DEXDRONES / INSTITUTIONAL LAUNCH
03.09.2026
dexDRONES is Dex's aerial wing for film-quality CC-BY 4.0 image-making.
Film-quality CC-BY 4.0 aerial assets for the public.
A semi-permanent wing of Dex Digital Sample Library, launching with Mojave Desert fieldwork and Alaska applications under review, with founding support from Kolari Vision.
AT A GLANCE
Proof of existing public use and institutional momentum.
30+ hours
Catalogued video/audio assets
~12,000
Download events to date
~500
Monthly active users
~3.5 TB
Available for open reuse
WHY THIS WING EXISTS
Open media infrastructure has a major aerial gap.
Film-quality aerial footage is among the hardest material to access openly, and that scarcity limits what the public sphere of moving-image making can become.
dexDRONES exists to build a durable public pathway into that space by publishing reusable field materials under CC-BY 4.0 instead of one-off private production outputs.
The long-term objective is practical: help make CC-only motion-picture workflows increasingly possible at professional quality, for artists, educators, institutions, and developers.
OUTPUT MODEL
What dexDRONES publishes
Aerial video
Film-quality flight captures published under CC-BY 4.0 for direct editorial and production reuse.
Field stills
Companion still imagery from production sessions for educational, civic, and visual-reference use.
Ambient sound
Location audio and atmospheric field materials to support audiovisual and narrative workflows.
Imaging studies
Methods and field notes documenting how capture conditions, permits, and imaging choices affect reusable outputs.
STATUS
What is now underway
Mojave Desert fieldwork
Production date confirmed for April 2, 2026.
Alaska applications
Applications in review for Juneau, Valdez, Anchorage, and Worthington Alaska State Park.
East Coast scouting
Additional mountain and forest location scouting through DMOs, state parks, and private land conversations.
FOUNDING SUPPORT
Built with founding support from Kolari Vision
Kolari Vision donated work on a full-spectrum conversion for one camera body, provided filter support, and helped establish the launch imaging workflow.
This support expands dexDRONES field flexibility and strengthens a professional capture foundation for publishing film-quality CC-BY 4.0 aerial assets beyond visible-light cinematography.
The sponsor role is operational, not decorative: it directly shapes the imaging capabilities and public value of the wing.
PARTNER RELEVANCE
Why partners join early
Public cultural infrastructure
Support a reusable public resource rather than a closed campaign deliverable.
Visible early-stage precedent
Help shape the institutional model for open aerial image-making while the wing is being formalized.
Credible institutional base
Dex already demonstrates catalog scale, active users, and sustained public download activity.
Meaningful placement
Sponsors and access partners are integrated into the production logic and public narrative of the program.
PARTICIPATION LANES
Ways to participate
Imaging partners
Support camera conversion, optics, and technical workflows that expand capture capability and visual range.
Travel / fieldwork underwriting
Fund mobility and production windows so more locations can be covered responsibly each season.
Permitting / access partners
Help secure lawful access and permit pathways for parks, municipalities, and managed lands.
Institutional / regional collaborators
Connect dexDRONES with local priorities, educational partners, and long-term public-benefit use cases.
QUOTE BAND
Program and founding-sponsor perspective
"Film-quality aerial footage is among the hardest material to access openly, and that gap limits what the public sphere of moving-image making can become. dexDRONES is our effort to build a durable public pathway into that space."
"We believe in innovating in all areas of photography and videography from infrared to beyond. We are proud to support dexDRONES in publishing film-quality aerial assets under CC-BY 4.0 to the general public."
SUPPORT DEXDRONES
Expand travel, permitting, imaging capacity, and field depth.
Support helps expand the number of locations, the depth of each field session, and the long-term public value of the wing.
As dexDRONES grows across regular seasons, underwriting in travel, permitting, and imaging increases what can be responsibly published for free public reuse.
PRESS / PARTNER MATERIALS
Download launch materials and contact the team.
RELATIONSHIP TO DEX
dexDRONES is an equal pillar of Dex's public mission.
Dex Digital Sample Library is a 501(c)(3) building an always-free, CC-BY 4.0 library of artist-made video and audio for reuse and remix with attribution.
dexDRONES extends that mission into film-quality aerial capture so open moving-image workflows can operate with fewer structural barriers and higher production value.
The model remains unchanged: public access first, rights clarity, and practical reuse at institutional quality.