Robotic Drones in Sports

Capturing Great Footage and Boosting Performance

- By Jan Kees Mons

Undoubtedly, you have seen them swirling around high up in the sky—these little flying machines called drones! They have become part of our lives for some time now and impact many major industries.

The sports and media industry is no exception. For starters, they have significantly revolutionized sports footage and will continue to do so in the future, providing new and innovative perspectives for fans, analysts, and, of course, athletes and their coaches. But not only that! Because of the enormous advances in technology, drone capabilities have significantly improved.

Drones Give Sports Footage a New Dimension

Originally, sports video material and footage were recorded by fixed cameras, while later on, tools like the Goodyear blimp and floating or non-floating skycams added to the spectrum. With the arrival of drones, a wide array of once unimaginable footage possibilities was unlocked.

Aerial coverage.

Drones can provide magnificent aerial views during sports events taken from unique angles. This adds a new dimension to the viewing experience for fans, brings excitement, and provides useful information for athletes and coaches.

Variety in environments.

We are now much better able to watch sporting events from terrains, which didn't allow for great footage in the past. Besides in stadiums, think of coverage from the air for sports such as sailing, skiing, surfing, cycling, etc. Drones should be ideal for these sports to add to the experience. For example, we saw great aerial footage from the Ocean Race actively racing in wild water environments.

Fan engagement.