New Gear: CyPhy LVL 1 Drone Was Created By the Co-Designer of the Roomba
Another new drone enters the fray, and this one has some serious robotic lineage
It seems like it has been a few weeks since we wrote about the introduction of another high-profile drone, but the CyPhy LVL 1 is here to remedy that.
The LVL 1 was actually created by Helen Greiner who is the co-creator the lovable little autonomous robot vacuum known as the Roomba. It’s currently on Kickstarter where I assume it will almost certainly be funded, just based on the names associated with the project.
One of the big selling points of most new drones is how well they’re able to stabilize a camera using a fancy gimbal system. The LVL 1, however, claims that it doesn’t need such fancy contraptions thanks to the fact that it doesn’t need to tilt when it flies thanks to its unique shape. That means the camera stays relatively steady without an extra level of shake reduction.
Controls are handled via a smartphone and there’s a built-in technology called Level-Up that helps keep it flying steady and straight. Of course, you can also turn it off if you want to pull some maneuvers. It has a built-in camera that shoots 8-megapixels stills and 1080p video, which should sound very familiar at this point if you’re familiar with this type of craft.
You can also put up Geo-Fences, which act as invisible walls that block the drone from going where it’s not supposed to go.
If you buy in now during the Kickstarter campaign, the drone costs $445, which is actually pretty reasonable considering the competition. Of course, that means you’ll be relying solely on your smartphone for controlling the device and will need to spend a solid amount of cash to get a real RC-style remote for the craft.
If you want the Diablo-edition of the drone, the cost goes up to $1,000, but you get a more high-performance version of the craft that includes upgrades like carbon fiber rotors.
If you pledge $4,500, you get a pack of 10, which is intended for places like schools.
It looks like it could be pretty promising, but there are currently so many options out there in the copter market that the competition is getting pretty stiff.