Talk about reaching new heights.
A wild concept has literally taken off, allowing people to pilot drones over some of the world’s most beautiful locations from the comfort of their living rooms.
From South African wildlife sanctuaries to Iceland’s volcanoes to Peru’s Machu Picchu and Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, a California-based company called NatureEye will send a remote-controlled, autonomous flying device into the sky for aerial tours — and hand the controls over to you.
user can Book a half hour time slot For just $95 – use your computer keyboard to take shots with 360-degree control over the drone’s movement and camera, while an on-site guide acts as your local Sherpa.
The optics are so sophisticated that they can change to infrared mode to better identify moving wildlife through the animals’ heat signatures.
“The idea is that if you can’t go there, you can at least send an avatar of yourself and have as much control as you can over that experience,” CEO Jonathan Duff told The Post, adding that The pandemic-era founded company was created to show people our beautiful planet while being locked down.
NatureEye began as a team effort, collaborating with local drone pilots at sites who would be willing to give guided tours of the area. Duff said pilots from around the world are so excited to join in that the company picks a new location once every two weeks.
The Antioch Reserve in South Africa, filled with zebras, hyenas and buffalo, is one of the most popular places to visit – originally written as a suggestion from a local pilot.
Very quickly, NatureEye has become a powerful educational resource for students as well as armchair travelers.
“When I joined Nature Eye, I thought, ‘This is impossible for kids,'” said Duff, from South Africa.
“Imagine you’re studying geology or volcanology, and then you get a chance to fly over a live volcano in Iceland from your class, without having to go out and spend too much money.”
To attract the younger generation, NatureEye is also “on the road map” to make its drones work with game controls – and a portion of its proceeds go to aid conservation efforts and organizations.
how it works
Amateur pilots only need a 10-minute crash course in how to use their keyboard as master controls to take their plane to the skies.
A recent test flight over Antioch brought to mind the drone-level game in “Call of Duty” — with similar controls and visuals.
NatureEye’s friendly pilot on site will take you through brief take-off proceedings and just like that, you’re flying the bad boy with some gentle backseat guidance.
As soon as the drone reaches a few hundred feet in the air, users will immediately feel the excitement – a guided map keeps you focused on a particular area – as you begin your personal safari.
And while it takes a moment or two to understand the controls – and to figure out whether you’re adjusting your camera or moving the device in a 360-degree direction and at different heights – that’s why on the ground A pilot is there to lend a helping hand. The ground navigator can also take control so you don’t go out of the restricted area or go too low towards terrain or wildlife.
They can also help you reset or move the drone so you can focus on observing and capturing photos of wildlife to download later instead of paying attention to the mechanics.
Guides who know the area well will also suggest different places to fly that are known to be habitats for exotic animals. In our recent case, the guide warned of a nearby forest fire and reported areas where buffalo were roaming.
Once you get the hang of things, the sky really is the limit.
While moving around, using the tap of a button to flick on the infrared camera makes it more possible to see herds of animals – after all, they move faster – and quite handy when peering over bodies of water. Come in.
The reverse views helped a reporter see a family of hippos emerging from a watering hole, as well as capture some fast-moving hyenas and gazelle.
Even if you’re not focused finding wildlifeThere’s always the simple thrill of speeding across the sky so close to some of nature’s lesser-visited treasures, turning the drone around for a breathtaking 360-degree panoramic view that’s worth the experience alone.
