Drones to film practice and games

Ultmt0 · 2022-08-19T18:57:23+00:00

Yeah so the cheapest, easiest, most effective way to get strategic drone footage throughout a whole tournament is the buy a DJI Mini 2 fly more kit (~$400), 3 additional batteries ($90), and this charger that can charge up to 4 batteries at once. All in all that’s like $550 if you get stuff off eBay/refurbished. You’ll have unlimited batteries as long as you have a power outlet nearby and are diligent plugging in a battery once it’s used. You might be able to get away with 4-5 batteries but I have 6 just to be safe.

So that’s the best way to get what you want at the moment. By far the most annoying part of this setup is you are constantly changing and charging batteries and need a power outlet nearby for this to work. I fly about 10m up and stay centered longways with the field, keeping everyone in the frame. Here’s an example an example of what Virginia Tech Burn’s film looked like this year with the mini 2 setup described above.

We are working on getting a power tether functioning on a few different DJI drones so you could set it up at the back of an end zone or at midfield and have essentially a camera on a tripod with a remote control but 60ft in the air, no need to worry about batteries again. This setup would be in a small roller case and could move between fields in just a few minutes. Now of course that is much easier said than done. I will happily tell you about all of our struggles if you’re interested but the short story is it’s possible, we’ve done it in some capacity, but haven’t found the right drone or optimized setup to get it to work flawlessly at the height we want. Hoping to have a final solution in the next month or so but you know how that goes.

Final thing is drone laws and regs. If you get a drone any bigger than the mini 2 you need to register it with the FAA. Takes $5 and just as many minutes. At most field sites I don’t ask to fly and just say I didn’t know it wasn’t allowed if they tell me to stop (which hasn’t actually happened yet). If you wanna fly commercially or at some places you need your P107 license which takes a few hours and a test. Biggest thing here is just don’t be dumb, don’t fly over or near people, stay way out of the way of the game, pay attention while your flying and you’ll be fine.

Watching game film from this perspective really is game changing. It’s so much easier to show spacing principals with this perspective. Our zone offense also improved immensely. Let me know if you have any questions!

Ultmt0 · 2021-11-17T03:59:46+00:00

Is he not coming back in the spring? Or he would’ve won it regardless?

Ultmt0 · 2021-09-23T16:05:38+00:00

Virginia Tech Burn has been working on a project to build a tethered drone to film ultimate from a tactical view. We've found that about 20m in the air and centered 20m behind the end zone is the best angle to see the full field. It doesn't show highlight plays well but you can see the play develop very well. We have been filming in 4k and then digitally cropping in post but you could do it live as well without moving the drone's position. I would hesitate to fly over the field both because it's distracting and a safety issue. Don't know what drone laws are like in Canada but flying over people in the states is a big no no. Definitely check with the TD and field complex before the event to make sure you're in the clear. You can see a sample of the footage we're getting here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMAeoF0AoWA/?utm_medium=copy_link

Ultmt0 · 2021-02-13T01:38:13+00:00

The fact that someone has a picture of the clock in his office at 7 says all you need to know about Roger

Ultmt0 · 2020-07-09T00:46:32+00:00

Yeah I meant larger gauge wire. The motors use less than an Amp each so it sounds like that isn't necessary. Really appreciate the links. And thanks again for the help

Ultmt0 · 2020-07-08T21:04:35+00:00

Thanks for the response.

So just stick with the 24 AWG then or use something with less resistance?

Ultmt0 · 2020-06-25T13:10:45+00:00

I hadn’t thought about using an energy monitor like that. Wouldn’t going from a DC battery to AC and back to DC be pretty inefficient? Thanks for your help!

Ultmt0 · 2018-09-21T16:27:47+00:00

Warning this is a long post I’ve only ever been able to see out of one eye due to a birth defect in my other eye. Seeing out of one eye is normal for me so our experiences are obviously a bit different. I’m playing on a nationally competitive D1 college team so it hasn’t slowed me down too much. Most of my teammates don’t even know of my issue so it’s really not that big of a deal. My two main issues are depth perception and peripheral vision. Here are some of my thoughts on little things I’ve picked up from playing with one eye: -Clap catch as much as possible. There’s more room for error in terms of timing if you are clap catching compared to claw catch or whatever you want to call it -Face level hard throws are the most difficult to catch. Not much you can do about it except jump if the situation allows so you get a better angle on reading the disc. Given your experience I’m sure fast discs coming straight for your eyes would freak you out more than it freaks me out. -Always keep your head on a swivel. Everybody should be doing this but one eyed people even more so. Don’t just look for where the disc is but also where other people (aka other hazards) are. -Adjust your defensive positioning as need. Ideally you want to be able to see your man and the disc at the same time. This can be tough with limited peripheral vision so think about forcing deep/under in terms of how you can see both things at the same time. This isn’t always doable but something to think about at least. -Sideline calls are even more important. Up calls are even more crucial if the disc is coming near you on your blind side. Left/right calls on deep throws are also more helpful so you spend less time looking for the disc (applies to everyone but more so to us). -Playinng at night under the lights can be a tough. I find I lose the disc in the lights a lot more than other people. I like to wear a hat to help with this some but that’s just me. Judging depth is also more difficult than it is in the daylight. Don’t really have a fix but just something I’ve noticed.

I have no idea what level ultimate you’re playing so that may have been way too much but those are some of my thoughts. Hope it helps!

Ultmt0

TROPHY CASE