Drone not flying so hot in the cold? Visual artist Danielle Baskin has a solution — a custom drone sweater. That’s right. Sweaters. For drones.
Baskin said the project started out as a sort of art piece that was meant to be more of a humorous statement or conversation starter than a practical item — probably not too unlike her physical “cloud” storage file organizers or custom avocados. But what started out as an artistic statement complete with a full website has turned into a (questionable) way to extend drone battery life in the cold.
Batteries, in general, are known to be susceptible to cold weather — which is why many photographers keep a spare battery in their pockets to keep them warm during cold shoots. While it’s unclear how much of an impact a layer of wool has on drone battery life, battery life is often an issue for drone pilots even in fair weather, with the typical flight for a camera drone lasting around 20 minutes.
The sweaters are custom made, Baskin says, measured to fit around that specific drone and coming apart in three pieces to fit over the drone’s arms. Which means drone owners need to stop by the San Francisco studio for the custom tailoring.
That custom drone sweater will cost a pretty $189. Oh, there are gift cards, too.
Baskin describes herself as an art director, fabricator, and painter. Along with projects like the drone sweaters and physical cloud storage meant to make an artistic statement on technology, she also creates sculptures from old tech and recycled objects and runs a few companies, including selling tricycles that double as pop-up shops for vendors and die-cut signs.
While the warmth — and style — benefits of a drone sweater are debatable, the content at dronesweaters.com is at least worth a read for laughs. “It almost goes without saying,” Baskin writes, “but we will mention it anyway, drones cannot, or should not, wear pants — only sweaters and jackets.”
