Virtual reality (VR) and drones are the current tech industry darlings, from VR headset developer Oculus Rift being bought out by Facebook for billions, to Google quietly building itself a drone army.
But never have the two met so spectacularly as in a recent YouTube video by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
By fitting dual cameras to a DJI Phantom 2 gyrocopter, a research team at the university has enabled “first-person” drone control via the Oculus Rift VR reality headset. The drone operator directs the machine’s flight with a custom control unit, whilst the cameras respond to real-time movements of the headsets, allowing for stereoscopic, drone’s-eye vision.
I’m sure the industrial applications of this technology are numerous—search-and-rescue teams, surveyors, architects, and firefighters all spring to mind.
But honestly, all I can think about is how much I want one.
Screengrab via YouTube
