Top 10 Crazy Things You Can Do with a Drone

When you think about getting a drone, you probably picture those nice camera-mounted drones that everyone is talking about. But why just fly your regular garden drone when you can turn it into something truly amazing?

Ready to take your drone projects to a whole new level? Let’s start!

1. Attach a machine gun to it

One of the growing military threats in the world is the armed drone, a topic we covered in Unstoppable Drone Security Threats.

It is common knowledge that militaries around the world are beginning to use armed drones in places that are too dangerous to be sent by ground troops, but did you know that there are civilians who make homemade armed drones?

Let me introduce you to the Russian blogger FPSRussia, who demonstrated the «Charlene», a drone armed with a machine gun with a 100-round clip. It can fly at speeds up to 30 miles per hour and a quarter mile high.

As you can see, it is capable of inflicting quite significant damage on almost any target. However, according to FPSRussia, the technology will not be available on the mass market for another 15 years. Not only that, but this is a military gadget and not something you want to fly in your backyard.

However, if you are interested in building your own armed drone, there are options.

Drone lovers can mount a BB machine gun on the drone, as YouTuber Absorber of Light did in this video.

Some of the components you will need to build this drone include:

CD drive motor.
Plastic body of the handle with a slit on the side.
Servo drive for “launching” explosives that enter the handle body.
A very small funnel for storing a supply of explosives.
Clear plastic tube for «positive air pressure» from under one propeller.
Wireless servo and toggle switch to turn on the gun motor.
Wireless server and momentary switch for pistol firing (pellet feeding).
Battery (or disconnect the drone’s power supply, if available).

Because this rig is essentially a standalone BB gun mount and does not require integration into the drone itself, it can be mounted on top of an existing drone. This assumes that your drone has a payload capacity. Or you can build your own DIY drone just for this purpose.

2. Remotely cast your line

There are many interesting uses for drones that can improve your life. such as receiving packages or improving security. But you might be surprised to know that even activities like fishing can be improved with a drone.

This video shows a few applications including some of the newly invented drones, but one of the most amazing is the Aguadrone.

The Aguadrone floats in salt or fresh water and comes with advanced electronic devices that can help people who love fishing. What is this investment? You can attach a fish finder box, waterproof camera and takeaway bait.

It’s the last one that’s especially interesting. If you’ve ever gone fishing where you tried to get your line far, especially when sea fishing, it can be very difficult to get your line exactly where you want it. With this drone, you can simply attach your line to the drone, land it where you want your line to go, and then release the line into the water.

This is the next generation of fishing!

Believe it or not, the concept of «drone fishing» is becoming a growing movement around the world. People who are passionate about both fishing and technology use their drones for «remote casting». Now people can stand on the beach and pull out their line far into deep waters effortlessly than a 60-second drone flight over the waves.

If you’d like to join this growing movement, here are a few basic things you’ll need:

Any drone will work.
Clothes hanger (or quick release clip).
Scotch.
Rod, line and bait.

As soon as you drone the drone over the place where you want your bait was in the water, you just pull the line . It either slides off the slightly upwardly curved hanger or the quick release clip. Either method works well.

With a drone, you can really increase your chances of catching the prize fish you’ve always dreamed of but could never achieve!

3. Capturing and reporting illegal activities

If you’re an environmentalist, you probably care deeply about how animals are treated in the food industry. Some environmental journalists are so deeply concerned that they have received leaked videos from farms (or food factories) to show appalling conditions for animals (such as the video filmed in the movie Forks Over Knives).

Drones are joining the arsenal these journalists use to expose «big farming» and the crimes (or at least unethical activities) sometimes committed in the industry against animals.

But if you are planning to start use drones for spying there are a few things you should keep in mind, unless you want to end up in jail.

Never invade private property (flying over private land) with a drone. It’s illegal in most places.
Never try to «spy» on government offices or bases. This is a federal crime.
Never fly drones in an emergency to get footage. This can interfere with the work of emergency teams.
Do not record people without their consent.

If you’re going to use drone video as a form of journalism, that’s fine. In fact, this kind of journalism, especially in trying to expose wrongdoing, is a great thing. However, it is important to adhere to the ethical principles of journalism, and to study and comply with all laws regarding the use of drones in the area you hope to research.

Drones are a new and powerful tool for any journalist. But, as with any other investigative journalism activity, you must use common sense to avoid trouble.

4. Make money from aerial photography

Want to be really crazy with your drone? Why not try to go crazy like a fox and make tons of money from your investments?

If you have a drone that can shoot high-definition video or photos, and you have a good working knowledge of how to fly that drone to shoot high-quality footage, then you are perfectly capable of creating your own. aerial photography company .

What kind of people hire aerial photographers?

Real estate companies who want a bird’s eye view of the property.
Yacht owners want to sell their boat.
Couples are looking for a wedding photographer.

Please note that you will need permission from the FAA; You cannot use the drone for commercial purposes without it.

However, if you want to take it seriously, you will need to invest in some very quality photographic equipment which you can install on the drone.

If you’re looking for inspiration, check out Rob’s list of breathtaking drone shots. photos of drones that photos of drones that

5. Fly into the volcano

Speaking of breathtaking photography, have you ever thought about flying a video drone right to the top of a live volcano?

Check out the photos taken by this National Geographic team donating some Phantom II drones just above the lava lake.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to sacrifice your drone to capture equally amazing footage. All you need to do is drive or fly to the most remote location with great opportunities for breathtaking aerial photographs .

Some of the natural attractions worth paying attention to:

Hidden lakes inside the mountain range.
Big waterfalls.
Just about any grief.
Rocks or canyons (craters are great for aerial photography).
The edge of the water (the coastline of the ocean or the shores of the lake).

These places are ripe with natural, geological structures that look amazing from the air. Once you have set your launch location and are comfortable, launch your drone and start exploring the landscape around you.

If you are considering taking up this hobby, keep a few important things in mind:

Most national parks drones are not allowed.
Try to leave untouched wildlife.
Try to use low noise drones if possible.
Avoid places with tourists; the further the better.

The reason why most national parks in the US have banned drones is that they can be a nuisance to both park visitors and wildlife parks. If you stick to very isolated areas, you are unlikely to disturb anyone while taking your aerial photographs.

6. Cook with it

You’ve owned your drone for a while, have flown it for hundreds of hours, and you’re running out of ideas on how to use your drone effectively. Well, what about cooking with it?

No seriously. I think about it. Propellers are great for slicing soft vegetables or peeling fruit, and what better way to toss things into a boiling pot of water without setting yourself on fire than using a drone?

To many, this may seem silly. I mean, it’s hard to imagine the risk of damaging your $200 drone using propellers to glide and dice food. But for food who loves drones, maybe this is a marriage in heaven?

If it strikes your fancy, do it. We’d love to see your drone culinary creations in the comment section below.

7. Connect LEDs for an Awesome Light Show

If you’ve ever hosted a party at night and want to have a great light show at the end, you’ve probably discovered how expensive fireworks are.

Well, if you have one or two drones, you don’t need to make money with fireworks. Just connect a row of LED lights. for a few drones and you will have an unforgettable light show that your guests will talk about years later.

This is an inexpensive and uncomplicated drone project.

You can buy great LED lights for your drone on Amazon that come with everything you need to integrate the bulbs into your drone’s power system (make sure you buy the strips designed for your particular drone).

8. Build Ornithopter Drone

If you’re a drone lover, then you’re most likely familiar with the ubiquitous multi-rotor drones that most people use, and maybe even the fixed-wing drones that are used there. But did you know that there is a whole movement of drone enthusiasts who are trying to mimic bird flight patterns with Ornithopters?

Orni, as in ornithology, refers to birds. Ornithology is the study of birds. So an onrythopter is basically any machine that can fly, using flapping wings .

Check out this DIY Onithopter and make sure you don’t see it fly until the end.

This is by no means an easy DIY project. However, the required materials are relatively easy to obtain and inexpensive. You can find everything you need at your local hobby shop.

If you want an easier approach, this video will show you how to build a very simple bouncy ornithopter.