Consumer drones are all just slight variations on the quadcopter design … right? Well no, not any longer. The Falcon Mini is a two-propeller "bicopter" which is claimed to be nimbler, quieter, and more energy-efficient than its four-prop counterparts.
Currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign, the Falcon Mini is made by drone manufacturer ZeroZero Robotics. The firm also makes the popular HOVERAir line of consumer quadcopters, and previously brought us the original V-Copter Falcon bicopter. The Falcon Mini is essentially a scaled-down version of the latter.
The quadcopters that we're used to move forward, backward, left and right by varying how the torque is distributed between their four horizontal propellers. If the torque is lower on the two left-hand-side props, for instance, the drone will dip to that side and thus move in that direction.
It's an effective system, but it does require four motorized propellers, as each one is fixed rigidly in place relative to the rest of the aircraft. So, how does the Falcon Mini get away with using just two larger props?
The secret lies in servo motors at the end of each propeller arm, which instantaneously tilt the props fore and aft as needed. This arrangement allows the drone to quickly shoot forward and backward, and to pivot on the spot if the propellers are simultaneously tilted in opposite directions. Side-to-side movement is still managed by varying the torque between them.
An optional Reverse Flight Kit even allows the copter to fly upside-down.
According to ZeroZero, the bicopter's simplified design not only makes for a lighter and more maneuverable drone, it also results in one that is quieter than a same-size quadcopter, and that's more energy-efficient.
As far as hard numbers go, the Falcon Mini reportedly tips the scales at 249 g (8.8 oz), produces 62 decibels of operating noise, and flies for 34 minutes per 48-minute charge. By contrast, the HoverAIR X1 Pro mini quadcopter tops out at 16 minutes of flight time.
Of course, you can do more with the Falcon Mini than just fly it aimlessly around.
The drone sports a 3-axis gimbal-stabilized camera that shoots 4K/30fps video and 12-megapixel stills. And while the copter is primarily manually-piloted via an included joystick remote, it does have two automated cinematic flight modes: Orbit, in which it flies in a circle around its subject while keeping them at the center of the frame, and Zoom-Out, in which it flies up and away from its subject while looking back at them.
Thanks to an onboard GNSS module, the drone can also automatically fly back to its point of takeoff when prompted to do so.
Assuming everything works out with the Indiegogo project, a pledge of US$249 will get you a Falcon Mini in a color choice of black or yellow – the planned retail price is $399. You can see the thing in two-propellered action, in the video below.
Sources: Indiegogo, ZeroZero Robotics
Of course quadcopters aren't more efficient than helis, they are simpler... 4fixed pitch rotors have been billed as a capital cost saving when long endurance isn't really a consideration, then hover must give way to winged flight, especially for onboard electric storage systems (then hybrid liquid fuelled systems come back into the mx)....
This is more efficient than a quad (less rotors tips is usually more for requiring less), but does require 2 additional servos, making it still 4 actuators..
Tricopter is about the least rotors for a fully stabilised platform (this style requires balancing "pendulum" control in the pitch axis...) - tricopters have a servo for yaw control and are directly pitch stabilised allowing CoG within the thrust plane for faster dynamics...