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floatrock
echelon
.xyz is blowing up and gaining a lot of reputation. It's the new .io and .ai. Incredibly hip for your startup.
abc.xyz
block.xyz
Look at all the HN articles pouring in with this TLD: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu...
But you're right. Spatial domain products should jump all in on this.
birdman3131
And nigh worthless seeing as a lot of phone carriers will siliently delete your text if they spot a .xyz domain in it.
rafale
Why would they do that? They will change policy anyway if the TLD keeps getting popular. You gotta see things for what they are headed not for what they are.
pixelpoet
Had to quickly go register a bunch of .xyz domains after reading this comment, being a graphics guy.
echelon
Awesome! I'd love to see you put them to clever use.
soylentgraham
They certainly blew up 6/7 years ago when they were a few quid/year to register
rambojazz
They have a lot of catching up to do if they want to improve reputation.
Kelteseth
This is actually really cool from a code perspective, as this is the first app I've seen that uses Qt/QML in combination with Rust. I was always searching for alternative cross-platform GUI toolkits that use Rust and some form of QML like language for the UI. sixtyfps (now slint) is a promising candidate that is developed by some ex Qt guys, but their QML style syntax is still a bit off in my taste.
Ancapistani
I use this regularly, with good results.
Here’s an example comparison of flight footage from a RunCam 5 Orange on a 5” freestyle quadcopter: https://youtu.be/1ZORzfJ1sog
qwertox
I'm surprised on how well it handled the roll at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZORzfJ1sog&t=106s . It's like it opted to immediately quit stabilizing for a second instead of coming up with some wired results.
jvanderbot
It likely does two-way batch optimization (backward in time and forward). So, it has all the information it needs to know that a full loop is closed and that minimal-jitter paths include the full rotation. That is, a smooth path through "image space" is a loop.
WithinReason
It does a really good job! Thanks for posting an example.
One decision that such a program needs to make is how to smooth out the movement, and what this one seems to be doing is a sort of a "piecewise linear" function which is a bit jarring to watch when it suddenly transitions between 2 speeds.
Ancapistani
> One thing that such a program needs to make is how to smooth out the movement
There are several different smoothing algorithms that you can choose from - I don’t recall the name of the one I used here, but it was specifically called out in the docs to be most suitable for acrobatic flight.
You can set up key frames, which can give a lot more control over where and how the stabilization is applied. I just used the ones that gyroflow chose for me here.
> what this one seems to be doing is a sort of a "piecewise linear" function which is a bit jarring to watch when it suddenly transitions between 2 speeds.
I made this example specifically to learn how to stabilize that kind of footage, because that’s what I do the most of and that’s where I think I’ll find the biggest benefit.
Also… this is my favorite quadcopter at the moment, and can do some pretty crazy stuff. It’s got 5x5x3 props, 1,950KV motors, and uses 6S batteries. Assuming 24V and no load, that’s around 47,000 RPM. I don’t have a GPS receiver on it, but I’ve handily outrun a friend’s flying wing that was moving at 120MPH according to its onboard telemetry. All of that is to say that a lot of that speed transition isn’t an artifact of the stabilization. :)
For slow, “cinematic” footage, Premier and DaVinci Resolve’s image-based stabilization does an adequate job with less work.
WithinReason
After a second look it's probably down to the movement of the drone rather than the smoothing algorithm
Ancapistani
Here’s another example - one of the first ones I did, before I understood most of the options: https://youtu.be/X4R-8BchTd4
That one uses the default smoothing algorithm, which isn’t really suitable for anything acrobatic.
sbierwagen
Why 30fps? The smoothed version gets a little blurry on the pans, though that might just be youtube bitrate limits.
Ancapistani
Hardware limitation on the RunCam 5 Orange: https://shop.runcam.com/runcam-5-orange/
It can do 4k30 or 2.7k60 - but it’s also 56g, and durable enough that I “recovered” it from the top of a metal building a few days ago by knocking it down with a quadcopter and letting it fall 12’ onto pavement.
Tradeoffs have to be made somewhere :)
I mostly use it for hobby stuff. While I can record on my goggles, the image quality is extremely poor and completely unsuitable for any real use. This is what I see while flying: https://youtu.be/xywVVS8eLSw
It looks quite a bit better in the moment, and on a screen that’s optimized for it. I use a Skyzone 04X, which was 1280x960 OLED screens with a 46º field of view. You can’t really get much better for analog video at the moment in this form factor. There are a couple of digital options (DJI and SharkByte), but I don’t want to spend the money on those until I feel like the technology has matured a bit more and I’m not going to need to spend another $500+ on goggles and ~$80 per airframe to upgrade. The RunCam 5 Orange gives me the ability to make videos for sharing with others and is “good enough” for some light commercial work.
In addition to flying FPV as a hobby, I have my FAA 107 certificate and do some photography/videography as a side hustle. I use an Autel Evo 2 Pro for that most of the time, which is capable of 6k30/4k60 and is stupid good for night photography. I occasionally mix in some video from my FPV quads if the situation calls for it. I rarely need to produce output that’s over 1080p, and 30fps is pretty standard there. If I were doing more interior fly-through and such, I’d pick up a more capable camera for that purpose. I’d still want the RunCam though, because of its balance of weight and durability.
Chilko
Fyi with the 1W VTX soon to be released for Sharkbyte now is a great time to jump in with the recent release of the HD Zero cameras - your Skyzones are some of the best goggles you can use for SharkByte / HDZero
ghostly_s
Could you rec a beginner-friendly drone platform that would work with a camera like this?
Ancapistani
Those two things don’t really go together well, unfortunately.
If you’re dead set on only buying one, go with a durable “cinewhoop” like a Diatone Taycan. It’ll likely survive the abuses can carry a GoPro or RunCam, and will be useful if you decide to go deeper in the hobby. Otherwise I recommend starting with a “mini whoop” like a BetaFPV 2S Pro or a Mobula8.
Realize that you also need goggles and a radio (controller). Those will set you back $400 and $200 respectively if you’re trying to “buy once cry once”. If you’re seeing if you’re into it, the BetaFPV 2S Pro “RTF” (ready to fly) kit is a good introduction, as is the Emax Tiny Hawk 2.
If you’re interested in getting into the hobby, let me know and I’ll get you my contact information so we can chat.
ghostly_s
I’m not interested in FPV/goggles, just aerial photography. Looks like one of the cheaper DJIs probably makes more sense for me.
Steltek
What are you looking to do? Tripod-in-the-sky? Acrobatic crazy stuff? Cruising around?
Speaking for myself, I wanted to feel like I was piloting something, not just stiffly moving a camera around. I thought I wanted long flight times but have since realized that I really wanted acrobatic ability.
A 2S TinyWhoop drone is about $100-150 and is very durable. I wouldn't call it indestructible, because you can definitely break it if you try, but it will bounce off things or even plummet from the sky. It can't carry a GoPro unfortunately but it's a good pick for learning. The costs will come from ground equipment like your radio or goggles, which can be reused on future drones.
One of the newer "toothpick" drones could carry an Insta360 Go.
There's currently a few big shifts in drones right now:
- ExpressLRS: Open source radio control protocol. Range will exceed your battery.
- HDZero / SharkByte: DJI alternative for HD video. Not as good quality but slightly more open (although not truly open).
- "Sub 250" - Upcoming US FAA regulations put sub 250g drones in a special category, which could have some use.
Ancapistani
I agree with all of the above, but am avoiding work and thought I’d chime in as well:
> ExpressLRS: Open source radio control protocol. Range will exceed your battery.
This is probably a good call for this audience. I expect ELRS will win out in the mid- to long-term for most things. A few people will stick with other protocols like TBS Crossfire or Tracer - I plan to, but honestly they don’t offer anything that ELRS doesn’t as far as I can tell. I just like TBS as a company and some of their products like the TBS SIXTY9.
Generally speaking, choose a protocol and stick with it. Only change (or add more protocols) if you have a good reason to.
Radios come in two broad flavors: protocol-specific and “multi-module”. I’d go with the latter unless you really want a tiny portable controller.
The RadioMaster TX16S is far and away my pick here. It’s bulky, but it supports almost everything out of the box. If you want to add TBS Crossfire/Tracer, ELRS, FrSky ACCESS, etc. you only have to add a small module to the back.
FrSky radios used to be considered top-end, but they’ve moved toward a more closed protocol that limits compatibility for both their radios and their receivers. If you have one already, by all means use it - they’re good radios - but I wouldn’t buy one today.
> HDZero / SharkByte: DJI alternative for HD video. Not as good quality but slightly more open (although not truly open).
This is what I meant earlier when I was talking about digital vs. analog - the “protocol war” here is still in its early stages. For all its warts and drawbacks, analog isn’t going anywhere. If my guess on the outcome is correct, I’ll probably end up with an HDZero setup in about a year.
Note that you can put a (digital) SharkByte receiver on analog goggles, and you can put an analog receiver on (digital) DJI FPV goggles.
> "Sub 250" - Upcoming US FAA regulations put sub 250g drones in a special category, which could have some use.
UAS under 250g that are used only for recreational use don’t require registration ($5, your name in a database, and a sticker). I’m not aware of any upcoming regulations that will impact the hobby.
For non-recreational use, there is a category for UAS <250g with enclosed props that can be flown over people legally. There is currently no off-the-shelf offering that meets those requirements, but it can be done with a slightly modified DJI Mavic Mini or Mini2 using a special battery and guards.
At the end of the day, the RPIC (“remote pilot in command”, the person flying it) must maintain VLOS (“visual line of sight”) to the UAS at all times to be legal. You can have a VO (“visual observer”) to help with that, but there is no legal way to fly FPV at the moment without a second person present.
To be brutally honest, the FPV hobby ignores a lot of the laws and regulations around it. Most of our video transmitters output quite a bit more power than legally allowed with being a HAM, and effectively none of us make sure to have a VO when we fly. Being a 107 pilot I do my best to comply to the extent that it’s practical to do so, but even I don’t bother with the VO stuff. It makes no sense, and serves no purpose with the type of quads I fly. If my video feed dies I’m going to crash, period. I’m pretty good about being able to put it down gently while blinded and I make absolutely sure I’m not putting anyone at risk when I fly.
Otherwise, these quads are far too crude - or more accurately, “stripped down” - to automatically return to home or something. Most of mine are set up to attempt to transition to a hover and descend to land in a semi-controlled way if I turn off my radio, but honestly doing that is more dangerous than just aiming it in the general direction of the safest place to land from memory and hoping for the best. I’ve ditched into water more than once because that was the best way to be sure I wasn’t going to hit anything or anyone. Sometimes that means wading into a creek or puddle to pull it out and letting it dry for a few days, sometimes that means replacing some parts, sometimes that means it’s 15’ underwater and unrecoverable. Such is the nature of this hobby.
qwertox
That promo video is production grade stuff.
mrandish
Learning about this app just made my day! As an owner of a Sony Alpha 1 mirrorless camera it'll be super useful. The A1 is one of the first cameras of its type to capture gyro metadata natively. While Sony ships some stabilization software for the A1, a quick look at it left me less than enthusiastic about the workflow of Sony's app and its rather limited capabilities.
While the drone demos are cool, the non-drone creative possibilities for amateur filmmakers will be equally impactful. Imagine being able to get perfect crane-style interior tracking shots just using a long pole. As great as they are, drones aren't allowed in a lot of environments due to noise, distraction, insurance, etc. Flying a four pound stabilized cinema rig usually requires a BIG hexacopter that is loud and, frankly, pretty scary to be close to. A lot of us low-to-no budget filmmakers (and students) rely on shooting in improvised locations because we don't have the budget to shut down a city street to get a shot.
I'm excited to try this on some handheld run-and-gun action footage. The Alpha 1 camera is amazingly small and light for the pro cinema level quality it delivers which is why it would be a shame to stick it in on a big stabilizing gimbal rig. Capturing gyro metadata natively is an inexpensive 'no-brainer' feature all 'serious' cameras should include.
londons_explore
Does the gyro really give much extra information that can't be inferred from the video feed itself?
The complexity of simultaneously capturing the gyro output and time syncing it to the video seems pretty high if the benefit is only marginal.
WithinReason
I remember a colleague working on such a project about 7 years ago (he put together a prototype in 2 weeks). The reason the gyro makes a huge difference is that the image is not produced at the same time, the sensor rows are scanned out gradually, and a gyro allows you to assign a correction to each row of pixels instead only to the whole image at the same time. Doing the same through vision is close to impossible.
edit: A gyro-based algorithm is quite simple, while computer vision is still not a fully solved problem in general
Ancapistani
Definitely.
Syncing “blackbox logs” from the flight controller’s gyroscope is a pain, for sure. There are some cameras on the market now that have their own gyroscope and automatically produce sidecar files for the same time period as the video, like the RunCam 5 Orange. For those, syncing the gyro readings is totally a non-issue.
zcw100
You could infer the camera position and angle using Structure from Motion (SfM) and then stabilize the video from that but I'm guessing you'd get a lot of error built up in the process and it would be questionable how much stabilization you'd get in the end but it would be interesting to see how well it would work.
jmrobles
It's awesome and open source!
I made this video comparison between GoPro6 4k video vs the stabilized with gyroflow
aidenn0
That rolling-shutter correction alone on FP is amazing.
pzo
> with Android and iOS apps coming
For iOS that’s not gonna happen at least with distributing via App Store considering GPL-3 license.
Steltek
Depends on who's GPL3 code is being distributed. If it's 100% Gyroflow's code, couldn't they distribute in the app store under whatever license is necessary while also hosting a GPL3 repos somewhere?
Admittedly, not a great solution and Android is just always going to be more friendly for apps and use cases that fall outside of mainstream.
pzo
That’s true. It seems a young project but already got some PRs so those contributors potentially could always claim their rights to apple to remove from App Store.
Some alternative could be just instructions how to build yourself or distribution via AltStore.
ChrisMarshallNY
This is cool.
I’d like to see how cameras that use this, stack up against the Osmo[0]. That’s a pretty awesome little camera.
quadrature
Does gyroflow solve for the camera parameters ?. Im wondering if i could attach sensors to my DSLR and then use the sensor data to stabilize the camera footage even thought the sensors would be offset from the camera.
liminal
But is it better than the ChickenHead S8000? (joke) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hle5AHZbc8U
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Not in the graphic arts, but this is the most appropriate use of an .xyz domain I've yet seen.