14 DAY TRIAL // In an earlier piece we brought you news about the Nixie, which is a wearable air drone, that can be folded around your wrist just like a bracelet.
This atypical concept made quite a splash, especially due to the public’s growing interest in drones.
But for the general consumers, there are two types of drones, the quadcopter type (just like the Nixie) which are easy-to-use machines but bring about limited functionality or heavy-duty models which are hard to assemble and take advantage of multiple options.
PlexiDrone wants to offer the best of both worlds
But what how about a middle-ground product, one that can be considered something more than a toy and hobbyists and professionals alike can take advantage of?
According to DreamQii, that’s what the PlexiDrone is – an ultra-portable, swam-portable, easy-to-control camera robot made for professional photographers, filmmakers, hobbyists and developers.
The PlexiDrone is currently a project seeking funding on Indiegogo and early birds can pre-order a bundle for $779 / €615 which includes a PlexiDrone, a PlexiHub, a battery, a battery charger, a camera stabilizer (Gimbal) and one PlexiPack.
Apparently, when building the PlexiDrone, DreamQii took into consideration feedback from filmmakers and photographers who shared with the company their vision of the perfect filming drone.
But what sets the PlexiDrone apart from other similar products is the way it was built. The device has been designed to be easily assembled (for example, four propellers and landing gear can be attached to the main body in about a minute) and the best part is, it’s impossible to put it wrongly together (or so DreamQii claims).
Once you have set up the Plexi, all you have left to do is attach the proprietary Bluetooth wireless router that communicates with your smartphone or tablets (up to 1 mile / 1.6 km).
The nasty part is that the battery will only last you 15 to 35 minutes, so you won’t be able to shoot extensive footage and you’ll have to have an extra battery waiting nearby.
As for cameras, the PlexiDrone doesn't offer one, but it is compatible with all models weighing less than 1 kg / 2.2 lbs so if you have a GoPro action cam or a mirrorrless camera at your disposal, you’re good to go. .
The PlexiDrone fits into a backpack
DreamQii sees the Plexi as more of a lifestyle product, so it is offering it with a hard-shell backpack for storing and transporting the drone. It might not be as cool as wearing it on your wrist, but at the end of the day the Plexi proves to be a lot more mobile than other similar products.
The PlexiDrone can be controlled through the PlexiGCS soft for iOS and Android. Through the app, one can construct a flight plan for the drone and instruct it where to go and what to do. On top of that, there’s also a “GPS follow me” feature, which will transform the Plexi into your shadow.
The drone takes advantage of Ultrasonic in order to avoid obstacles that might come up on its path. It also utilizes voice prompts to send status reports.
With the help of a wireless router, called the PlexiHub, filmmakers or photographers can also control a host of PlexiDrones, thus being able to capture multiple footages at the same time.
The Indiegogo campaign still has 45 days left to go, so if you’re interested, go make a pledge now.
