Football and Fish: What Will Drones Drope Next?

The 2017 NFL Pro Bowl pits NFL all-stars against each other in various competitions. Much like the NBA All Star game, it is known to be less than spectacular. However, this year a new program, the “Pro Bowl Skills Showdown” has the best of the league competing in a number of events that test their skill. From a relay-race only run by the largest team members to an intense dodgeball match, the side-events stole the show. Something that caught most users’ attention was the Drone Drop.

The Drone Drop was a competition that had the players catching a wobbly football dropped by DJI Inspire 1 quadcopters. As the players succeeded, the high-tech drones raised higher and higher, eliminating all but one Odell Beckham Jr to reign supreme. The drones chosen are most commonly used for professional filmmaking and carry powerful stabilized cameras. Despite the strange shape and aerodynamics of a football, the DJI drones flew with stability and the pilots used the transforming shape of the aircraft to grab and release the ball. This way, no external release mechanism needed to be installed which eliminated risk and hassle. We’ve seen much more complicated and downright scary payload configurations.

Recreationally it is currently not allowed to drop anything from drones, but when licensed there are tons of uses for detachable drone payloads. Most people interested in the industry are aware that pilots are using drones to assist their fishing, not only scouting for fish, but also for carrying lures to where a cast can’t reach. In this video we see a fisherman using a DJI Phantom 3 Pro to carry a lure and release it when enough tension was put on the line.

Payloads on drone are of course a huge interest to public safety institutions like police stations and firehouses. In North Stonington, CT, Fire Chief Charles Steinhart V is proud to have incorporated a DJI Phantom 4 into his department. “With a sling hook … it’s strong enough to lift a lifejacket,” he said, also mentioning the intent to attach a lifejacket to the drone in case a recovery boat would take too long to arrive at a scene.

Amazon, 7-11, Google/Chipotle and other large commercial companies have all been developing payload carry-and-release capable unmanned aircraft. Not only do they want to speed up delivery times and increase sales, being one of the first companies to offer delivery-by-drone will ensure they capture the attention of the world. Although strict regulation should always be on drone payloads and release mechanisms for safety reasons, when authorized the technology can help pilots accomplish incredible things.

 

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