Can someone post a link to the RAK drone footage?
Wow, it seems the world of running is slow to technology. Drones and cameras filming with drones has been around for few years. I suggest you go to the GoPro site and experience. Its all about the camera first, drone second as you can see. Racing coverage needs to become different and unique , multiple drones with GoPro camera's through out a race may take viewership beyond the narrow boundaries it lives in now.
What?
I saw a drone being used in Providence two years ago.
I also saw a drone filming and taking pictures at the finish line of the New Haven 20k.
So, this is nothing new
can also add the "first person" view with something like google glass:
There are strategies that allow you to appear to "Keep Up." I raced in this triathlon last year that was filmed by a team of two drones:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn-YXr_NMZQ
As stated, these guys had to cut in and out to replace the battery.
On that mountain bike course I averaged over 20 MPH. The drone leads the riders and the camera is on a controllable gimble and can zoom in and zoom out.
One of the cooler developments is called the "Air Dog." You where a chip and the drone follows you. If the lead-off car had a few of these for the lead packs and could change which chip it 'followed' it could be fantastic!
Depending on the platform (multi-rotor vs. fixed wing), there are several "FPV" planes that can fly close to 50 MPH. The trade off is you only have so much battery, and generally speaking you typically sacrifice speed for stability. The faster you go, the harder it is to have a steady platform.
As far as signal loss. The New York marathon goes through tunnels and under bridges a few times. I'm not sure a drone would remedy that unless they use one drone as a bit of a 'repeater" antenna while the road based cameras follow the race.
One thing I've noticed with the drones is that the air displacement on the quadcopters is a lot. Like a big fan.
I think they would have a cooling effect if flown relatively close to the runners. What wind effect is there if they are in front or behind? Will this be monitored in the future?
If you are laughing at the questions, you've never been around one of these. Easily a 8-10 mph breeze coming off of them, maybe more.
wejo wrote:
The RAK half just concluded and viewers on the live thread started pointing out the best video coverage was being shot by a drone flying just above the lead runners. It wasn't a helicopter because it wasn't as high a vantage point. The produce clearly loved the drone as he kept going to that video instead of the motorbike as the motorbike has a little chop from the pavement.
The video was pretty awesome I must say. Early on in the race there was no sound and I was thinking to myself, "this video is stunning" not realizing it was a completely different vantage point than I had ever seen.
I then realized I've never heard of a drone being used to shoot a race. Has anyone else seen it?
Anyone have any guess as to what type of drone it would be?
Well done RAK Half.
This is not new at all, I have shot 5 events using a drone. So far I have done it for free sort of as a proof of concept. Currently, to do it right, drone video coverage for a road race is expensive. For a half marathon, it cost about $8,000, which is not too big of a deal for a large city event. It takes about $25,000 worth of equipment, 3 drones, monitors, cameras, telecom equipment and a qualified drone pilot cost about $250 an hour. However, as with anything, it can be done cheaper with less expensive equipment and a hobbyist pilot. The big problems right now is even the professional drones, can't fly in the rain, reliably in more than 15 mph wind, long than 30 minutes and fatal crashes happen about 1 in 100 hours when used in working conditions.
There was an official drone filming the start of the St. Anthony's Triathlon in St. Pete, FL last year and what looked to me like an unofficial one filming the start of the Clearwater Turkey Trot last fall. I've also seen quite a few unofficial ones, such as one hovering over the weekly public yoga in downtown Tampa. Not an era I want to be a part of.
running butt recognition software no doubt
NAIA XC Nationals at Rim Rock Farm was partially 25% filmed by a drone the other 75% filmed off the back of a gator. The parts filmed by drone were "legit" in modern day youth vernacular.
I have been pushing the use of drones during my masters in photojournalism. The footage can be stunning. Need a good pilot, a constant line of sight and transmitter to pull it off but well worth it. This would be a pretty fancy rig but higher end ones exist like that used for James Bond recently. National Geographic photogs have been using them for a while.
Something like this works for the GoPro.
TrackCoach wrote:fatal crashes happen about 1 in 100 hours when used in working conditions.
LOL. you had me until you said this...
He meant fatal to the drone...not for the bystanders!
They can do it because lawyers can't due in that country. In the US you have to have FAA licensed commercial pilots fly the drone. The drone has to be an expensve commercial grade fixed-wing drone. I.E. no quad-copters can be used. Commercial fixed-wing drones cost $25K and up. To get a commercial license costs $100K and up. They also need a backup drone and a backup commerical pilot. Thus cheap little marathons can't afford the cost. For the time being it is better to have coverage with unpaid-volunteer video crews on motorcycles and ATVs
I ran a small 5 mile race last year that was filmed on a drone. About 200 people ran it. This ain't anything new, just another sign of how far behind RD's are at marketing big races.
Some day but not today wrote:
They can do it because lawyers can't due in that country. In the US you have to have FAA licensed commercial pilots fly the drone. The drone has to be an expensve commercial grade fixed-wing drone. I.E. no quad-copters can be used. Commercial fixed-wing drones cost $25K and up. To get a commercial license costs $100K and up. They also need a backup drone and a backup commerical pilot. Thus cheap little marathons can't afford the cost. For the time being it is better to have coverage with unpaid-volunteer video crews on motorcycles and ATVs
I do not believe this.
Brenham HS used it at their invitational in Brenham, TX. It wasn't live. They uploaded after each race. It was pretty cool.
wejo wrote:
I then realized I've never heard of a drone being used to shoot a race. Has anyone else seen it?
Parts of this year's Dubai Marathon were shot from a drone:
Go to 7:04 - 8:10 for close-ups of the racers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XcDwzTNBEAand then go from 1:05:10 - 1:05:23 where you start seeing some spectacular shots of the Dubai skyline, parts of which show the arm of the drone.
Most stunning skyline images are from 1:05:38 - 1:06:10.
Thread reader wrote:
Parts of this year's Dubai Marathon were shot from a drone:
Go to 7:04 - 8:10 for close-ups of the racers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XcDwzTNBEAand then go from 1:05:10 - 1:05:23 where you start seeing some spectacular shots of the Dubai skyline, parts of which show the arm of the drone.
Most stunning skyline images are from 1:05:38 - 1:06:10.
Are you aware that a drone is not the same as a helicopter? Both shots you pointed out are from a helicopter...