If you’ve noticed a drone flying around the slopes at this year’s Winter Olympics, don’t be alarmed. The drone, equipped with GPS technology for navigation and video recording, is transmitting live video from ski jump and snowboard events.
Drones with GPS like this one resemble a large flying insect and are becoming more and more common at sporting events. Their ability to get in close while being quiet without being unobtrusive or distracting are causing a rise in the drone’s popularity. The cost is also much less than that of a camera crew and helicopter.
There has been some question of whether the GPS system the drone uses for navigation could be hacked. While the answer is yes, the drone isn’t armed and poses no real risk.