Drone billboard advertising in windy conditions? It’s possible

An Arizona-based startup has invented technology that will allow drones to carry advertising billboards in the sky even in blowing wind.

Drone Aerial Services (DAS) is calling its patent-pending technology a game changer for advertising for it will “change how we view ads altogether.”

According to Andrew Wise, inventor of SOOCS (Suspended Orientation Object Control System) and founder of DAS, this new technology will open up an entire world for airborne advertising that was not possible before because there was never a way to compensate for wind.

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While SOOCS keeps billboards stable while they are airborne, heavy-lift hexacopters with a lift capacity of 200 lbs. take the advertising material up in the air. Explaining that the tip-to-tip diameter of his drones is a little over 9 feet, Wise says:

We custom design and build our own drones and billboards using extremely light but strong carbon fiber materials. All systems meet the FAA Part-107 maximum weight requirements. Additionally, the drone billboard advertising service by DAS is fully insured for several million dollars of coverage. 

The crew, meanwhile, consists of three people. One person to control and fly the drone. A second person to control the sign position and movements. And a third person acting as a rigger, visual observer, and crew manager. All members of the team hold an FAA Part 107 commercial drone license.

DAS has also released a video that demonstrates how it has implemented SOOCS with 3D holographic technology:

While this kind of advertising can be extremely effective at night, for daytime use, DAS recommends using a Mesh Banner system. Wise says:

Drone billboards now have the flexibility to be almost any place at any time. With this new technology, companies would have an entirely new way to reach consumers and promote their products or services.

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