Lesson number one from this week is simple: When you think you’ve seen it all in the drone industry, think again. Aerones, a drone technology company in Latvia, has just released footage of a drone jump, in which a brave man is lifted to a height of 330 metres before sky-diving.
Aerones‘ bold drone skydive took place in Amata, Latvia, and took off from the 120m communications tower of a local radio and television company. The bespoke drone, which had no fewer than 28 propellers, took the jumper from the top of the tower and lifted him up another 200m to the right altitude for the jump. His freefall lasts for only a few moments before the parachute is released.
An Exciting Time for Extreme Sports Fans (and Firefighters)
So what did the world’s first drone jumper, Ingus Augstkalns, have to say about the experience? “The emotions are fantastic. Both because of how easily and quickly the drone lifted me, and because Latvia has proved itself in innovation and technology. It is obvious that we will see an increasingly important use of drones in our everyday lives. My skydiving friends all over the world will be excited about these new opportunities. We live in an exciting time.”
The whole operation was over in a matter of seconds, but preparations went on for six months to ensure the safety of Augstkalns. Check out the video below.
Aerones planned the jump to exhibit the reliability and lifting ability of the company’s drone technology, which has also been used for applications in firefighting, rescue, sports and entertainment.
Jānis Putrāms, chief engineer at Aerones and pilot of the drone, said “In the near future, our technology will save human lives, help to fight fires and carry out other challenging and significant work. With this project, we have shown that we are ready for serious tasks in the field of civil defence and sports.”
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
Subscribe to DroneLife here.
Peter says
What an amazing video. It’s just awesome to see how a drone can lift a human at such a high altitude. Just goes to show how powerful technology is becoming. Now imagine seeing a drone fly around a human one day!