Shadowing Practice: I Built a Fully Autonomous Flying Umbrella - Learn English Speaking with Video

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This is the flying umbrella and today we're going to make it follow me around.

This is version 2 of my flying umbrella project.

Version 1 was built all the way back in...

2024. I basically just slapped some propellers onto an umbrella and it somehow managed to fly.

Except, as thousands of you guys pointed out, it doesn't follow you.

What if you made the drone follow you instead of using a controller?

Make the umbrella follow you.

Keen to see you follow you automatically.

So today, we're finally going to make things right.

Unfortunately, the current state of the old umbrella is, well...

So we're gonna redesign everything.

More reliable, more convenient, and most importantly, fully autonomous.

I mean, what could go wrong?

If you're wondering what this is, let me explain my plan.

Before we build the upgraded flying umbrella, we need a tracking system that can follow a person.

This can be done with a camera mounted under the umbrella, a depth sensor or lidar, a GPS, or even overseas teleoperators.

No matter which method we use, it's going to take a lot of testing.

Doing all that testing on a giant frame like the umbrella would be a nightmare.

So instead, I'm building this smaller, normal-looking drone to use as a testing platform.

There was no reason to design a custom drone just for testing, so I reached out to Hollibro and they sent me this frame.

To control and stabilize the drone, they also sent me this professional-grade flight controller.

After plugging in the motors, GPS, and receiver, I was ready to start setting up the flight software.

Apparently, it's super easy and should only take a few hours.

It's currently day 16, and that took way longer than it should have.

Although I did run into a few issues here and there, such as these misleading diagrams, the main reason it took so long is because I procrastinated.

Hopefully this doesn't happen again for the rest of the project.

Okay, great.

Now we have a reliable testing drone, but in order for it to autonomously follow a person around, we're going to need a few more components. So...

This is a camera module, and this is another flight controller.

But this time, we have a slot inside for a Raspberry Pi.

The Raspberry Pi's job is to process the camera footage and pinpoint where my head is in real time.

Then, it tells the flight controller to fly the drone towards this point so that it constantly stays centered.

This should be pretty simple, but I only have two weeks to work on this project before school starts, so we're going to get some help.

This is Hinson.

He studies computer science at a relatively small university called Stanford, and he's one of the most cracked programmers I know.

While Hinson starts working on the tracking code, I'll go and start building the actual umbrella.

Now, to make an umbrella fly, you need to put propellers on the sides.

But the only solid enough mounting point is the middle rod.

Yeah, do you have a solution?

Yeah, what if we just connected the four propellers to the center using some sort of big frame?

Well, we actually tried that last time, but the giant frame was just way too cumbersome and annoying to bring around.

Hmm, I guess you are right.

if only if they're...

Wait a second.

What if we did folding arms?

I feel like this mechanism shouldn't be that hard to recreate.

Let's make a quick test model as a proof of concept.

Nice.

We also need the arms to lock firmly into place upon opening, but it seems like this mechanism has way too much wiggle room.

But then I realized by simply changing the axes of rotation, for this locking plate, we get rid of this problem completely.

After a lot more designing, printing, and testing, I was able to come up with this design.

Now let's just put four of them together and create our internal frame.

If you're wondering how I'm able to use CAD directly in my browser, it's because I'm using Onshape.

You can try it out six months for free using the link in my description.

Okay, so here's the final design.

We have the central hub that attaches to the umbrella, the locking mechanisms, the hinges, and these arms that we can simply reuse from last time,

although I first had to re-solder some of the wires and add some better ESCs.

Let's get the rest of these parts 3D printed.

Oh shi- At the start of this project,

I was using my BambooLab X1C, but recently, BambooLab sent me their new H2D.

These hinges were designed to be printed out of carbon fiber nylon for maximum strength, but doing so used to be a huge pain.

On the H2D, however, you can simply dry the filament in the AMSHT, and printing is as easy as pressing a button and watching it go.

Thanks to its fully heated chamber and advanced filter, tough engineering filmments like CF Nylon now print without any warping or smell.

The quality of these prints is literally mind-blowing.

If I had this earlier, this project would have been so much easier.

The central hub-wee design looks very cool, but with all these gaps in weird geometries, it required a ton of supports, which left rough surfaces upon removal.

But the H2D has two nozzles that can swap within just a few seconds.

This means you can print in multiple materials and in our case use support filament with minimal changes to print time.

For advanced engineering projects, the H2D is one of the best 3D printers you can get.

But if you're just getting started, Bamboo Lab has options for every budget and skill level.

To learn more, check out the link in the description.

Thank you Bamboo Lab for supporting my projects and sponsoring this video.

These supports remove so much cleaner than the previous ones.

Now let's assemble everything.

Originally I wanted to attach the umbrella to the frame permanently and create some sort of fancy collapsing mechanism, but we're just gonna friction fit it because I got too lazy.

This rod sticks out a bit too much, so let's cut that off.

Somehow the umbrella still works normally?

Let's finish assembling the frame.

All these little locking mechanisms are also printed with CF nylon and slid into place.

And now we can just lock them in with some screws.

Then I had to add 16 more small screws to attach rubber bands.

I couldn't fit my screwdriver in the small gap, so I had to use this Allen wrench over and over which took forever.

But now we can finally start attaching the arms and of course do some great cable management.

Now, when we fold the arm outwards, we can watch the rubber bands engage the mechanism and lock the arm in place.

Nice.

Isn't that actually crazy?

And now it's like the size of a tripod.

And I just go boom, boom, boom.

How did I even make this?

Just like the testing drone, let's add the GPS, the flight controller, the receiver, and other various electronics.

And now, we're ready for our first test flight.

Okay, flight test one.

Would the complex folding arms hold up, or would they cause too many vibrations for the flight controller?

We were about to find out.

No clue if this will work, first flight.

It seemed like the propellers were spinning the wrong way, but since I had my laptop, I was able to quickly reverse the motor directions and...

The drone was still pushing itself into the ground, so I did a bit of troubleshooting and turns out...

I can't reverse them in software.

Let's just do this tomorrow, it's too dark anyways.

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Okay.

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Wow, it's tomorrow ready?

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That was fast.

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I actually had to rewire and resolder all the motors at 12am which took forever but now… it finally…

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Maybe it's just a fluke, let's try that again.

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After a bit of troubleshooting, I was able to fix the problem and now… It was a bit shaky at first,

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but after using the GPS to set up a position hold, I was able to get this.

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And just for the fun of it, I decided to try attaching the umbrella as well.

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But let's save the full reveal for when the autonomous tracking feature is done.

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Speaking of that, the camera we chose earlier requires a custom tracking code and doesn't work if it's too dark.

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So instead, we're going to use… Wait John, hear me at… This isn't your ordinary camera.

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This is a time of flight camera and it sees in depth.

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Unlike a normal camera that captures light, this one emits light.

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Let's imagine the simplest scenario, trying to detect the distance to that wall.

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The top camera emits a single wave of light, which bounces off the wall and comes back.

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Now if you look closely, the returning light looks almost the same as what was sent out, just slightly shifted.

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This is called the phase shift, and by measuring it, the camera can directly calculate the distance.

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Isn't that just LiDAR?

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You might be thinking, isn't that just lighter?

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Most lighter use direct time of flight, which times how long a light pulse takes to return, which works great for these large buildings.

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But at short distances, those nanosecond differences become super hard to measure.

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By using an indirect time of flight camera, we measure how long the light shifts, which works better for short distances and allows the camera to be much more compact.

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But what if you're aiming at something that isn't just a flat wall?

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Well, instead of sending a single beam of light, the camera sends light in all directions.

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Since the distance is directly proportional to the phase shift, we get this beautiful depth picture.

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Wow, that's pretty cool.

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Now, in theory, using this camera is a pretty good choice, but in reality...

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Really, what does this even mean?

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We got an ArduCam Uncone error.

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Oh, would you look at that?

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There's absolutely no description of what an Uncone error is.

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By some miraculous miracle, and by downloading a bunch of firmware that we probably weren't supposed to, even the time-of-flight camera was now starting to work,

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and the tracking code was coming along together as well.

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Now, it was only a matter of integrating everything together.

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That's not supposed to happen.

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Okay, so we had just got the top camera working, and I decided to hold it high up above my head to test it out.

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But as I was bringing my hand up, it disconnected.

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And from that moment on, this board just refused to reconnect.

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No matter who we asked, no matter what we tried, this thing was just completely bricked.

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Is it the Raspberry Pi that's broken?

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Or maybe it's the carrier board?

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Or maybe it's the flight controller?

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Or maybe the cable broke?

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Or maybe my laptop isn't working?

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After a lot of troubleshooting, we determined it was probably the Raspberry Pi.

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But even if we were correct, with only 6 days left and the 4 day shipping time, we were cutting it really close.

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While waiting for the Raspberry Pi to arrive, I took the Bear Frame out for a few more test flights to perform some PID tuning

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so that it could fly more smoothly.

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But as the days passed, I couldn't stop worrying about how this project would turn out.

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Dude, that's horrendous.

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Yeah?

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I think I watched the video.

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Wait, actually?

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Yeah, that was different.

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I guess that's our project number two.

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Little did he know, this alleged project number two was on the brink of collapse.

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If this doesn't work, the project is officially over.

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Thank you guys.

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In three, two, one.

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Oh my god.

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Uh, well it did something different.

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Oh my god.

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I'm pretty sure.

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Wait, I think it worked.

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It did not work.

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No water, no water.

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And just like

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that, the project was officially over.

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I mean, we both had to go to school and we just couldn't afford to dedicate any more time.

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But no matter how busy I got, I just couldn't stop thinking about the project.

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So, one day, I decided to give things another go.

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This time we're replacing every single component with a brand new one, so there should be no way anything fails to connect again.

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Let's go, it finally works again!

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Everything was going well at first, but when I tried to connect the only component I didn't replace, the time of flight camera, that didn't work.

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So I decided to scrap everything and try using a GPS system instead.

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So now this looks like a bop- It actually worked pretty well, but the GPS was only accurate to about 3 meters,

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and getting one with enough precision would cost thousands of dollars.

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It's just like, not that good.

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So once again, I gave up.

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It wasn't until half a year later that I decided to give this thing one final try.

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This time, I decided to bite the bullet and buy another top camera.

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Oh yeah, and Hinson's back from school for the summer nap.

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Maybe the real flying umbrella was just the friends we made along the way.

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Despite a lot more trial and error and a lot more struggles.

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30 clips of me walking into this field, and then 30 more clips of me walking back with absolutely zero results.

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Eventually, we got to the point where we were finally able

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to move from the testing drone to the full-on umbrella and test this thing out.

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As I started transferring all the tracking hardware from the tracking drone to the umbrella, I honestly had no idea what to expect.

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What was supposed to be a simple project ended up coming with so many unexpected and unlucky moments.

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In fact, I barely scratched the surface of what we went through.

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You can pause here for the full list.

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Yet somehow, we managed to push through, and tonight, an entire 358 days since the start of this project,

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we were now attempting to bring to life an idea that had first stemmed three years ago.

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If this still didn't work, I honestly didn't know what I was going to do.

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But sometimes you just need to ignore all the doubts in your mind and go for it.

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Even as it started getting darker, we just couldn't stop playing with this thing.

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Sir, this is what a flying umbrella is in 2025.

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Who wants to hold that TV?

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Let's go!

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Now, I would be lying if I said that this project turned out perfect.

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But at the same time, I would also be lying to say that this moment didn't bring us joy.

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I mean, just look at it.

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It's like a dream.

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A literal floating umbrella.

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Just dancing in the air.

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I've been a perfectionist my entire life.

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When we started this project, every single detail mattered.

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So when things went wrong or weren't perfect, it always felt crushing.

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But over the past year, I've learned that you can't let perfectionism stop you from finishing.

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Sometimes, it's not about making something perfect.

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It's about making it real.

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And once it was finally real, there was only one thing left to test.

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That's right, this thing even works in heavy rain.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 212 sentences and 2601 words to shadow. The speech runs for 17:32. The speaker talks at a steady 148 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

umbrella /ʌmˈbɹɛl.ə/ (noun) — A cloth-covered frame used for protection against rain or sun.
drone /dɹoʊn/ (noun) — A male hymenopteran (ant, bee, hornet, or wasp), whose sole primary function is to mate with the queen.
controller /kənˈtɹoʊlɚ/ (noun) — One who controls something.
mechanism /ˈmɛk.ə.nɪ.zəm/ (noun) — Any mechanical means for the conversion or control of motion, or the transmission or control of power.
attach /əˈtæt͡ʃ/ (verb) — To fasten, to join to (literally and figuratively).
boom /bum/ (verb) — To make a loud, hollow, resonant sound.
component /kəmˈpoʊ.nənt/ (noun) — A smaller, self-contained part of a larger entity. Often refers to a manufactured object that is part of a larger device.
fold /ˈfəʊld/ (verb) — To bend (any thin material, such as paper) over so that it comes in contact with itself.
mount /maʊnt/ (verb) — To get upon; to ascend; to climb.
custom /ˈkʌstəm/ (noun) — Frequent repetition of the same behavior; way of behavior common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; method of doing, living or behaving.
connect /kəˈnɛkt/ (verb) — To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object.
reverse /ɹɪˈvɝs/ (noun) — The opposite of something.
reliable /ɹɪˈlaɪəbl̩/ (adjective) — Suitable or fit to be relied on; worthy of dependence, reliance or trust; dependable, trustworthy
clip /klɪp/ (noun) — Something which clips or grasps; a device for attaching one object to another.
laptop /ˈlæp.tɑp/ (noun) — A laptop computer.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

turn out (verb) — To end up; to result.
look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
set up /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ (verb) — To make ready for use.
back in (verb) — To reverse a vehicle into a space.
bounce off (verb) — To test (ideas) on someone.
bring round (verb) — To bring something when coming.
check out (verb) — To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
come along (verb) — To accompany.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 49 contractions and reduced forms, such as we're, isn't, couldn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: capture /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/, crush /kɹʌʃ/, rotation /ɹoʊˈteɪʃən/, precision /pɹɪˈsɪʒ.ən/, friction /ˈfɹɪkʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: mechanism /ˈmɛk.ə.nɪ.zəm/, autonomous /ɔˈtɑnəməs/, ordinary /ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/, unexpected /ʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd/, electronics /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɑ.nɪks/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like umbrella, drone, controller.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	was built · can be done · were designed
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've been · I've learned

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: I Built a Fully Autonomous Flying Umbrella - Learn English Speaking with Video

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