Is that a drone in your pocket? Soon it might be, as pocket-sized copter smashes Kickstarter goal

Thanks to crowd-funding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, it’s much easier nowadays to pick out the products likely to be successful versus those that will probably fall by the wayside.

Case in point: The Pocket Drone by AirDroids, which have smashed its Kickstarter goal of $35,000 just a few days into the company’s campaign.

Total money raised for the pocket-sized drone at the time this article was published: $400,000, with 44 days left to raise additional funds. 

So what makes AirDroid’s Pocket Drone such an attractive piece of new technology? Well, for one, the aircraft is fully collapsible; that is, this radio-controlled drone can fold down to the point that it can literally fit in its owner’s pocket. 

Also, the aircraft can carry a high-definition camera. From the company’s Kickstarter page:

Everybody can already take great looking photos and videos with their camera phones and share them online, but they have been limited to what could be seen from the ground. Now with the Pocket Drone, it’s never been easier to capture spectacular aerial images that open up a whole new perspective and insight that had previously been unseen. 

Beyond being collapsable and including a built-in camera mount, this innovative piece of aerial technology has some other notable features. The Drone can be controlled either by its included controller or via a user’s own DSM compatible radio controller; it can also receive directions from any Android tablet or phone with a USB port. 

The aircraft weighs about 1 pound, and can carry up to a 1/2-pound payload. Recharging takes no time — about 20 minutes of flight is approximated per charge (loaded with camera), and a low-power alarm will sound off to let the user know when the device needs recharging. 

Flight is controlled via 6-axis accelerometers, 3-axis gyroscopes, and a barometric sensor for altitude. An on-board autopilot is included and flight plans are set up using Google Maps. Other modes of operation include auto-generated “follow-me” (in which it follows its user’s phone / tablet) and return-to-home, wherein the aircraft will locate its owner and automatically return.

Real-time flight data is transferred to The Pocket Drone owner’s mobile device (Android only right now, though it says on the Kickstarter page that iOS is on its way).

The Pocket Drone is compatible with PC, Mac, and Linux. Flight control is easily programmable and can be modified with open source tools. The device’s mobile app is customizable and configurable with open source plugins.

For more information, check out the company’s Kickstarter video below:

Those interested in owning The Pocket Drone can purchase one for $415 at base price, or pay $455 for an aircraft with a tablet controller.

Via: Kickstarter.com