Sony has unveiled its latest camera drone prototype which is capable of taking off vertically and flying like an aeroplane.
The drone, which resembles the short takeoff and landing variant of the Lockheed Martin F35 fighter jet made famous by a brief appearance in the film Die Hard 4.0, is the product of Sony’s joint venture with robotics startup ZMP.
The joint venture, called Aerosense, uses Sony’s imaging, sensing and networking technology from its smartphone range while ZMP provides the robotics expertise to make them fly.
The camera drones are capable of flying further and faster than traditional quad- or hexacopters and they will be leased to businesses for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance purposes, for “measuring, surveying, observing, and inspecting” according to the company.
Hisashi Taniguchi, chief executive of Aerosense and ZMP, said: “By making them automated, drones will be considerably safer because many of accidents today are caused by human error.”
Drones are expected to be one of the growth areas in electronics, as the sensors and technologies needed to sustain stable flight have become cheaper, making them a viable device for both business and consumer products.
The television and film industries have adopted large civil drones capable of carrying high-powered photography and video equipment to produce aerial and floating action shots within their controlled environments.
But drone use within construction and other industries for surveying dangerous or difficult to reach areas is in its infancy. Sony’s drone-as-a-service hopes to crack the market, competing with Japanese rivals Yamaha and companies such as Australian firm Flirtey on the global stage.
