INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
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
by varying how the torque is distributed between their four horizontal propellers
an effective system, but it does require four motorized propellers, as each one is fixed rigidly in place relative to the rest of the
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
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
You can see the thing in two-propellered action, in the video below.Source: New Atlas
