It’s amazing how drones have become popular considering that they were only introduced to the consumer market in the early 2000s. And back then UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) were expensive because of the cost of productions. As technology matured, the price of drones dropped dramatically and now anyone can have their own drone with less than £400. The software is now finally catching up to the hardware because there are free and paid Drone apps that are equally good for taking footage from Drones. These are the best free drone apps on the iOS and Android platform.
6 Hover drone app
Hover is essentially like having a wise, veteran pilot with a supportive arm around your shoulder – but in app form.
The app comes with regularly updated International No-Fly zones, so you can check whether it’s legal to take-off before you do so. Hover is also geared toward safety in terms of flight conditions. Hover pulls information from the FAA, National Parks and the U.S. Military.
You can also get live weather data, including local current and forecasted weather conditions, along with drone-specific information on wind speed and wind direction.Through the app you can also connect to the latest news from the drone industry and record flight logs. Individuals and teams can seamlessly track, log, and maintain their drone fleet, helping to manage drones, equipment, and personnel.
Dan Held, co-founder at Hover, told us that “Over 70,000 recreational and commercial pilots use Hover to fly safely and legally. We were the first app on the App Store to have no-fly zone maps, and we’re continually working on making the app even more enjoyable for our pilots.”
Available on: iOS onlyPrice: Free
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5 DJI+Discover drone app
DJI+Discover is DJI’s answer to a common problem faced by drone enthusiasts. Sure, flying is fun, but getting started can be daunting, and it’s much more fun in a group of like-minded pilots. With DJI+Discover it doesn’t have to be a solo thing.
DJI+Discover gives drone pilots a way to find and connect with their peers, as well as hosting a marketplace platform for people looking to find or advertise drone services. On launching the app, you’ll see a map of the surrounding area and pins representing other users.
There are three toggles along the top: All, Social and Professional – which allow you to specify which sort of drone owner you’re looking for. There are also markers which indicate good flying spots and other users’ best photos.
“Drone pilots like to get together to fly, learn from each other and share experiences with like-minded people. In the same way, people want an easy way to find trustworthy professional aerial service providers nearby,” said Paul Guo, Director of E-Commerce at DJI. “DJI+ Discover lets people in the same area connect socially and professionally in a way that will bind the drone community even tighter together.”
Available on: iOS & AndroidPrice: Free
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4 AR.FreeFlight 2.2 App
This is a free app compatible with the A.R Drone and the AR. Drone 2.0 from Parrot. The app controls your UAV by either tilting your mobile device in either direction.
The release of the controls will result in the AR. Drone going into instant stabilization mode. Its controls are simple and intuitive that it can make the drone flip immediately with one simple command.
HD video that is recorded is instantly sent to your device via Wi-Fi once you land the drone on the ground. The AR.FreeFlight 2.2 allows for instant uploading to Picasa website or directly to YouTube.
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3 DJI Vision drone App
The free DJI Vision app can only be used with the PHANTOM 2 VISION drone. It’s used to control the camera when the drone is being flown.
While that may seem as a disadvantage, you should take note that its features are more streamlined to effectively work with that specific drone. Navigation of the UAV includes Pitch-and-Yaw axis and camera tilt controls.
Some of the features include location-based radar, real-time camera previews, ability to upload videos to social media websites and onscreen display.
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2 Drone Deploy App
Unlike the other apps mentioned, Drone Deploy costs £64.35. The price alone should make you aware of the apps capabilities. It’s available on android, iOS and even on the desktop operating systems. Initially it was built to support DJI Phantom Vision +, 3DR Iris and AgEagle Rapid Drones but now almost all types of drones are supported, even some DIY drones are compatible with it.
Once images are captured, you can then upload the georeferenced images to be processed by the powerful Drone deploy Map Engine (beta). The images are quickly processed and 3d modelling is done on them. From here it’s possible to annotate, crop and share the 3d models and maps.
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1 Ghost Drone App
This is a very popular drone app because of its simplicity. All you have to do is automatically control the drone and use the camera to take photos as the UAV flies to its destination. Pick the destination on the map provided and the drones automatically flies there living you to concentrate on finding the perfect shot.
The app pre-programs taking off, hovering and landing and it should alert you when the battery is running low. But in case you feel you need more manoeuvrability the app allows for advanced micro controls so that you can make precise movements.
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These are just but a few best free drone apps for UAV controls others are not mentioned that you can look into are Bright Sky Labs, Pix4D, Hover and many others.
