The DJI gang and Good Morning America teamed up in Iceland this morning to fly drones over a live volcano — and stream it live for the world to see.
The first-of-its-kind broadcast happened this morning from Bardarbunga Volcano, located in a remote part of central Iceland. According to ABC News, the team, including GMA meteorologist Ginger Zee, Geophysicist Bjorn Oddsson, and DJI director of Aerial Imaging, stood a mile from the active volcano, piloting two DJI Inspire 1 quadcopters over the rough terrain and above the caldera, revealing the glowing, bubbling magma.
It’s not the first time someone’s put a drone close by a live volcano, but according to the group, this is the first live-streamed broadcast from above an active volcano, and only one of a few times drone footage has been streamed live on TV at all.
From the maker perspective, it’s exciting to watch the homegrown capabilities that made this event possible continue to advance. Multicopters, not long ago being hobbyist creations, are showing impressive flight capabilities, being able to travel long distances through adverse conditions. That, coupled with advancements in high-definition wireless video transmission, have opened interesting up new opportunities for the aerial craft and their pilots. While the footage had a few clicks and hiccups as it transmitted back to the group, and then to the world to watch live, it’s still an amazing new avenue.
