Gameplay to watch and capture moments around wearing a VR Headset and controlling a drone in first-person view is a definition of a done with VR Headset. A VR headset is a mount supposed to be worn on the head, and the device, which may be a phone, is installed in the mount and connected to the drone so that you can virtually view the moments captured by the drone at that moment.
B. Importance and Applications
Flying a drone wearing a VR headset gives you a more thrilled and clear view of the surroundings you want to capture or film. Otherwise, back in the day, the phone needed to be connected to the controller and drone a third person was shown on the screen. But, a drone with a VR headset gives an FPV to capture moments from a different perspective.
- The setup can be used for aerial videography and photography.
- Architects and engineers can use this setup to analyze the building from various angles that are not in their range normally.
- The military can use it for patrolling.
- It could be used to look after animals, birds, and crops.
II. Components of a Drone with VR Headset
A. Drone Components
1. Quadcopter Frame
The quadcopter frame is the skeleton of the drone to which all the other components get attached. The build quality and brand quality depend on the strength and rigidity of the quadcopter frame. So, this frame has to be strong enough to bear little accidents and mishaps. The frame has to be lightweight for better flying, and it has to be strong. Carbon fiber is the ideal material to be used to manufacture quadcopter frame
2. Motors and Propellers
Every drone with a VR Headset has four motors, two clockwise and the other anti-clockwise, to counter the torque while flying. The drone flies as per your instructions because of the combination of clockwise and anti-clockwise motors. On these motors, the propellers are attached to push the air.
3. Flight Controller
The flight controller is the component that decides whether your drone is high-quality, expensive, or cheaper. The flight controller is always activated, but the functional quality matters at that point when there is an emergency, and the drone gets back to you without controlling from controlling. The flight controller works with all kinds of input. Still, when interacting with an emergency condition, a high-quality drone takes input from the GPS. He controls himself automatically to get back to the ground safely by tackling all the hurdles in the air, including trees, birds, and towers.
4. Battery and Power Distribution
Batteries in the drone and VR Headset are very intelligent and informative to the user and tell the person before flying if it is ready to go or not.
5. Onboard Sensors (GPS, Gyroscope, etc.)
The onboard sensor, including sensors for GPS and Gyroscope, allows the drone to locate the base where it flew off, and the gyroscope is very advance that the drone changes its position with the movement of the VR Headset, which moves with the movement of the head of the person wearing it.
6. Camera
The controllable and moveable high-quality 4k cameras are installed in good drones, and to view HD 4K views, you need to have a good VR headset. The cameras are linked with a gimbal, allowing you to capture stable videos and images.
7. Transmitter and Receiver
The transmitter is the drone, and the receiver is the VR headset that receives the drone’s signals and converts them into visuals.
B. VR Headset Components
1. Display Screens
The display screen is mounted in the VR headsets to get the first-person virtual view.
2. Tracking Sensors
The tracking sensors help the drone to locate the VR headset for a safe and automatic landing.
3. Headphones or Audio System
The VR headset has a high-quality two-way communication sound system for audio exchange.
4. Headset Controls
The VR headset controls are given on the controller in hand for setting up the connection, drone controls, joystick, audio video controls, and other options.
III. How a Drone with VR Headset Works
A. Drone Operation
1. Flight Controls
The flight is controlled with the joystick that the person is holding in their hands. The drone footage is displayed on the VR headset the controller is wearing.
2. Stabilization and Gyroscopes
The gimbal controls the stabilization of the drone and the footage, and the gyroscope is a special feature of a drone with a VR headset where the drone judges the movement of the head of the person, and the drone aligns itself accordingly.
3. GPS Navigation
There are a lot of onboard sensors installed in the drone, which could be used to locate the drone and makes it convenient for the drone to find the location of the landing area.
4. Real-time Video Transmission
The footage captured by the drone 100m in the air is displayed in real-time on the screen, called real-time video transmission.
B. VR Headset Operation
1. Head Tracking
Head tracking is the most defining feature of the VR Headset as it gives the wearer the freedom to experience the aerial view virtually. The head movements are synchronized with the drone movement with th help of the gyroscope.
2. Displaying Live Drone Feed
The VR headset is equipped with a display which could be your phone with a 4k or 8k display, and the live footage is transmitted to the screen to give you a real-time experience.
3. Audio Experience
The VR headset is equipped with headphones to listen to the sounds the drone is capturing and the video.
4. Interactivity with Controls
Controlling a drone with a VR headset is a skill that is very much appreciated nowadays. As it is quite new to the photography and videography World. Just controlling a drone is not a big deal; the real thing is capturing quality footage while controlling the drone.
IV. Advantages of Drone with VR Headset
A. Immersive Experience
The third-person view is nothing new, and it’s just like watching a video captured from an airplane. But, the first-person view changes the experience and makes you feel like flying in the air.
B. Enhanced Piloting Precision
FPV drone flying and the flying simulation wearing VR headsets have also revolutionized pilot training. The VR headset can give pilots a real-time experience and make them practice precision in tackling obstacles while flying.
C. Improved Safety and Awareness
VR headset gives a better perspective than an ordinary drone, decreasing the chances of accidents that could happen with a drone. The workers who need to analyze the construction situation at a height risking their safety can use drones with VR headsets.
D. Training and Simulation
The pilots use the drone with VR headsets to improve their flying precision and gain the experience of flying places. The simulations are used to select persons who are supposed to work at a height to test their abilities.
Besides professional use and advantages, VR headsets and simulations are used for fun and gaming.
V. Applications of Drone with VR Headset
A. Recreational Use
1. Racing and FPV (First Person View) Flying
People use drones with VR headsets for fun purposes and do competitions and races. Plane flying with VR headsets is a highly watched sport in countries like the USA and the UK.
2. Aerial Photography and Videography
The major and most important for which the drones and VR headsets were made were aerial photography and videography. This application is the professional use of drones and VR headsets.
B. Commercial Use
1. Inspection and Surveillance
Military and security agencies are using drones for patrolling and surveillance in areas where they cannot go or where drones can be more fruitful security personnel than humans.
2. Search and Rescue Operations
Drones with VR headsets can search abandoned buildings, underground large utility holes, and penetrate areas where a person cannot go.
3. Agriculture and Crop Monitoring
You can use the drone to spray the crops with pesticides and monitor the crops cultivated over hundreds of acres from your room.
C. Training and Simulation
1. Drone Piloting Training
The AIR Force and flying companies have included drone and flying simulation tests to check their perspective on flying before electing them. Drone flying has also become integral to pilot training to improve flying precision.
2. Military and Law Enforcement Simulation
Militaries and other security forces use drones and simulations for training or real-time security in areas where personnel cannot invade or are not supposed to go.
VI. Challenges and Limitations
A. Battery Life and Flight Time
A good quality drone and CR headset will always send you a message about the battery life and the health of whether you should fly. The drone will crash if the battery runs out in the middle of the flight. So, you must check the battery percentage both for the VR headset and the drone. A good drone has a flight time of about 20 minutes. This battery life varies with brands. So, that low battery life is a limitation because you only have a slight margin to fly, capture, and land, so many mishaps can happen in this short duration.
B. VR Headset Comfort and Weight
The VR headset must be lightweight as it will stay on your head for quite a long time, and if it’s heavy and uncomfortable, it will make your experience odd.
C. Latency and Transmission Issues
The drone is meant to function as an alternative to your eyes. So wherever the drone goes, it must be delivered to your retina in milliseconds to give you the experience you are looking for. So, if the transmission takes time, it will ruin your efficiency. There are so many brands that are still struggling with these challenges.
D. Regulatory and Privacy Concerns
A drone ables you to invade places where even a person cannot go, which may violate the policies of certain regulatory authorities or the privacy of certain places. It is a limitation that drones and VR headsets can be used for false purposes to violate someone’s privacy.
VII. Future Developments
A. Improved VR Technology
Such technologically advanced products are on the way to many improvements and additions, which we will see in upcoming years. Previously Virtual reality technology was not considered real as some details were missing. But now, when you use a VR headset, the technology has so much improved that you forget for the time being that you are wearing a VR headset. Today VR comes with motion sensors, sound quality, and a gyroscopic view that makes your experience hundred times better.
B. Autonomy and AI Integration
The integration of AI will allow you to forget the hand controller, and you will be able to control the drone and the VR headset with your voice and gestures.
C. Longer Flight Times and Battery Technology Advancements
In the future, the most required feature that must be improved is the battery timing, as most drone mishaps occur in the World due to less battery life.
D. Regulation and Policy Updates
Drone and VR headsets are new technology, and people and regulatory authorities will get used to them with time. AS some people and authorities need help understanding the actual purpose of this device and start criticizing it incorrectly.
Conclusion
VR headsets are quite old; people use them for fun purposes like playing games and experiencing events they cannot physically attend. Later, when VR headsets were integrated with drones, they revolutionized photography and videographers’ life. Before that, they used to connect the phone with the controller and the drone and watch the live footage on the phone, but that was not effective as the screen was small, and they had to analyze on the computer whether the footage they captured was good or not. But now VR headsets show them the live footage as a Virtual reality that they can judge on the spot if they are getting good video.
B. Potential for Advancements and Growth in the Industry.
Mastering the FPV drones is a time taking process, and people practice for years to learn how to generate a good video out of it. Integrating AI with drones and VR headsets can improve such learning and controlling. Artificial intelligence will enable every person to control the drone well. Another advancement that should be taken into account is the battery life. One of the best Drones in the World will not give you a battery time of more than 30 minutes. So, there is a potential for improvement in this category.
