Drone's Eye View: the Future is Here?

If you've read newspapers or watched/listened to the news on TV/Internet/radio, you know that drones being touted as the next "big thing."  Well they've arrived in running as the video below shows.


St. Olaf Invitational from Tom Daymont on Vimeo.

Tom Daymont, son of St. Olaf coaches Chris and Dick Daymont, created the St. Olaf Invitational drone video.

A discussion of the potential for the technology as well as the issues that will need to be addressed before and/or if the technology allows more close up coverage HERE that includes another drone video of a XC race in Maryland.

In a comment on the drone videos  Garry Wilson said there was talk of trying a similar experiment at the Griak Invitational.  There are a host of legal, security, and liability issues that have to be worked out before the use of such devices gets beyond this aerial panorama view coverage to  actually being the technology for video coverage of not only cross country, but road races as well.  As the incident at the recent Serbia, Albania soccer match illustrated, some uses of drones can and will create problems (See CNN article HERE)

Right now, companies, such as FloTrack, film races from the back of golf carts.  Video cameras on motorcycles provided coverage for the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.  Imagine what could be done with advanced drones with the equipment to get wide angle and close up views of a race as it unfolds. Drone technology, like the internet, was developed by and for the military.  The military has the "deep pockets" to do the necessary developmental work on these products.

If, however, companies, such as Amazon and others who are already investigating the feasibility of using drones in their businesses, creates a market for affordable drones, then the drone could be a "game changer" for many industries.  Will be interesting to watch how this evolves.  As these videos illustrate using the technology is already on the "radar" for those who want to do more creative things.  When creativity combines with the potential for making lots of money, new industries are created.