Renting a tall crane to get a high-angle shot could soon be an
expense filmmakers can avoid with this Balloon Camera designed
to lift a remote control stabilized camera gimbal up to 985 feet
in the air. Developed by the NHK, Japan's equivalent of PBS or
the BBC, the miniature blimp is actually best suited for
operating heights of around 165 feet where it's most stable. The
four axis gimbal is panned, zoomed, and tilted with an RC
helicopter remote, but thanks to built-in gyros the rig also
independently moves to stabilize the camera as the balloon
drifts about. The rig remains tethered to the ground at all
times since the balloon isn't designed to be flown, but in the
event the cable snapping a safe landing mechanism ensures the
gear its hoisting are immediately and safely returned to the
ground. Its Achilles heel is obviously the wind, as the
stabilized gimbal can only compensate for movements in gusts up
to 16 miles per hour. So forget about using it to capture
dramatic footage of tornados, hurricanes, or m