2014 is shaping up nicely to be the year of the camera enabled drone, and Perform Video couldn’t be more happy about that. It seems that we are not alone in our thinking as a new Pocket Drone project on Kickstarter has now collected over $300,000 from an investment target of just $35k. With 45 days still to go it looks like the sky’s the limit for this project, we’ll be following very closely.
The Pocket Drone has been specifically designed for anyone who likes the idea of owning a drone – but has been put off by the price, complexity, and bulkiness of existing solutions.
It’s a tricopter (three rotors), which AirDroids says allows for the longest flying time of any sub-$500 priced drone – most of which have four rotors. The rechargeable battery pack can provide enough power for up to 20 minutes of flight while carrying a GoPro camera or a payload of up to one and a half pounds in weight.
Thanks to a collapsible design, Pocket Drone can fold up to a super-compact form factor, making it extremely portable. When folded it has the footprint of a 7-inch tablet – making it small enough to throw in a backpack. Made from high-impact plastic and carbon fiber, it should also be pretty durable in both transport and flight.
It can be controlled with either a standard RC controller or an Android smartphone or tablet, and the flight software can be modified with open source tools. There’s also the option to program flights – it has integrated GPS tracking, flight planning using Google Maps, and a “Follow Me” mode.
Although not currently compatible with iOS devices, fear not Apple fans – support is on the horizon.
The Pocket Drone has certainly got off to a flying start. With 47 days still remaining, AirDroids have seen their Kickstarter funding goal of $35,000 smashed. At the time of writing this post, pledges are over $309,000!
Fold-Up GoPro Drone Takes To The Sky (kickstarter goal smashed)
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