"oh, small helicopter... why can't we fly away?" Micro-helicopter, Nano-Falcon, wows audiences at the Tokyo Toy Show (via CCP)
Everyone has an inner child no matter how old one becomes. Some things we grow up playing with as children can be just too fun to ever really stop playing with them. Some things we may have never had the chance to experience while growing up are readily available today thanks to technology. For instance, toy helicopters and drones. Just a few years ago, toy helicopters could cost upwards to the hundreds of dollars to purchase. Only true hobbyist and enthusiasts were capable of purchasing or building them for recreational use. However, thanks to the steady increase of technology, the prices of these drones has dropped dramatically, and the availability of them has increased substantially. Some are in the tens of dollars.
A new type of remote-controlled helicopter was revealed just recently at the Tokyo Toy Show. The toy show occurs annually and everything from action figures, LEGOs, and video games are on display for the world to see. One thing that caught many people's eyes was a tiny toy helicopter. The helicopter, which the creators claim to be the smallest one ever made, was created mostly using parts from old smart phones. The chopper sizes in at 6.5cm long and weighs only 11 grams. It has a range of 15 feet and goes by the name of the Nano-Falcon.
Nano-Falcon, sure to be a stocking stuffer this holiday season. (via CCP)
The creators say it was made specifically to target Japan's adult population. Head of sales at maker CCP, Naoki Nakagawa said, “Japan's aging population made us think of developing a toy targeting adults. Ten or twenty years ago, helicoptor-toys could cost a lot of money. Those who couldn't afford it at the time can now make their childhood dream come true at a reasonable price.” The Nano-Falcon is selling for 4700 yen in Japan which is equivalent to about $47.00 in the U.S.
Another drone, which is a step up from the Nano-Falcon, is Parrot's AR. Drone. The French company, Parrot, has built their drones for serious augmented reality fun. The quadcopters are designed to be controlled through mobile operating systems such as tablets and smart phones. The first drone was revealed at CES in 2010. In addition, the apps to support the drones include different types of operating modes. Users can joy ride in AR Freeflight, race other drones in AR Race, or can interact with other drone owners in combat simulations.
AR. Drone 2.0 "black box" capable of recording two hours of HD video footage. Also an interface to the drone itself through smartphones or tablets. (via AR Drone)
The drones themselves run off an on-board Linux computer. This computer communicates with the user's device through Wi-Fi capabilities. A 15-Watt brushless motor keeps the drone airborne while an ultrasonic altimeter provides vertical stability. Additionally, the whole system is powered by an 11.1 Volt lithium polymer battery. The battery can handle up to 12 minutes of flight while also powering the dual cameras the drones feature. Each drones consist of a vertical camera and a front facing camera. The front camera is a VGA sensor made with a 93 degrees lens while the vertical camera features a 64 degrees lens and is capable of video recording up to 60 frames per second.
Although the drones made their first appearance at CES in 2010, they did not stop there. It seems each year since they have been back at the annual event featuring not new drones, but rather hardware and software upgrades for their customers. Each small upgrade enhances the user's ability to control the drone and overall create a better product. For example, the camera quality was increased and the sensors on board were either upgraded or had an option for optimized software. The latest upgrade for the drones is what is called the “Black Box.” It is essentially a flight recorder, which features 4GBs of storage dedicated to tracking the drone. Furthermore, it allows desktop support for the drones. Users can set a series of pre-planned points using the GPS and the drone will navigate through the path. Along with a 50 percent increase in battery life, these toys aren't just for kids anymore.
The drones are opening up all types of new ideas and ways for people to see the world. The AR. Drone has been used in multiple research experiments and even has its own Open Source Application programming interface for game development. In general, drones are becoming more commonplace within the public. Many university students are now beginning to start societies featuring aerospace and aeronautic studies. Some are even branches of IEEE student societies. During a large protest in 2011, a modified AR drone was used to monitor the police. This protest is known as the Occupy Wall Street protest and the man providing the live video of the police activities was Tim Pool. Not only was this a demonstration of technologies' progression but also of how accessible and readily available drones are becoming. Drone technology is only at its infancy, we can expect to see more of them in the future and upcoming years.
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