Skywand

2017 - 2018

byBotao Amber Hu, Yang Liu

Overview

Skywand is an immersive motion control system for aerial cinematography.
It allows the filmmaker to directly design their camera movement in 3D virtual reality by pinning key frames in the air with their hand, and the integration with best aerial cinematography platform (e.g. DJI Inspire 1 / DJI M600) will deploy the drone to execute the shot exactly as they want.

Skywand is an advanced motion control system for aerial cinematography that combines ease of use, repeatability, and precision. Harnessing cutting edge technologies in virtual/augment reality (VR/AR), animation, and drone flight, Skywand allows users to create precise aerial filming plans by intuitively placing key frames in the 3D virtual world that meet all cinematographic needs, and the drone follows the path precisely in the actual world and captures epic, smooth and high precision aerial shots. Filming, not flying. Skywand removes technical barriers to achieving expert drone cinematography by automating the flight process, giving imaginative filmmakers a powerful partner in the sky.

From a gesture to a camera path

Skywand's workflow has three stages: place camera keyframes in a virtual model of the location, preview and adjust the animated shot, then transfer the planned movement to the aerial platform. The virtual model lets the filmmaker compose a path from a viewpoint that would otherwise require physically positioning a drone.

The original system documented interfaces for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, HoloLens, and Maya, with aerial integrations for DJI Inspire 1 Pro and Matrice 600 with Ronin MX. Its repeatable paths support comparisons across changing light and time, as demonstrated in the morning/night Coit Tower film below. These are the platforms documented for the original project. Project documentation.