Not that long ago the sandbox building craze was sweeping through the gaming world. Minecraft was the game of choice and people from every country were creating their own structures and cities with friends and immersing themselves within them. Now DroneBase is launching a similar platform with augmented reality. AirCraft lets pilots build structures in the sky.
Your first thought when hearing that a major drone company has added an augmented reality feature to its platform is probably “so what?”. But AirCraft represents the first of its kind. While other companies have added AR to apps and overlayed paths onto your FPV view, this is the first platform that allows pilots to build AR structures and navigate around them in real time.
AirCraft: The Sky’s The Limit
Using a range of colors and textures, pilots can build structures from AirCraft blocks that are overlayed directly onto the FPV view and fixed with GPS. That means you can fly around them, through them and between them. You can also share your designs and collaberate with other pilots.
Check out this example…
It might not look like much, but this could be the start of the augmented, custom-made FPV racing track revolution. Apart from expensive and fiddly FPV kits, one thing preventing newcomers from getting into racing is the fact that there’s nowhere to race. Unless you’ve got your own field or abandoned warehouse, finding somewhere to spread your wings can be tricky.
DroneBase’s AirCraft has the potential to remove that hurdle. You can build your own track, pretty much anywhere, and make it as simple or outrageous as you like.
Not only does this offer a fun alternative for your drone flights, it’s also the kind of thing that can make you a better pilot, fast. Practice makes perfect, after all. It might even be a way to introduce kids to drones without putting your quad (or property) at risk!
So could this be the end of barely used drones and wasted DJI products? Maybe. It might even be the start of a more collaborative pilot community. Instead of going on solo flights, AR platforms like this can make flying a much more social experience.
Pilot training
Becoming a better pilot isn’t only an ambition for hobbyists. Professionals could also use DroneBase’s AR platform for further training. These days commercial operators work on time-sensitive projects in sensitive locations.
The last thing they want to do is carry out multiple flights over a bridge or oil rig when one would be enough. With AirCraft, pilots could practice beforehand on augmented structures and get jobs done more efficiently and safely.
“AirCraft gives pilots of all skill levels new reasons to fly their drones,” said Dan Burton, Co-Founder and CEO, DroneBase.
“Unlike current AR experiences, AirCraft allows pilots to create and interact with virtual objects in the sky while flying. We’re looking to our community of pilots to see what they will build, how they will use this technology, and what they want next.”
So there you have it. The DroneBase AirCraft platform could be fun and useful to both hobbyist and commercial pilots. If you want to have a go on the beta and take AR building in the sky for a spin, you’ve got to register as a DroneBase pilot and download the app. The rest is up to you.
