Imagine, you're flying through the downhill course, and something starts buzzing behind you. Drones will be doing just that, following competitors at the 2015 Winter X-Games in Colorado. ESPN received special permission from the FAA to fly throughout the event to get video game shots of the competitors.
It's impressive that ESPN is allowed to do this, and credit should go to the brand's legal team. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been trying to limit drone use, saying that the potential for collision or interference with licensed craft (as in, jets and helicopters) is too great. CNN managed to get permission to film news with them, but the stakes are obviously higher when filming a sporting event, with a crowd of spectators/potential victims bunched together.
"The camera systems are pretty standard," says Chris Calcinari, a logistics head at ESPN who's overseeing the drone system. They're outfitting Vortex Aerial drones with Panasonic GH4 cameras, which run about $1,700 each, not including lenses. They send the image via radio frequency back the the ground, where fiber optics send the signal to the production rig. All of that happens quickly enough to allow them to play the images live.
The tough part will be keeping within the tight restrictions the FAA gave them. Because drones can't be flown above a crowd, Calcinari says, "We basically had to build a 500-foot radius around them, where the public can't go." The drones will fly over sections of the course that are away from the crowds, where only ESPN production employees will be. That rule is part of why we haven't seen drones at college football games.
The athletes, "are part of the production," Calcinari says, so the drones will be able to get close-up shots. They've all been briefed, as well, so they shouldn't be surprised by the buzzing.
The drones also can't climb higher than 400 feet above the ground, and they can only be used during the daytime. The pilot must also, at all times, have a direct line of sight with the drone. ESPN's people, however, will have to navigate all these rules to become the first sporting event to have live video coming from drones.
The Winter X-Games run through January 25.
As Editor in Chief, Alexander oversees all of Popular Mechanics’ editorial coverage across digital, print, and video. He has been a science and technology journalist for over 10 years and holds a Master of Arts degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He was previously Technology Editor for Popular Mechanics and before that, a contributor to publications including the Wall Street Journal, Wired, Outside, and was a product tester and reviewer for The Wirecutter. He has been called on to appear on live and taped broadcast programs including Today and programs on MSNBC. He lives in Pennsylvania and rides a 2012 Triumph Street Triple R motorcycle.
