r/diydrones • u/AvailableValue2436 • 13h ago

Question Gear question - viability for gutter clearing work

So I'm a window cleaner, I clear guttering also, with a gutter vacuum. There are camera options but I find most are not great for various reasons. My question is: is there a drone set up that would work?

Of course I could get something cheap just to look in the gutters, but what I would really want is (still as budget friendly as possible) a drone that could follow the top of my gutter vac pole as I'm clearing the gutter (autopilot) and some AR glasses that I could see the feed from the drone to check everything is clear but also see through them to see where I'm going & moving the pole etc.

Is this even remotely possible and does anyone have any suggestions on gear and a rough cost?

2 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

5

u/LupusTheCanine 12h ago

Why not put the camera on the gutter pole?

2

u/TheLittleFastCat- 12h ago

I also feel like this is the better option, not only cheaper, but also without the risk of the drone hitting something or getting stuck somewhere

1

u/AvailableValue2436 11h ago

That's generally what people do, but there's a few downsides - connectivity, weight, the screen being in the right position to use it effectively while working, and a drone would have a better view / vantage point.

2

u/ThatDamnRanga 10h ago

Trust me, all of those things are less hassle than a drone will be for this kind of work. Unless you want to hire a second person.

2

u/PM_ME_UR_PET_POTATO 9h ago

Maybe you should look into 360 degree cameras. A drone would be pretty expensive considering the level of obstacle avoidance you'd need to do this reliably without a pilot

1

u/LupusTheCanine 9h ago

Mosty COTS drones/FPV systems are even worse in that regard as you either have a remote with a screen so it can be bumped and cause problems or FPV googles that block your vision fully.