Verity Studios, which is behind some of the highest-stakes drone flights in the world, has introduced a software algorithm it says can prevent quadcopters from crashing during unexpected propulsion system failures.
“There are already numerous cases of drones crashing to the ground (sometimes injuring people) for no apparent reason,” Verity founder Raffaello D’Andrea told me recently. “Some common causes of this are motor failures, ESC (electronic speed controller) burn-outs or connector failures. As a standard end-user, these are the types of problems you can’t see with the naked eye, so you’re left with the impression that your drone has simply dropped out of the sky.”
You may have seen Verity’s work and not known it. The company makes drones come alive onstage and indoors, often in front of audiences of thousands. Verity is behind the dancing drones that backed up Drake, for example. Many of the live shows that employ its technology are witnessed by tens of thousands of people.
With lots of people watching, one errant propeller could spell disaster, which is why Verity has developed the proprietary software solution, called Failsafe.
Source: ZD Net