Could drone technology become so pervasive that soon you won't be comfortable leaving home without some form of quadcopter in your pocket? San Francisco-based drone company AeriCam is looking to ease the mind of traveling pilots for whom the urge to fly can strike at any time. Anura is a low-cost drone not much larger than an iPhone, with fold-in rotors for better portability.
With the rotors tucked neatly inside its body, the Anura is around the size of a thicker 4.7-inch iPhone 6. Like the blades of a Swiss Army knife, the rotor arms fold outwards to transform the brick-like device into a quadcopter ready for take off.
Anura is piloted by an iOS or Android smartphone over Wi-Fi. It is also equipped with what AeriCam describes only as a micro camera, which streams action directly to your mobile device.
Aericam tells us that range will extend to 80 ft (25 m) with a flight time of around 10 minutes per charge, while top speed is claimed to be 25 mph (40 km/h). There is also some added flight functionality that the team is hoping to incorporate should its funding allow, such as phone tracking, auto takeoff, auto landing and a return home function.
The company will be launching a crowdfunding campaign in mid-October to raise funds for production. It is looking to attract a minimum of 500 backers in order to offer Anura for under US$200.
You can check out the pitch video below.
Source: AeriCam
