Pixotope launches drone camera tracking system

Pixotope has revealed Pixotope Fly, a drone and cable camera tracking system. 

The markerless software aims to simplify the set up and creative constraints of needing to place markers on the ground, allowing the creation of dynamic realtime aerial graphics. It also allows more flexibility, not having to keep drones within a set markered area or needing the markers to stay visible.

Pixotope Fly has already been used on major national live broadcast coverage of American stock car racing by Pixotope creative partner, Silver Spoon Animation. In one instance, as the Pixotope Fly-calibrated drone pulled away into a wide shot, an animated graphic of the winning driver next to their car surrounded by real-time particle effects was shown to viewers to celebrate the victory.

In addition, Silver Spoon delivered an RV stunt jump over the track as an AR advertisement.

Pixotope chief revenue officer David Dowling said: “We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved with Pixotope Fly.

“It eliminates the resource-intensive set up required of existing drone tracking technology; it needs no specialist sensor cameras, markers, or proprietary hardware to work and it’s deceptively simple to use. All you need is a drone or cable cam and the software to get started. What would have previously required a helicopter and hollywood blockbuster calibre post production can now be achieved with a single software solution in real time.”

He added: “Beyond the creative and cost benefits, Pixotpe Fly affords users reduced risk of failure during live broadcasts. With no physical markers to speak of, producers don’t need to worry about a catastrophic live tracking failure because a marker became obscured somehow.”