Is there such a thing as a drone controlled via internet?

[Swoop]

Imagine you wanted to sit in the comfort of home with a PC and an internet connection.....and wanted to fly your drone all over the neighbourhood, out of range of conventional radio control with live tracking and video on your screen.  

Is there such a product?

[Sol75]

Not at the consumer level.  Although I suppose it would be possible to custom program something using a raspberry pi or something, to connect via cell towers... the issue would be latency I would think... "conventional" radio control can mean several things... I have flown my "drone" out to about 5 miles from my location.. and there are products out there that will allow even further flights via "conventional" radio control... so don't be so quick to dismiss it!  Do a search for Long-Range FPV RC, I am sure some answers will come up...Now, that being said, I don't encourage using this to fly over populated areas.. last thing our hobby needs is someone to hurt a kid by having thier "drone" go bonkers over johnny's birthday party... if you were to pursue long range RC, learn to fly normally first (line of site), take baby steps towards long range, and do it SAFELY.  Common Sense!  Also keep in mind, the FAA has stated, that, any "rc aircraft" flown beyond line-of-site falls under the regulations of an "aircraft".  Meaning, at this point, its illegal to fly it beyond LOS.  (big battles being waged on this one right now in washington).  It's immediatly illegal because, obviously, your "drone" does not have an airworthiness certificate, etc etc. and likely the "pilot" is not a licensed pilot with currency, and a current medical either!

I suspect things will change this year (2015), with more firm definitions, and regulations, on where "hobby" ends, and "commercial" begins, along with the steps necessary to fly "commercially".  We ar ein the infancy of the drone revolution, and great things are to come!  BTW, don't take this to mean I am opposed to govt regulating drones.. FAA NEEDS to implement some form of regulation, these things CAN be dangerous, especially to other aircraft. However, they also need to look at the ways hobbyists use them, vs the way they would be used "professionally" and act accordingly.. Where those lines blur (long range RC, First person view flying), we have to err on the side of human life, and ensure airspace deconfliction...

[Dragon]

Swoop doesn't have the restrictions of our FAA.   


Commercial level drones are quite capable of doing what you want but there is still going to be hands on work to do prior to any launch. 

I would recommend a fixed wing aircraft that could be programmed to follow a specific GPS guided route initially and you would be able to alter the route in real time but you would need to be outside for launch and recovery.



Any pictures of sun bathers should only be posted to Wednesday Babes with expressed written permission of the babe.   

[Lusche]

Although I suppose it would be possible to custom program something using a raspberry pi or something, to connect via cell towers... the issue would be latency I would think...

You might take a look at this one: https://carldanley.com/controlling-the-ar-drone-over-lte/

[Swoop]

Swoop doesn't have the restrictions of our FAA.   

Yeah you're right.  Over here, anything under 20Kgs in weight requires no licence or permission.  Of course, that'll probably change once I've buzzed a few patrol cars...

[MrKrabs]

Plan out a flight path of available wifi and pre-set internet access via wi-fi

I can imagine that working wonders on corridor's like Florida's U.S. 1

[WWhiskey]

I've been working on this figuratively  with a premprogramed route for the drone so it's a hands off mission for ranchers to check water locations, but recently figured out a better, cheaper and more dependable way,  may still need the drone to collect the data stored tho once a day, it will just have to get within a certain distance from the target area, in theory
Or go to a location that the data shows a problem!

Someday!