Three-fer Thursday 8/14: FPV Driving, Moss Monster & a Robobird of Prey

This week’s round of drone videos are a bit more practical than typical Three-fer Thursday entries. But that doesn’t change how awesome they are!

To get over the end-of-the-week-slump, check out these videos of cool ways people are using UAS all over the world.

1) Anyone who has ever played a racing video game or Grand Theft Auto knows that driving a car from an elevated third person view can be tricky and usually results in at least a few scratches.

As it turns out, drones and first person view goggles can bring this scenario to life so YouTube personality Tom Scott decided to see what would happen:

 

2) The fact that the FAA is being such a stick in the mud about commercial drones has angered the unmanned systems community because, they say, the so-called rules stifle innovation and deter drones from reaching their full potential in previously unheard of applications.

Case and point: Moss Monster. A contracting company that dredges lakes probably wouldn’t be high on your list of “Businesses that Would Really Benefit from a Drone.” But, once you see how Moss Monster uses their drone, it’s pretty clear such an application is a no-brainer.

3) Dutch company Clear Flight Solutions developed this “Robird” to act as an airborne scarecrow. The company has two models, a Peregrine Falcon and a Bald Eagle, which are meant to scare or corral smaller birds that might present an obstacle (such as on a tarmac) or threaten crops.

“From a biological point of view, the thing that triggers a bird’s instinct about a predator is the combination of silhouette and wing movement,” says Nico Nijenhuis, the company’s cofounder and CEO.

As you can see in the video, Nijenhuis’ team pretty much nailed the look of a raptor in flight:

 

Robird Peregrine Falcon from Clear Flight Solutions on Vimeo.