Drones

Tethered drone reins in the complexity

Tethered drone reins in the complexity
The Fotokite Phi in flight
The Fotokite Phi in flight
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The Fotokite Phi's controller/tether reel
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The Fotokite Phi's controller/tether reel
The Fotokite Phi has a maximum tether length of 30 m (98 ft)
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The Fotokite Phi has a maximum tether length of 30 m (98 ft)
The Fotokite Phi in flight
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The Fotokite Phi in flight
The Fotokite Phi folds up when not in use
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The Fotokite Phi folds up when not in use
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While it's impressive that today's consumer drones can do things like track objects and follow pre-programmed flight paths, the fact is that most users will probably never utilize those functions. Really, most people just use the things to get pictures from up high. With that in mind, Fotokite has announced availability of its wonderfully simple quadcopter-on-a-leash, the folding Phi.

We first heard about Fotokite last April, when the Swiss company was developing its tethered drones for use by people like journalists and documentary film-makers. Later in the year, it launched a crowdfunding campaign for a simpler, cheaper version that was aimed at everyday users. That campaign was successful, and has resulted in the ready-to-ship Phi.

The original Fotokite drone, now known as the Pro, has an electrical cable built into its tether. This means that power can be sent up to it from a large ground-based battery, or even from a wall plug-in, resulting in long flight times and a hard-wired live video feed.

The Fotokite Phi's controller/tether reel
The Fotokite Phi's controller/tether reel

By contrast, the Phi has a string tether that simply attaches the drone to the user. Video is captured by a user-supplied GoPro Hero camera, with power provided by an onboard lithium-ion battery – it delivers a claimed 13 minutes of flight time. If the camera is a relatively recent-model Hero, it can be wirelessly controlled by a Bluetooth module in the controller/tether reel.

The Fotokite Phi has a maximum tether length of 30 m (98 ft)
The Fotokite Phi has a maximum tether length of 30 m (98 ft)

Flying the Phi is said to be much like flying a simple single-string kite. The tether is released from the reel to gain altitude, and retracted to lower the drone – the maximum tether length is 30 m (98 ft). Horizontal flight is achieved by moving one's arm or body accordingly. Hand gestures are used to control its orientation.

Should the tether break or the battery die, the drone will automatically land itself. Additionally, because it is tethered, users don't have to worry about violating any regulations aimed at free-flying aircraft.

Perhaps even more importantly, at least for many potential buyers, is the fact that it's relatively inexpensive. It can currently be purchased for US$249 via the link below, and seen in action in the following video.

Source: Fotokite

Fotokite Phi: Aerial Filming Made Easy

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3 comments
3 comments
Bob
I have found that even on a calm day it can be very windy when flying something at 100 feet. A tether would surely help especially with buildings and trees around.
PlanetPapi
Why? What's the point here? Even a toy grade drone can take a selfie. Just check the previous articles on this site. The only innovation I see here is the prop guard design.
Bob Flint
Having it tethered isn't a bad idea, if flying over open deep water, or very windy conditions, just follow, or pull on the line.
I've almost lost one that got caught in a severe gust and drifted several blocks away.