Pocketcopter project on Indiegogo

It looks like they've still got a lot of work to do to make this Pocketcopter a reality, but it's a cool idea (I've backed it):

How does the Pocketcopter work?

The Pocketcopter itself is powered by a 12V battery (rechargeable or replaceable) and is controlled via the touch screen of your smartphone.

The connection is via WiFi (similar to the remote control of the GoPro) or Bluetooth.
Due to the fact that, although the rotor arms are fixed one above the other, each spins in the opposite direction to the other thus achieving stability
and ensuring quiet recordings.

Should the Pocketcopter lose the connection to the smartphone it automatically floats slowly to the ground.

The software interfaces will allow the pictures or videos taken to be instantly shared directly on social networks like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Specifications

Height about 19 cm

Diameter about 4.5 cm

12V rechargeable

3D HD camera

Range about 10 meters

Rotor blades removable

Previous tests showed that the running time of a fully charged battery is about 6 hours (camera) and 25 min flight time.

Storage Medium: Micro SD card

Blue, Yellow and Black

Maybe you would have backing for your asteroid mining idea, at least.

The weight transfer idea is the only way I see this working. Those newfangled flat props must be leading edge technology, too. Look, ma, no pitch!

So, here's a question: Would the weight transfer idea actually work? Could you put a gimbal below the props and get this thing to maneuver by wagging its tail? I'm thinking the dynamic stuff like reactions to the initial movement of the gimbal might be a bear to cancel out. The rotational inertia of the blades might try to keep them in the same plane for a while as the tail wiggles, rather than having a stable tail and moving props. It would be cool to make something like this work, particularly with folding props. How about putting the props up significantly higher, and having them fold and slide down into the body for storage? That would require a larger body and a stem, of sorts, between the props and gimbal, up top, and the tail/body. That would give the body a lot more inertia and make it a much more slowly moving pendulum.

My other question is, what does it mean to do 3D video with something an inch wide? Are there two lenses within a 1/4" of each other? Not exactly my inter-ocular distance, but OK.

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Comments

Todd Hill September 15, 2014 at 9:42am

Very ambitious, but I like it! Regardless of whether it yields anything or not at least they are willing put their idea out there. They've got a number of challenges to overcome on this project, but I wish them success with it non-the-less.

As long as they put forth their full effort and the resources they have been afforded why tear them down?
Gerard Toonstra September 15, 2014 at 4:15am

about that hex project.. did anyone spot that scene where the cat stumbles into the picture @ 0:20 and it says "I feed her every day" ?
Jack Crossfire September 15, 2014 at 4:03am

Did anyone even read the description when they bought it? 7.5x1.75" is a brick. That $1/2 million hex never shipped a thing.

Hex: A copter that anyone can fly!

Hex is the world's first personalized smartphone controlled nanocopter that lets you see the world from a different perspective.
Haygood September 15, 2014 at 2:55am

That is a brilliant idea. Thanks for sharing the info.
Mustafa TULU September 15, 2014 at 1:40am

You guys keep talking:) They hit 84K
Melih Karakelle September 15, 2014 at 12:36am

Weight transfer is not a good solution because of inertial forces and nature of "light weight" device design but it is possible.

The simplest mechanical design is changing the speed of a free rotating non symmetrical propeller's speed by a magnet. Just add a free rotating pitched single prop(or non-symmetrical) under the air flow, detect it's position by a magnet+magnetic sensor pair and use a electromagnet to slow down it in any position when free rotating. It changed the air flow directing a bit in each break position.

It's a great engineering solution that used on Starstreak missile darts.
The dart only 22mm diameter, no space for servos and control surfaces and bearings. Also it's traveling at 3.5 mach speed. This is why it is using non-symmetrical front propeller(looking like small wings because of very very high pitch)
Mathew krawczun September 14, 2014 at 8:07pm

well weight transfer is a poor mans pitch control it should work.
Crady von Pawlak September 14, 2014 at 6:45pm

This is your brain on drugs.
Haygood September 14, 2014 at 4:27pm

Maybe you would have backing for your asteroid mining idea, at least.

The weight transfer idea is the only way I see this working. Those newfangled flat props must be leading edge technology, too. Look, ma, no pitch!

So, here's a question: Would the weight transfer idea actually work? Could you put a gimbal below the props and get this thing to maneuver by wagging its tail? I'm thinking the dynamic stuff like reactions to the initial movement of the gimbal might be a bear to cancel out. The rotational inertia of the blades might try to keep them in the same plane for a while as the tail wiggles, rather than having a stable tail and moving props. It would be cool to make something like this work, particularly with folding props. How about putting the props up significantly higher, and having them fold and slide down into the body for storage? That would require a larger body and a stem, of sorts, between the props and gimbal, up top, and the tail/body. That would give the body a lot more inertia and make it a much more slowly moving pendulum.

My other question is, what does it mean to do 3D video with something an inch wide? Are there two lenses within a 1/4" of each other? Not exactly my inter-ocular distance, but OK.
Harry September 14, 2014 at 12:42pm

I'd be mining asteroids by now if somebody had paid me for every incomplete idea I ever had.

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