14 DAY TRIAL // There’s a lot of hype around drones these days, most of it generated by the problems related to safety and regulatory issues.
Then there’s all the paranoia that drones are actually used for spying thy neighbor, so a lot of people actually cringe at the sight of a drone flying in their vicinity.
To eradicate this “mass hysteria,” the creator of one Indiegogo project proposes a civilian drone that comes disguised as something pertaining to the natural environment.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane?
Behold the Bionic Bird – which is actually a device that looks and flies like a bird (it flaps its wings in order to do so too). The apparatus is taunted as the “only furtive civilian drone” and can be conveniently controlled by virtue of a smartphone.
The Bionic Bird connects to your smartphone via the Flying App which can be downloaded from the App Store and this is how you’ll be controlling this cute aviary drone. The Android version will become available later on.
The bird can fly up to 100 meters away from its master, with the app giving you a range of choices like a “cruise control” mode, easy and expert modes, and sensitivity settings which help you get used to your birdie while keeping things in control.
At some point, voices claimed that drone usage would negatively impact wildlife, but the Bionic Bird fits just right in the ecosystem and shouldn't scare off creatures. It’s also cat-friendly, as you can see in the video below.
The Bionic Bird has a bionic egg charger too
The inventor of the bird has a good sense of humor, it seems, because the drone can be charged by virtue of an egg. Just place the Bionic Bird on the egg and it will charge in up to 12 minutes. The egg can also double as a nifty stand for when you’re not using the bird.
After it has been completely recharged, you can take out your drone for a spin for 8 to 10-minute sessions.
The drone is made of so-called “indestructible foam” and carbon fiber, so it should survive attacks from other creatures of the air and earth. In theory at least.
The Bionic Bird has been up on Indiegogo gathering funds, but the campaign ended more than successfully, with the inventor raising more than he was aiming for.
If you’re interested in backing this project too, you can still do so by pledging $100 / €78. This amount of money will be getting you one of the first birds. If you wait until the Bionic Bird reaches retail, it will cost you $149 / €119.
Expect the first Bionic Birds to arrive in the wild this December.
By 2016, the Bionic Bird users could get the chance to control their drones via hand-gestures.
