Fly like a bird

Drone Girl

I wrote to my nephew, Chris:

"In the old days Clare would walk up the wild hills with enthusiasm, if not with any substantial energy. These days, she just wishes she were a bird.

So in my imagined scenario, she gets out the car in the valley car park and settles into her camping chair. On go the VR goggles - comfortable, high-res and adjustable - and with the intuitive controller she launches the drone.

The machine is simple to fly. It automatically senses its environment and will not crash into things. It monitors its power reserves and will fly home by itself before it runs out. Ditto if it loses communications which in any case are robust.

The drone is quiet and has at least 20 minutes endurance. The cameras move in response to Clare's head movements so she has the illusion of 'being the drone'. There's a microphone and a speaker, so she could virtually accompany someone else up the hill.

The drone can be recharged from the car via an adaptor.

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So this would be a great present! I imagine we're about two or three years away from this - rather high-end - product.

What do you think? Off the top of your head, I mean, without any research."

I got a really detailed reply in just a couple of hours, but it seems my complete wish-list is still two or three years out.

There is another alternative: I could attach a pair of wireless cameras to my hat, like a pair of bunny ears. As I scampered up the hill, Clare could be 'looking through my eyes' from the comfort of home. We could even talk to one another - fancy!

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Chris suggested I look at this:

The price tag is a pretty hefty £1,000 .. but is sure to come down.