Xiaomi unveils its first drone

One of China's most popular consumer electronics brands today launches its own take on one of the hottest categories in consumer tech: drones. Xiaomi's Mi Drone is a quadcopter with a three-axis gimbal, 4K camera, and a remote control that uses your Mi smartphone as its viewfinder. The 4K version retails at 2,999 yuan (just under $460), while the 1080p model is priced at 2,499 yuan ($380). Typically, 4K-camera drones from DJI and Yuneec retail for more than $1,000.

One of the key advantages that Xiaomi seems to be touting with the Mi Drone is the modularity and serviceability of the whole thing — the camera module is detachable, as are all the rotors. This new drone has a 5,100mAh battery, which is also easily replaceable, and Xiaomi claims the unit can get 27 minutes of flight time on a single charge, which is at the high end of what most consumer quadcopters offer.

The Mi Drone uses both GPS and GLONASS for positioning, and has a visual positioning system on the bottom that allows it to remain stable while flying at low altitudes in environments where it cannot get a satellite signal. It also offers the standard package of autonomous flights modes: takeoff, landing, return to home, waypoint navigation, and orbit. The Mi Drone also has the ability to create a geofence to limit its movement.

Xiaomi notes that the 1080p Mi Drone "will be crowdfunded on the Mi Home app starting 26 May 2016" while the 4K option "will be available for testing via an open beta programme at the end of July."















Source: The Verge

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Aerius, the world’s smallest quadcopter drone, is only slightly larger than a quarter

Now that quadcopter drones are hotter than fire itself, most manufacturers are racing each other to make drones that are bigger, faster, and more technologically advanced than ever before. But not every UAV company is running in the same race. While industry bigwigs like Parrot and DJI duke it out to be the biggest and the baddest, Axis Drones is going in the other direction — making quadcopters that get smaller and smaller with each new generation.

The company’s latest release is a little drone called Aerius — and when we say “little” we mean really, really little. Measuring just three centimeters long, three centimeters wide, and two centimeters tall; the drone’s footprint isn’t much bigger than a quarter.

The drone’s small size does limit battery size, though. The onboard 3.7v 80 mAh battery will only get you about 5-7 minutes of total flight time, but unlike bigger batteries, it also recharges in just 15 minutes, which isn’t too bad. As for range, Aerius boasts a 2.4 gHz transceiver, which means it can theoretically go just as far away from the controller as DJI’s Phantom drones — though you’ll probably have trouble spotting the tiny bastard if you fly it too far.

And the best part? Because Aerius is so damn small and simple, it costs a fraction of what most drones do. You can pick one up (in the color of your choice, no less) for just 35 bucks — and that includes the flight controller. Pre-orders opened up earlier this week, and Axis expects to begin shipping in the next couple months.

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Facebook’s Internet drones ready to take flight

Facebook announced on Thursday that itsInternet-providing drones are ready to take flight. The company will begin testing the aircraft later this year in an effort to bring Internet access to hundreds of millions of people.

The social network also noted that it plans to work with established Internet providers rather than compete with them. “Our intention is not to be an operator” Facebook's VP of engineering Jay Parikh told TechCrunch. “We're not going to be 'Facebook ISP.'”

Facebook's drone, called Aquila, runs on solar power and is capable of flying for 90 days straight. It boasts a 140 foot wingspan—the same as big as a Boeing 737—though the unmanned aircraft only weighs 880 pounds. That's lighter than a 2015 Toyota Prius.

Each drone will spread Internet via laser, and Facebook says it's precise enough to hit a dime-sized receptor from up to 10 miles away. In recent tests the Internet-providing laser offered speeds as fast as 10 gigabits per second.

Facebook is competing with Google to bring Internet to some of the most remote parts of the world. The search giant has a head start, and itsProject Loon balloons are already roaming the earth. Of course, there can't really be too much free Internet, and hopefully increasing competition in the space will only mean that both projects progress even quicker than before.

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