Just an ordinary day in Khashuri, Georgia (the eastern European one). The sun is shining, music is playing and a man is hovering above the city in a flying hammock.
The hammock appears to be suspended by a drone. Which is, obviously, completely ridiculous. Although we’re still not sure whether the footage is real or not. But even is this is just an optical illusion, it definitely opens up an interesting avenue for use cases further down the line. Forget personal transport drones – what about having a personal drone-powered hammock?
The most likely explanation is that it isn’t a man at all, but a mannequin. But sometimes accepting reality isn’t as fun.
See what you think in the video below:
We saw over the Christmas period exactly how powerful (and large) a drone would need to be to handle the weight of a grown man. In a Samsung-sponsored stunt, Youtuber Casey Neistat took a custom-built drone to the slopes and used it as his own personal ski lift.
That footage was pretty spectacular, as you can see in the clip below. But that machine was a monster, an octocopter. The video from Georgia shows a drone with only 6 props, and though that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t have the power, we’re going to go out on a limb and say that it doesn’t have the power.
Still, it’s an interesting idea. The more we begin to trust drones and autonomous flight safety, the more we’ll start to see applications that involve personal transit and complete bodyweight support. It’s probably a good idea to start small for now, though. Something that doesn’t involve risking your life. Like this example, from Freefly Systems, in which a man wakeboards while being dragged along by a UAV.
It’s probably best that you don’t try any of the above at home.
Malek Murison is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for tech trends and innovation. He handles product reviews, major releases and keeps an eye on the enthusiast market for DroneLife.
Email Malek
Twitter:@malekmurison
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