James Bond would not be much of a secret agent without his supply of extremely lethal gadgets supplied by his man in the lab, the inventive Q.
National Geographic Photo Engineering is an entire department of Q’s, who invent, blueprint and build some of the most amazing gadgets that make impossible photographs possible. From their arsenal of lathes, milling and welding machines they have created custom submersibles diving 1,000 feet below sea level to a remote camera controlled through a pair of virtual goggles.
In their quest to explore every avenue to make unique images, they are now turning to the spy market. Technology has advanced to the point where GPS and computer controlled micro aircraft can carry video surveillance cameras for the military or search and rescue missions. That same technology, like the AirRobot, can also carry a 10 megapixel still camera to an altitude of 3,000 feet, creating a distinctive perspective on a subject where normal aircraft or a helicopter may be impractical to fly.
The stealthy AirRobot will fly for 20 minutes on field replaceable rechargeable batteries. Four carbon fiber blades supply vertical lift to the unit, which is stabilized by a combination of gyroscopic, barometric and magnetic sensors. AirRobot weighs only two pounds and breaks down in pieces small enough to fit in a backpack. The second generation of this amazing little aircraft is in production and we are hoping its larger payload will lift a digital SLR to vantage points yet explored.
Filed Under: Aerial Photography, Digital Photography, National Geographic, photography, technology
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Comments
Aug 9, 2007 11PM #
Very cool! This has real conservation applications too. Wildlife ecologists often need detailed aerial maps of habitat patches to help protect and manage sites, especially in places that are too cloudy or remote to rely on satellites or manned aircraft.
Aug 9, 2007 11PM #
This only goes to show that a spy camera isn't only applicable to homes and offices.
Aug 9, 2007 11PM #
I agree that there is some excitement, intrigue and even a necessity for such developments in most cases that come to mind when reviewing this article. The word "SPY" adjectively used to describe direction of technology, puts a bad taste in my mouth when I attempt to point out how such things can get out of control, maybe the wrong hands or even to produce evidence necessary for severe misconduct on any scale or magnitude; if used domestically "SPY" tends to violate rights and privacies which I don't need to go on about, but remember people are supposed to have a right to things like a fair trial with evidence obtained within reasonable limits, not to mention how things can easily look different and get misjudged whether seen from ABOVE, BELOW, or even RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN...! You get my direction with this point, and I will close by saying that I am all for an even-better-way...not controversy!
Aug 9, 2007 11PM #
Excellent article..
What is the range maximum zoom ???
and its resolution??
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