We present an intuitive human-drone interaction system that utilizes a gesture-based motion controller to enhance the drone operation experience in real and simulated environments. The handheld motion controller enables natural control of the drone through the movements of the operator's hand, thumb, and index finger: the trigger press manages the throttle, the tilt of the hand adjusts pitch and roll, and the thumbstick controls yaw rotation. Communication with drones is facilitated via the ExpressLRS radio protocol, ensuring robust connectivity across various frequencies. The user evaluation of the flight experience with the designed drone controller using the UEQ-S survey showed high scores for both Pragmatic (mean=2.2, SD = 0.8) and Hedonic (mean=2.3, SD = 0.9) Qualities. This versatile control interface supports applications such as research, drone racing, and training programs in real and simulated environments, thereby contributing to advances in the field of human-drone interaction.

You are free to share this article under the Attribution 4.0 International license. Machine learning powers a new kind of drone flight controller software, researchers report. After Wil Koch flew a friend's drone for the first time, operating it through "first-person view" where a person wears a headset connected to a video feed streaming live from a camera on the drone, he thought it was amazing. So amazing that he went out that same day and purchased his own system--a video headset, controller, and quadcopter drone, named for the four propellers that power it. "You put the goggles on and they allow you to see live video transmitting from a camera mount on the drone," Koch says.

You've made it to the fourth and final day of our CES 2019 liveblog. By now we've toured most of the expo halls, seen most of the demos, and touched most of the gadgets. Follow along to see reports from Thursday at CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the newest updates appearing at the top. For more coverage, try the liveblogs from Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, and the photo galleries from Tuesday and Wednesday. After roaming CES for nearly a week trying devices that don't make hot chocolate, I was incredibly receptive to the Infini Mix by Japanese company Stuff, which does nothing but make glass after glass of delicious hot cocoa.