- May 5, 2010
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I just wish they'd stop writing the name of the "camera carrier" on the screen.
Don't know how many times I've gone "That's not... oh... he's the one who has the camera on..."
- Jun 7, 2011
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I understand that drone technology isn't ready yet to cover an entire race, but you would expect more drones to be used for specific parts and scenarios. Yesterday on Pradel, was a perfect scenario for instance. Steep climb, narrow road, mountain pass... Heavy motors get in the way of riders and team cars, have difficulty riding a slow pace alongside riders because these motos with 2 people and camera equipment can weigh 450-500kg. They risk overheating or falling over at these slow speeds, with plenty of potential issues as a result (rider safety, spectator safety, influencing race dynamics etc).
Another example is the last kilometer before the finish, perfect for drone footage. Also certain sectors in Paris Roubaix, where motos are an actual danger to riders as well as to spectators. Ideal for drone footage. Let motos take a detour and get back on the main roads. Drone technology is already good enough for these scenarios. Organisers, UCI should gain experience, so that whenever the technology is ready for longer flights, farther range, better image quality, that at that time the transition can happen quick and easily.
Another example is the last kilometer before the finish, perfect for drone footage. Also certain sectors in Paris Roubaix, where motos are an actual danger to riders as well as to spectators. Ideal for drone footage. Let motos take a detour and get back on the main roads. Drone technology is already good enough for these scenarios. Organisers, UCI should gain experience, so that whenever the technology is ready for longer flights, farther range, better image quality, that at that time the transition can happen quick and easily.
Definitely need more drones, but I'm not sure what's Pogs problem, was , a decent lead and not going to be caught, just sit back and the let the police clear the way. Less risky than riding into the throng alone.
theres nothing worse on a climb when youre in a rhythm that your managing your effort on, to find you have to ease off like that, because its really difficult to pick up the same cadence again, it can be very disruptive which can mean you lose time.
which obviously none of the riders chasing suffer, because by then the police riders are doing their job properly and clearing the crowds.
as for drones, the problem is always going to be rider safety the drones will have to operate some distance away from the riders at the least, and how you get the pictures back to broadcast.
and it still means your drone pilot has to be moving alongside with the race, they cant as they do at CX or in skiing stand on a hillside and wait just for the race to pass, and the easiest way to do that is in a vehicle, so are we really solving the problem using drones, or just because it looks different favouring it as new tech.
- Jun 7, 2011
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On a climb, you can have drones really close to the riders, as they can hover over the cliff or rockside. You can also have multiple drone operators in one vehicle (like a van) which can be hundreds of meters ahead or behind the riders, so unlike cameramotors they don't need to be riding among the cyclists directly disrupting the flow of the riders and causing all sorts of danger.
As for broadcast, not much would need to change. All the equipment that is on each cameramotor to relay the feed to the plane, should be able to fit in the van.
Logic mosgtly answered this, but I'll emphasize that the vehicle (moto, car...) with a camera has to be very near the riders, while a drone vehicle doesn't.
Two other points to address: 1) Its not new tech, and 2) there are virtually no safety concerns. In comparison to all of the other methods drones would be musch safer.
I posted this in 2016:
"There is a guy here who makes videos of cyclocross races using a "homing device" mounted on his bike. He programs the parameters for the CQ (how high, how far ahead/behind it follows, zoom, etc...). In three years, he has had zero fall out of the sky while filming (CX is only an hour so I don't know how that will translate to longer races). His CQs even avoid objects automatically (trees, bridges, signs, people...)."
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- May 5, 2010
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Question.
There's a tower on the top of Mont Ventoux, how far could someone standing in that tower reach with a drone?
Use the tower as a vantage point to see when the riders are close enough to use the drone.
And I'm pretty sure there are other mountains that have towers on top. In fact, I know there are.
There's a tower on the top of Mont Ventoux, how far could someone standing in that tower reach with a drone?
Use the tower as a vantage point to see when the riders are close enough to use the drone.
And I'm pretty sure there are other mountains that have towers on top. In fact, I know there are.
Armchair Cyclist
Moderator
- Mar 22, 2010
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A bit of forum housekeeping:
I have merged 3 threads that were all mainly focussed on taking aerodynamic advantage by getting behind motorbikes into one thread:https://forum.cyclingnews.com/threads/drafting-behind-motorcycles-out-of-control.17307/
This one seems to be more about the safety implications (although there is a lot of overlap in the discussions), so I will leave this one as is. Maybe try to make that distinction in choosing where to post.
I have merged 3 threads that were all mainly focussed on taking aerodynamic advantage by getting behind motorbikes into one thread:https://forum.cyclingnews.com/threads/drafting-behind-motorcycles-out-of-control.17307/
This one seems to be more about the safety implications (although there is a lot of overlap in the discussions), so I will leave this one as is. Maybe try to make that distinction in choosing where to post.
As the OP of this thread (in 2015!) I wouldn't be 'offended' if it got rolled in with the others. Safety is the biggest concern IMO, but 'drafting' is also an issue.
Armchair Cyclist
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- Mar 22, 2010
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I suspect that either the distinction will catch on, or one thread will take up all the new input given the tight overlap and the other will gradually slip down the boards, never to be seen again. Time will tell. But they both got a boost up the visibility table today.
Very true..., but the reason that 'new' threads pop up is because, for example, this thread had slipped to the third page and no one is going to scroll that far searching so they start a 'new' thread about motos. Then you or the next mod up will be combining threads again.
NOTE: When I started this thread the other one already existed, but even after using the search feature, and scrolling 5ish pages I couldn't find it so ...
Armchair Cyclist
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- Mar 22, 2010
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The software does suggest threads that might cover the same ground when one begins the title of a new thread, and the search feature does have a titles (and tags) only search filter, but yeah, it happens. And I'm not sure that the software did that in 2015.Very true..., but the reason that 'new' threads pop up is because, for example, this thread had slipped to the third page and no one is going to scroll that far searching so they start a 'new' thread about motos. Then you or the next mod up will be combining threads again.
NOTE: When I started this thread the other one already existed, but even after using the search feature, and scrolling 5ish pages I couldn't find it so ...
- Jan 22, 2010
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This thread is 10 years old for a reason, the problem has been fixed.
With good operators. It's an obvious safety upgrade until one flies into the face of a principal rider. Not sure how promoters and UCI would validate qualifications but the sheer number of military-level experts should supply ample candidates. Scratch UCI...lip service after the fact is all they're good for, unfortunately. Promoters should certainly recognize the economy of not having that many motos.
Drones are ready, have been for years, have been superior to motorcycle held, mounted cameras for years. The resistance is the same reason for the slow adoption of ebikes, electric cars. The binary BS is holding the world back, there never had to be the binary choice of one or not the other, all in some drastic complete change over. Never should have been part of the technology integration.
Over, over, over, motorcycles and other vehicles are part of a controversy about intentional or unintended drafting, dangers caused by heavy traffic, race officials unable to track riders, some as prominent as Thom Pidcock, up front and crashed, off the road, but because so many distractions on the road, even riders who everyone are watching can crash and get lost in the chaos. Drones are not the end all without question, but technology integration could have a drone keeping track of 10-20 riders and if they go outside a pre set parameter.. Like stop moving drone can double back were a car or motorcycle can't.
Drone programming could easily be updated to ignore riders who are dropped, or drop out, out of contention.
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