Bringing the Joy of FPV to Hospitalized Children

The Deal With Drones

By Susan Smith | [email protected]

As seen in the June 2023 issue of Model Aviation.

WHEN YOU MEET drone pilots, you hear incredible stories about how FPV flying has transformed their lives. Many people recovering from depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder find solace in the immersive experience of drones. They talk about how flying drones has brought them a mental calmness that they had never before experienced.

I personally know a handful of drone pilots who say that FPV helped them recover from debilitating mental illness. For some, such as people who use wheelchairs, have serious illnesses, or have gone through amputation, FPV means freedom.

Jesse Perkins, the founder of Tiny Whoop, had a vision to help hospitalized children escape from their daily struggles and enjoy FPV for the first time. "First-person-view toys are notoriously immersive, and for some, an extra laugh or an escape from a hospital bed can have a huge positive impact," he said.

FPV Outreach, founded by Jesse Perkins, is raising money to provide FPV cars to hospitalized children. The cars, with a radio controller and entry-level goggles, will allow the kids to experience the joy and freedom of FPV.

He and five others joined to found FPV Outreach, of which the aim is to raise money to provide FPV RC cars to these children. "I can’t imagine a better escape for a child going through a serious illness. FPV has the power to transform lives, and I wanted to come up with a way to help provide these toys to children during a difficult time in their lives."

That method is stickers.

Community Support

Drone pilots love stickers. We decorate our workbenches, computers, bags, tools, and even the drones themselves. We also love art as a medium. Drone pilots create logos of their pilot name or hire artists to do so. We then print these logos as stickers to trade. The variety and creativity of these designs has always amazed me.

The stickers collected by FPV Outreach are one-of-a-kind designs. Artists donate their creations to help support the cause.

FPV Outreach is taking that spirit one step further. Artists are donating one-ofa-kind slap sticker designs that FPV Outreach will mail monthly to supporters. These stickers reflect anything from FPV Outreach itself to some of the drone community’s most renowned artists.

"The drone community is amazingly supportive, and these stickers are the latest way that the drone community is coming together," Jesse said. "This artwork is unique and will change every month. Patrons who subscribe will receive these in the mail as a thanks for their support."

The idea is that the only place to get these stickers is through FPV Outreach. Each month will feature different designs that aren’t available elsewhere.

Drone pilots collect and share stickers, putting the slaps on their drone gear, computers, tools, and workbenches.

Launched in February 2023, FPV Outreach has already raised more than $2,000 to cover the purchase of small FPV RC cars. These will be donated to a children’s hospital in Colorado, but FPV Outreach hopes to expand to other hospitals in the future.

FPV Outreach also has plans to offer children "ride-alongs," where a child would watch in FPV goggles or on a monitor while an experienced pilot flies a miniature drone. The organization would like to teach children about drones and the STEM lessons that drones offer as well.

FPV Means Freedom

Depending on their condition, hospitalized children might be facing limited mobility. They might be separated from family and friends. For some, it might be a one-time illness, and for others, it could be a chronic condition.

"It’s really extraordinary that we can now bring FPV to these tiny RC cars by placing cameras on top," Jesse said. "The added benefit is that RC cars are easier to control and will allow these children to experience FPV for the first time."

On his YouTube channel, Nick Burns described a story about his own immuno-compromised child who had chicken pox at age 8. "She spent a week in the hospital— actually eight days. She couldn’t have guests; only Mom and I could come up. Whenever the hospital staff would come in, they had to put on personal protective equipment to come in the room.

"I have a little bit of a soft spot for this sort of thing in my heart. Even if you put all that aside, spreading FPV, I think, is something that most of us who enjoy FPV completely approve of because it’s hard for people outside of the hobby to understand what FPV gives us: the simple joys of just being able to release ourselves from the space we are in and go somewhere else with that flight."

Tiny Cars, Big Possibilities

FPV Outreach is providing the DiatoneUSA micro-car FPV kit. The 1/76-scale cars are, in my opinion, really cute. They’re less than 40mm wide and slightly more than 40mm tall. They can go forward and in reverse and have a 28cm turning radius.

The kit comes with entry-level goggles and a radio controller. The car is chargeable via a USB plug, and the radio control takes regular batteries. The cars can change video channels, allowing up to four children to race at the same time. Jesse said:

"These cars are a unique FPV experience. It’s much easier to drive when looking through the goggles as FPV. Kids can set up their own racecourses or just drive around. Everyone who tries one of these cars truly loves them.

"There’s no telling where these cars might take kids in the future. Whether it gives them a respite from what they’re going through or launches them on a career piloting FPV drones or other RC aircraft, we’re just so thankful for all the support we’ve already had and hope others will join to donate art or help bring FPV to these children."

Getting Involved

Supporters can make one-time donations if they don’t wish to subscribe, and new designs are planned monthly. Artists can support the initiative by donating their creations. The art donations will be used in future sticker sheets.

Interested individuals can sign up on FPV Outreach’s website for either a one-time or monthly recurring donation. There is information on the website, listed in "Sources," about donating artwork as well.

SOURCES: