'World's Safest Drone' Launches On Kickstarter
People used to equate the word "drone" with death on the battlefield, but now, it is widely expected that drones will be a fixture of modern life. These gadgets are now being used for a slew of non-military activities, from surveillance to photography, and from hurricane hunting to Amazon Prime delivery. They are also used in search and rescue, 3D mapping, agriculture, and wildlife conservation. But for all the many uses people have for drones, these autonomous flying robots do pose some very real dangers. Drones or UAVs (short for unmanned aerial vehicle) typically have rotor blades that can cause serious injury to people and damage to property.
But now, a new Kickstarter project aims to manufacture the world's safest drone. Unlike the drones of today, most of which resemble quadcopter aircrafts, the Fleye drone will be in the form of a sphere, with the rotor blades safely tucked inside the plastic exterior. This drone can be bumped or touched without getting injured. If it gets too close to a person as it flies around, that person won't get a scratch.
The Fleye, which early adopters can get for $636 by supporting the Kickstarter fundraising project, will be controlled through an iOS or Android app. Those who lack piloting skills can use it without difficulty, as it will have four flying camera modes, including selfie, panorama, and virtual tripod. Those who want to operate it manually can operate the Fleye through a virtual gamepad or via a bluetooth gamepad hooked to their smartphone. It has a 5-megapixel camera that can record 1080p video as it flies toward the user. It can be programmed to fly following a specific route and is even smart enough to detect and avoid obstacles in its path.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The people behind Fleye are opening the SDK to developers, in hopes that others will find innovative uses for the device. If the project receives sufficient funding, units will start shipping in September 2016. By then, the device may cost $1270.
