A couple of years ago, UK-based product designer Witek Mielniczek turned to Kickstarter to fund B – a combination radio-controlled car and quadcopter. Its ability to both fly through the air and drive along the ground was certainly intriguing, although its ability to traverse rough terrain wasn't necessarily phenomenal. That's why he's now created B-Unstoppable, which swaps wheels for neoprene tank-like treads.
As with the original B, the idea with this model is that users can drive it along the ground until the going gets too tough, and then just fly it over the impassable stuff. Unlike the wheeled version, however, it can turn 360 degrees on the spot – plus it has a lot more traction.
Tread tension is maintained by arms at either end, which flex in and out by up to 4 mm as the vehicle goes over obstacles. The propellers sit in line with the treads when in "ground mode," and are located so that they're not thrusting air down into the main body of the vehicle when in flight.
Power is delivered by a 900-mAh lithium-polymer battery, providing approximately 9 minutes of flight or 18 minutes of driving time.
While front and rear LED running lights are standard, a camera is extra. Buyers can install a camera of their own on the basic model, they can opt for a version with a built-in 720p DVR camera module that records footage for subsequent viewing, or they can go with a 720p FPV (first person view) package.
Mielniczek has returned to Kickstarter to fund production of B-Unstoppable, where a pledge of £55 (about US$85) will currently get you the basic version – when and if it's ready to go. A pledge of £79 ($123) is required for the DVR version, while the FPV package is going for £89 ($138). The wheeled B, incidentally, is now in production.
B-Unstoppable can be seen in flight/on the ground, in the video below.
Sources: B Go Beyond, Kickstarter
