The Hexo+ intelligent drone launched on Kickstarter can capture the video of all sports and outdoor stunts autonomously.
Outdoor stunt enthusiasts can now record their actions from a third person view with the help of the crowd-funded Hexo+ drone, which follows its users on pre-set parameters established via a smartphone app.
"We initially began thinking about HEXO+ because we needed a solution that would make aerial filming possible in the most remote places: on mountains, in the snow, and in all sorts of unpredictable situations that were quite a pain to deal with when trying to sync a drone pilot, a cameraman and a rider," per the creators of the drone.
The creators of the drone suggest that the Hexo+ has enough possibility to modify the way all types of aerial filming is looked at. The Hexo+ can make aerial filming extremely simple without the need of a cameraman or a pilot.
"We combined our expertise in action-sports movie-making, drone design and aeronautic software to create a drone capable of autonomously flying, filming and following, giving you access to amazing aerial shots with the bare minimum: a drone, a camera and an app on your smartphone," added the creators of Hexo+.
Hexo+ is believed to be very easy to set up. The accompanying smartphone app provides a 3D model of the user's camera's point of view and with just a pinch of the smartphone screen; they can adjust the distance between the camera and the subject to follow. Once the user has finished with the settings, the drone automatically starts hovering and takes the specified position.
The Hexo+ is now ready to follow and capture the video of the user. The Hexo+ is believed to be very intuitive and adjusts itself to the slightest movements of the user.
The Hexo+ drone can fly at a speed of up to 70 kph (45 mph) and the design of the copter captures vibration free smooth filming.
The drone is compatible with a GoPro camera, which means that, to use the Hexo+ you need to have a GoPro camera. The smartphone app will support iOS and Android. Even though the Hexo+ is an autonomous drone, users will still have the option to manage the drone manually via a RC controller or a smartphone app.
The Hexo+ has a 30-day funding period that started on June 16. The project is looking for a minimum funding of $50K but within a day, the Kickstarter project has already received backing for around $200K. The Hexo+ will have a starting price tag of $499 and is expected to be released in April/May 2015.
Check out the Hexo+ drone in action.
