@jameswahba happy you actually asked this. Looks like youre familiar with the best manually piloted drones out there. No doubt that if your goal is to film scenery around and other people these are the best options. All of these drones also came with Follow Me features that assist drone pilot to capture others. Airdog is the absolute opposite - it is built to capture Yourself in action and Follow is not a feature but its core essence. With Airdog you do not require any RC skills.
Currently there is nothing else on the market that can follow autonomously a snowboarder down the mountain, windsurfer in strong winds, or MX rider in the track. All of that with Airdog is possible when you are alone. And the big thing about ADII is that the Customisable Flight Paths (one of the flight modes available) actually serve as the ultimate obstacle avoidance and allow for unmatched control over the creative aspects of the shot - again all done being alone and fully hands free while being in the moment doing your outdoor activity whatever it is.
Here is a raw unedited one-take (sorry non-sport) video I did that really well demonstrates what I mean: http://bit.ly/2tk7gyn
The thing is that computer vision based follow can work for a moment while conditions (lighting, contrast, no direct sunlight in lenses) are ideal but once it looses you from the frame it can't resume because it has no idea where you are which is not an issue for Airdog that relies un motion tracking + GPS.
The choice is very simple, if you are planning to to bet the main actor in your outdoors action packed stories then you go with Airdog, if your stories will be about others then RC controlled camera drone will be best match.
P.S. And by the way we partner with DJI and they manufacture some of the components used in ADII.
P.P.S. and yes you need your own GoPro which IMHO isa benefit since you can use one camera in so many ways.
@edgars_r you should use that video in the promo. The takes are really nice and if i did those kind of sports, this simple one-shot video would've been the point of sale for me. Also, the video shot with Sally it's pretty bad, quality wise. All those drone footage look pixelated and, although it's not your products fault, people may attribuite that to ADII. Good luck!
Can someone explain the difference between an "all-terrain" drone and a normal drone? Looks like an awesome drone (esp for outdoorsy/athletic people), but curious if "all-terrain" entails something I'm totally missing.
@nickabouzeid Drones that rely on computer vision or GPS alone can not do a good job following in varying terrain, lacks precision. The ADII fuses data from barometric air pressure sensors, accelerometers and GPS.
Distance sensor is another essential piece of technology to make something work in varying terrain conditions. It runs real time analysis of actual distance above the ground relative to pre-set distance above the subject being tracked. Terrain under the drone might be very different than the terrain you are on.
I would really love a follow-drone. They're the one bit of tech I don't *need*, but definitely want. I don't use my GoPro enough, but i would definitely use this when out walking or running in the mountains.
It's actually not the worst solution among drones, but if you need one for commercial use, there are much better alternatives. For instance, autonomous commercial drones can work in almost any remote area, have resistance to severe weather conditions, and fly completely autonomous, including take-off and landing - these advantages are undeniably essential in a variety of industries.
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