Attention Gadget Junkies: Remote Control Helicopter For Taking Aerial Photographs

Okay, okay....so this has little to do with underwater photography, but lets be real, we are all gadget junkies. With the new Draganflyer X4 remote control helicopter you can take high def aerial photographs in style!-Ed.

Aerial photographers and videographers will be excited to see the newest product from Draganfly Innovations Inc. - the Draganflyer X4 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The Draganflyer X4 is a computer-stabilized, miniature airborne platform with a wireless video downlink and remote flight control.

The four-rotor, 680 gram electric helicopter is a flying platform capable of Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL), and is classified as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The Draganflyer X4 helicopter is designed for uses such as surveying, industrial inspection, military reconnaissance, aerial photography, real estate marketing, and inspection of hazardous locations. It is lightweight, compact, easily transportable, and measures only 30.5 inches (77.5cm) across.

The Draganflyer X4 helicopter is aimed at industrial and commercial users, providing reconnaissance and inspection information using an on-board wireless high definition video and high resolution still camera. The Draganflyer X4 helicopter is stabilized electronically using an on-board processor running thousands of lines of code and receiving data from seven sensors (three accelerometers, three gyros, and one barometric pressure sensor). The helicopter is able to determine its own orientation and motion based on the data it acquires through these sensors and can be piloted by a user with minimal training. Remotely controlled by its operator, the Draganflyer X4 automatically handles the complex attitude and altitude adjustments required to move at the specified speed and in the specified direction. Without this computer stabilization, the operator would have to constantly adjust the speed and orientation in order to move smoothly or stay in one place. An altitude hold feature allows the Draganflyer X4 to maintain its position in the air, even without user input. "The Draganflyer X4 provides users with amazing performance and stability" says Zenon Dragan, company president. "The Draganflyer X4 will hover stably even with the pilot's hands removed from the controls."