In today’s episode of “boring patents…wait, WHAT ARE THOSE???”, it looks like Twitter filed a patent for messaging with or from, or both, an unmanned vehicle (drone!) in June of this year. It was just published a few days ago. It’s probably something that was put together at a hackathon and someone at Twitter said “hey that’s cool let’s patent it.”
Here’s the main description from the patent called “MESSAGING-ENABLED UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE”:
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carries a camera, sends data from the camera, and receives commands. The UAV is connected to a messaging platform. Pictures or video clips received from the UAV are selected and placed in messages broadcast by an account associated with the UAV. Video footage from the camera is live-streamed in a card-type message. Account holders of the messaging platform may control the UAV with commands embedded in messages and directed towards an account associated with the UAV. Controllable elements of the UAV include UAV location, camera orientation, camera subject, UAV-mounted lighting, a UAV-mounted display, a UAV-mounted projector, UAV-mounted speakers, and a detachable payload. UAV control may be determined through democratic means. Some UAV functionality may be triggered through aggregated engagements on the messaging platform. The UAV may include a display screen and/or a microphone to provide for telepresence or interview functionality.
So maybe, just maybe, you could tweet out directions for your drone…it takes a selfie, or whatever else you’d want to do and then wam, it’s shared out into the world.
Sounds like something that would be rad at a sporting event or concert. It would also up my Periscope game something fierce.
Amazon, Facebook and Google are all up in the drone game, so why not Twitter?
We’ve reached out to Twitter for comment. Also, remember to register your drone.