The Pocket Drone is the personal flying robot that enables anyone to capture amazing video and photos from the sky. The year 2014 is going to be the “Year of the Drone.” Personal and professional photography is literally beginning to take off. 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. We aim to change the status quo through our little project with a BIG impact. We love flying robots, and we’re building them to share with the world. Until now, most people could not participate in this awesome new technology revolution - the cost was too great, the drones too bulky, and the software too difficult to operate. And to top it off, it always seemed like either mom or dad (the photographer) was missing from family pictures.

We’re proud to announce the launch of The Pocket Drone to address these challenges. Many of our supporters are calling it the "GoPro of drones." 1. Unique cutting-edge collapsible compact design2. Easy to fly and simple to maintain3. Lightweight with maximum payload4. Ready to fly (RTF) with everything you need out of the box and quick to deploy5. Advanced software and systems with autopilot and "follow me" mode6. Longest flight time of any multicopter under $5007. High quality materials and components8. Upgradeable, expandable and hackable9. ), the world’s largest community organization dedicated to teaching people to build and operate their own flying robots. Through our community, each of had seen literally hundreds of different drone designs, but we weren't satisfied with anything we saw on the market. We saw a lot of kits out there that were powerful and flexible, but took a long time to put together, tune, and make work correctly. There were off the shelf products that worked out of the box, but were limited in their functionality.

And there wasn't anything out there that was both powerful and convenient to carry. So we decided to create something that combined the best of everything we had seen, but was more elegant and accessible.That's how we came up with The Pocket Drone, the world's smallest heavy lift micro-copter. parrot ar drone review cnetIt's as powerful as an open source kit, works out of the box with everything you need like an off the shelf product, and is easy to take with you wherever you go, without having to bring along an extra case or bag just for your drone. ar drone parrot matlabWe've gone through dozens of iterations to create the perfect drone product that can be used by everyone.parrot ar drone fireworks

Aerial photography has a long and distinguished history. It began with an innovative kite based camera system pioneered by George Lawrence in 1906. He captured revolutionary aerial photos of the devastation caused by the great San Francisco earthquake (http://robroy.dyndns.info/lawrence/kitelines97.html). parrot ar drone 2600 batteryHis photos show the enormity of the devastation and were used to identify specific issues and assist in the restoration of the area. parrot ar drone quadrocopter mit kamera funktionThe most popular of the series became one of the best selling photographs of all time selling over $15,000 worth of prints or about $375,000 today.black ops 2 drone de chasseNow we’re moving into a whole new phase of aerial photography, the personal drone or multirotor helicopter, if you prefer.

Using our expertise in aviation, manufacturing and business and supported by the largest drone user group in the world, we’ve designed and built The Pocket Drone to enable our users to captivate a whole new generation with amazing images and the experience of reaching into the sky.Easy to fly and simple to maintain 3. Lightweight with maximum payload 4. Ready to fly (RTF) and quick to deploy 5. Advanced software and systems with autopilot and "follow me" mode 6. Longest Flight times of any copter under $500 7. High quality materials and components8. Upgradeable, expandable and hackable 9. Designed with multiple built-in safety featuresIt's a lot of fun and more than a little exciting to see what can be captured from the air. But, if you're like us, getting the typical setup to work just right can and reliably can take a lot of time and can be aOur inspiration to build The Pocket Drone was to get away from those limitations. It's simple to get going.

The first thing is you'll need the right equipment.1) An aerial vehicle like The Pocket Drone2) A system for controlling the vehicle3) A high quality camera (ie. GoPro(tm), or other sports camera)4) A little practice Capturing awesome images requires easy accessibility, quick deployment and a reliable high quality setup. The Pocket Drone opens up a whole new range of possibilities for creative photos and video. While developing our flying robot, we discovered that we had better, more dynamic and engaging content without the preparation that was required for any other aerial device. We are even more excited to see what you capture and share with the Pocket Drone when it's released into the wild. The Pocket Drone is a multi-rotor system like no other. We've put an enormous amount of time into optimizing the size, the payload and flight times. When folded up for portability it has a smaller footprint than a 7" tablet and is less than 3" tall. That means that you can carry it in a backpack, purse, or luggage with room to spare.

It's simple yet elegant design is easy to deploy, fly and maintain.Made out of carbon fiber and advanced high impact plastics, it's super durable and robust and will withstand rough off the beaten path treatment. Our exclusive retracting/collapsible propellers not only let it fit into your life, but are a built in safety feature with less injury/damage occuring from a prop strike. It also sports a built-in battery alarm, so you don't run out of juice mid flight.The tricopter design means it's quieter, more precise and agile than any vehicle with more motors and props. The tricopter also has stronger yaw control to help maintain the camera where you want it while flying, so you capture what you want to see. It’s far stronger than the quad, hex, or octo based designs.It even has an awesome "Follow Me" mode that enables the drone to follow the tablet or phone wherever it goes. Imagine capturing your bicycling, skiing, running or any other outdoor adventures hands free.The Pocket Drone is our love letter to robots, flight and beautiful images.

We are ready for full production with your support. We'd like to thank the maker movement for enabling us to prototype and develop our hardware for The Pocket Drone. Special thanks go out to The Drone User Group Network community, The Maker Faire (especially the San Diego Mini Maker Faire), The Fab Lab, and The Drone Lab. Exclusive Collapsible Propeller Package - $50Bind and Fly Package - $445Ready to Fly Package - $495Aerial Video/Photo Package - $595 Timothy Reuter is the founder of the Drone User Group Network, the largest organization in the world dedicated to teaching people to build and operate their own drones. He loves helping people experience the joy of taking flight. TJ Johnson is a trained engineer, Intellectual Property attorney and pilot. Before getting into flying robots, he designed his own line of motorcycle engine control systems andsolar power hardware. He has a drone lab and maker space in his basement.Chance Roth is an experienced maker, successful serial entrepreneur and pilot.