Flying a Drone from Your Own Living Room

Flying a Drone from Your Own Living Room

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The world of “first person view” (FPV) flying, where pilots wear video specs to see from the drone’s point of view while it flies isn’t new, but consumer-friendly headsets might make it more accessible for consumers. You simply put on Yuneec’s SkyView goggles, connect a compatible controller like the company’s own Typhoon H and you will be seeing yourself fly from the best seat in the house. Inside the $250 SkyView is a 5-inch, 16:9, 720p display, and it connects to any HDMI video source, not just drones.

Most FPV goggles use antennas to receive video wirelessly from RC planes or quadcopters, so these won’t appeal to hardcore racers. But, for more casual pilots it’s an easy, relatively inexpensive way to get into FPV.

According to engadget.com, although SkyView bears a strong resemblance to virtual reality headsets, it is actually more similar to a personal home theater. There’s no head tracking or sensors, it just takes an HDMI signal. It’s also possible to plug your Xbox or PS4 in for some intense private gaming. The field of view is 75 degrees but don’t expect to be able to “look around.” You could also plug your iPhone in (with an adapter) or Android (if it supports an HDMI standard) and view anything you can do on your handset.  A headphone jack is included on the headset, too, if you don’t want people to hear whatever it is you’re viewing in privacy.