The VIO Technology of HOVERAir X1 Drone
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Time to read 2 min
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Time to read 2 min
How does a drone or flying camera know where it is in space so that it can fly stably and autonomously? Two commonly used technologies are GPS (Global Positioning System) and VIO (Visual-Inertial Odometry). Today we’re going to dig into VIO, what makes it special, and its application on HOVERAir X1 products.
VIO, or Visual-Inertial Odometry, is like giving a machine a pair of eyes and a sense of balance. It combines the power of a camera and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to help devices like drones understand their position and movement in the world. Imagine walking through a room with your eyes open; you can see the objects around you and navigate smoothly.
VIO works similarly by capturing images to track movement and map the surroundings using advanced techniques like feature point tracking and stereo vision. Meanwhile, the IMU acts like your inner ear, which helps you keep your balance by measuring acceleration and angular velocity. By blending these two sources of information, VIO offers an incredibly precise and reliable way to track motion, even in complex environments.
In aerospace applications, VIO provides a powerful solution that is both compact and low power. Most notably, it provides precise and instantaneous positioning so that users can power up and fly quickly without waiting for satellite signals. This allows HOVERAir users to power up and take off in under a minute, so no moment is missed!
In addition, VIO can be robust to interference that might affect other sensors and technologies. By using cameras and motion sensors to operate, VIO can function in environments where GPS is weak or non-existent, like indoors, underground, or in dense urban areas. VIO is also less likely to be disrupted by electromagnetic interference, making it a stable option in challenging signal environments.
Here are some other technology applications of VIO:
As you can see, VIO is a powerful technology which is highly fitting for grabbing quick and relatively short shots like on the HOVERAir X1 and X1 Smart. Stay tuned for future posts where we’ll talk about how VIO is augmented with OmniTerrain functionality on the HOVERAir X1 PRO and PROMAX to complement VIO.
Last updated at Sep.17th.