NTT Docomo developed a balloon drone that is filled with helium, equipped with a high-resolution camera, LED lights and uses ultrasonic propulsion for getting around.
Multicopter drones can be noisy as they come with endlessly spinning blades that are energy-intensive and could be harmful. Now NTT Docomo, a Japanese company developed an alternative balloon drone for some of the jobs carried out by other drones. This new drone is blade-free, equipped with camera to capture high-quality video, and it is filled with helium to keep it afloat and get around with the use of ultrasonic propulsion. The new device is expected to be used for purposes such as aerial videography and even as a standalone surreal attraction as it is also equipped with full-color LED lights.
The drones are increasingly crowding the airspace, with the whizzing blades that are becoming hazardous to animals, people, objects, and other drones. The Docomo balloon is a balloon with helium inside keeping it in the air, and it is mounted with a camera on its bottom that records high quality photos and videos. This drone comes with some advantages, it does not create any noise, thus the video that it will record, won’t be disrupted with the droning sound. The flight timings of the drone will be extended as it does not require much energy to fight off the gravitational force with spinning blades to get around. However, the company did not reveal the extended flight time of its balloon drone.
Furthermore, the new drone is equipped with ultrasound modules on either side of the balloon that generate small vibration disturbing the air and pushing the balloon up or down as required. The NTT Docomo is expected to commercialize the drone design before March 2022, however, the pricing of the drone are still not revealed.