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Fotokite Phi Tethered Quadrotor on IndieGoGo

Posted by healthyfatboy on August 27, 2015 at 5:37am

phi1_1500x800-710x375.jpgLooks really interesting! I like the fact that it gives accountability as to who is using it, seems relatively safe given the prop guards and the flexible props, and at least there won't be any flyaways! This was done by some guys that worked in ETH Zurich's lab.

Here's the IndieGoGo link.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/fotokite-phi-tethered-uav-for-aerial-filming

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Comments

  • sergei lupashin August 28, 2015 at 9:44am

    Thanks for posting this! @Dax - the Fotokite is quite different from CyPhy stuff (apart from the price) in that we don't use GPS or have dependency on RF-based control. What happens is the tether is kept taut and the tension force is used as the primary means of localization. This gives you some nice freebies like instant launch (really, as in up to 50m in 30s from touching the device) and working indoor/outdoor...

    We're also pretty proud of the folding design and that it's a 12oz gopro quad, which is a whole lot lighter than certain other gopro-carrying devices :-)

    On the other hand we don't have a gimbal (yet..) due to the same weight, and of course it's a different type of beast in terms of operating range - so hopefully in the end it's a new type of aerial photo device that can complement all the other ingenious conventional drone designs out there!

  • Superwalloon August 28, 2015 at 3:40am

    Fotokite has a proven pro tethered model where the power is provided from the ground, just have a look at their website. It is based on this experience, and public request, that Fotokite has decided to go with a commercial end-user model. The good news is that this is not a new project, a first of a kind, it's proven technology already.

    The second good news, is that seen there is no remote control and the machine is tethered you might find a white spot in all regulations relative to drones allowing you to take pictures and videos in places where a regular radiocontrolled machine would not be allowed.

    I'd say this is a nice little machine to take along with you on vacation...

  • Toby Mills August 27, 2015 at 2:20pm

    I've always wondered how feasible a tethered quad would be where power was supplied from the ground. If you lost the weight of the battery, how much copper cable could you lift to get unlimited flight times.

This reply was deleted.