GM thinks deploying your 4x4’s in built drone to scout a route is, err, the way ahead 
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Polestar had a similar idea a couple of years back.
I can’t think of anything less safe than looking after a car and a drone at the same time. My attention would be split.
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Especially 4x4 off-roading. Done some of this as navigator in a mate’s Shogun, great fun but the driver has to have full attention on the track surface you are about to drive over. It might be feasible for a navigator to use the drone in fpv mode, but the driver is far too busy to listien to the commentary. Or if the vehicle was stopped and you were scouting the route ahead, but OS maps are pretty good for that, even on mobile phones. Sounds like a solution looking for a problem!
I think the idea is that the drone can be used to minutely scrutinise a route.
Google Earth images are not in real time and the resolution is low. OS maps are great for planning but even the largest scale can only show so much.
You have planned your trip. There is a shallow river to cross. Neither Google Earth nor OS maps will show you how high the bank is, whether the Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT) has had obstacles placed on it or a vehicle is stuck ahead, how muddy and damaged the track is - a drone will.
It’s not supposed to be flown while driving. It is an alternative to getting out and scouting the route for hazards on foot.
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Well, anyone will tell you you need a BOAT to cross a river.
Sorry, macspite, couldn’t resist it. You are of course right about how the drone is supposed to be used with a 4x4, but I would have thought that inspection of the route ahead on foot would have been better in any case. If you don’t want to get your feet muddy, you probably shouldn’t be off-roading…
Doesn’t look like you’ll be able to winch those wellies out Rob, you might have to leave them in a muddy grave 
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I went around various trials in this:
All fun and games until going too fast through a water obstacle and the bow wave gets higher than the open hatch.
The winch boys used to shadow me, hoping I’d get stuck so that they would have a real task to work on
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Good luck getting that system passed in most countries!!
It’s definitely not going to be watched by the driver of the vehicle so this would be an absolute legal nightmare!
Imagine a road with multiple vehicles on it all with their drones sent up. Going to be a few bumps of drones I reckon 
And of vehicles!
Or what we call, ‘The Big Meet’
Hope the vehicles carry ladders for all the @clinkadink tree-related incidents …
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Can just imagine nobody getting to their intended destination because they’re stuck trying to fish their drone out of a tree or something like that!