With a top-mounted camera, the Alta can get shots that other drones only dream of

By Drew Prindle April 14, 2015

If it seems like there’s a new drone announcement every day, it’s because there is. Hot on the heels of newly unveiled UAV’s from DJI and 3D robotics, Seattle-based Freefly Systems has just pulled the curtain back on a fresh new drone of its own — and it’s a beast.

Designed with aerial cinematographers in mind, the Alta drone is a ready-to-fly hexacopter (six-rotor) drone capable of carrying payloads of up to 15 pounds. That’s enough muscle to carry a high-end camera (like a Red Epic or an Alexa Mini) along with one of Freefly’s popular MoVI stabilizers.

Alta definitely isn’t the first or only drone that can do this, but Freefly gave it a clever feature to distinguish it from the pack — the ability to carry a camera on top in addition to underneath. This allows the pilot to get shots that, as far as we can tell, aren’t possible with other drones. Check out the video to see what we mean; the rising shots are amazing.

And this drone is no one-trick pony either. In addition to its top-mounting feature, Alta has been designed to fold down easily and fit into a carrying case. Freefly claims it should take no more than five minutes to get it out of the case and into the air (or vice-versa), so packing up and moving to a new location won’t be much of a chore.

Now, such a professional drone rig doesn’t come without a professional price tag. Alta will retail for $8,495 when it’s released this June, so unless you’re shooting a ski video for Red Bull or a nature documentary for National Geographic, you’ll probably want to stick with a more consumer-oriented drone. Still, it’s definitely fun to gawk.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…

Outdoors

The best portable power stations

EcoFlow DELTA 2 on table at campsite for quick charging.

Affordable and efficient portable power is a necessity these days, keeping our electronic devices operational while on the go. But there are literally dozens of options to choose from, making it abundantly difficult to decide which mobile charging solution is best for you. We've sorted through countless portable power options and came up with six of the best portable power stations to keep your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets functioning while living off the grid.
The best overall: Jackery Explorer 1000

Jackery has been a mainstay in the portable power market for several years, and today, the company continues to set the standard. With three AC outlets, two USB-A, and two USB-C plugs, you'll have plenty of options for keeping your gadgets charged.

Emerging Tech

CES 2023: HD Hyundai’s Avikus is an A.I. for autonomous boat and marine navigation

Demonstration of NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

This content was produced in partnership with HD Hyundai.
Autonomous vehicle navigation technology is certainly nothing new and has been in the works for the better part of a decade at this point. But one of the most common forms we see and hear about is the type used to control steering in road-based vehicles. That's not the only place where technology can make a huge difference. Autonomous driving systems can offer incredible benefits to boats and marine vehicles, too, which is precisely why HD Hyundai has unveiled its Avikus AI technology -- for marine and watercraft vehicles.

More recently, HD Hyundai participated in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, to demo its NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system for recreational boats. The name mashes together the words "neuron" and "boat" and is quite fitting since the Avikus' A.I. navigation tech is a core component of the solution, it will handle self-recognition, real-time decisions, and controls when on the water. Of course, there are a lot of things happening behind the scenes with HD Hyundai's autonomous navigation solution, which we'll dive into below -- HD Hyundai will also be introducing more about the tech at CES 2023.

Computing

This AI cloned my voice using just three minutes of audio

acapela group voice cloning ad

There's a scene in Mission Impossible 3 that you might recall. In it, our hero Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) tackles the movie's villain, holds him at gunpoint, and forces him to read a bizarre series of sentences aloud.

"The pleasure of Busby's company is what I most enjoy," he reluctantly reads. "He put a tack on Miss Yancy's chair, and she called him a horrible boy. At the end of the month, he was flinging two kittens across the width of the room ..."