Best Drone Footage | Atmel

For many, the term “drone” seems to conjure images of military use and war weaponry. As a result, the mere thought of these futuristic flying devices tend to pose security and privacy concerns to several people. When, however, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used for defense purposes and those that may one day may buzz around the skies are quite different, and indeed, may change the world — for the better.

Amid recent security concerns, bans throughout U.S. national parks and ongoing regulation woes, these gadgets — some of which powered by Atmel 8 and 32-bit AVR microcontrollers — have managed to capture stunning birds-eye views that would’ve otherwise been inconceivable a few years ago. Before the days of drone videos, filmmakers had to rely upon helicopters for such aerial shots; however, these ‘copters aren’t nearly as agile and inexpensive as UAVs. That said, there’s certainly no shortage of UAV footage.

Below, we’ve compiled just some of the most breathtaking videos taken over the last 12 months.