnesota bowling alley. Since then he’s made several other widely shared videos, including one shot at the Mall of Americas that we covered in the roundup not too long ago.
SEE MORE FROM JAY CHRISTENSEN
FPV Video Takes You on Up-Close Tour of Venice Canals
View this post on Instagram
Over a score of classical music, Italian drone pilot Gianmarco Gabriele flies along the canals of Venice in the Instagram post shown above, showing off the beauty of this ancient city. The shortness of the video is made up for by the incredible view of the city toward the end, when the drone swoops around a tower and back down toward the water.
SEE MORE FROM GIANMARCO GABRIELE
FAA Drone Advisory Committee Makes Recommendations for the Adoption of Gender Neutral Drone Language
The FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee (DAC) recently approved four recommendations for the adoption of gender neutral language when referring to drones—that is, language that would get away from the use of ‘unmanned’ and use more neutral terminology instead. The recommendations are:
- Adopting gender-inclusive language wherever possible
- Implementing this language via a standardized style guide
- Applying this style guide and language effectively
- Transforming communication for the broader aviation industry
The thinking behind these changes is that the language used matters when it comes to adoption. Women currently only make up 6.7% of drone pilots registered by the FAA, but intentional outreach, including changes to the language the drone industry uses, could change that.
READ MORE
U.S.-based Drone Company SkyFish Gets $20 Million in New Funding Round
U.S.-based Skyfish recently announced that it has raised an additional $20 million dollars in funding. The company’s core offering is a drone-and-software solution for precise 3D modeling, which allows for centimeter-level accuracy that is “appropriate for engineering purposes.” The image above shows one of these models, which have garnered lots of interest in the cell tower industry. Skydio recently launched 3D Scan software for precise 3D modeling, making it look like the future of the drone industry is as much in software—that is, in the outputs you can make with the drone data you collect—as it is in hardware.
READ MORE
Make sure to sign up for our free weekly newsletter using the button below so you can get our weekly newsletter every Saturday, with this roundup and our other featured stories from the week.
