There’s a glut of crowdfunded projects on Indiegogo, but when one raises enough capital to buy a nice house in L.A., you have to imagine it's doing something right. The Micro Drone 3.0 is making waves after raising more than $3 million in support of the idea that drones should be accessible to everyone.
Now, remote-controlled drones are nothing new in the tech scene, but they haven’t quite infiltrated the rest of the world yet, partially because a great deal of them require what seem like Top Gun-level piloting skills to get them airborne. What's more, these gadgets aren't exactly cheap, with some of the biggest brands charging upwards of $1,000.
The creators of the Micro Drone 3.0 understood this and, seeing an opening in the market, created a drone for regular people — one that's easy to fly and won't rival the cost of a used car. From its accessibility to its cutting-edge features, here's what makes the Micro Drone 3.0 stand out from the competition.
Simple to fly
While having some flying experience certainly helps, you don't need Maverick's aerial acumen to get the Micro Drone 3.0 up and running. The device comes engineered with a self-stabilizing CPU and is capable of executing flips, and even inverted flight with minimal effort. It boasts a range of up to 300 feet and can fly at up to 45 mph. What's more, the Micro Drone 3.0 includes customizable maneuverability settings that you can modify with an app.
Impressively durable
Drones are notorious for being fragile flyers, made from materials that seem to be equivalent to paper-mâché and Italian crystal. By contrast, the Micro Drone 3.0 is built to withstand the punishment you'd expect a new pilot to inflict on it. It's surrounded by indoor protective bumpers that form a chunky box around the rotors and sweep around the front and sides for maximum protection. You can bump and crash the device, and even fly it indoors, without worrying about trashing your high-tech toy. It’s also capable of flight even in 45 mph winds — a feat that not every drone can replicate.
HD video and VR-capable
As if tiny flying drones aren't proof enough that we're living in the future, the Micro Drone 3.0 lets you see what the drone sees by live streaming 720p footage in 3D with a VR headset. You can see what you're shooting in real-time and capture gripping aerial shots and photos straight on your smartphone via Wi-Fi. If you're looking to record some aerial B-roll, you can also store your footage locally to a micro SD card. Plus, the Micro Drone 3.0's camera is engineered with a modular snap-on design for easy installation, and it's reversible, so you can capture both front and rear-facing footage for the ultimate airborne selfie.
Affordable for all
Part of the Micro Drone 3.0's crowdfunding success was its promise to be affordable for the everyday consumer. And, in a market where fancier drones can easily eclipse the cost of a gaming PC or DLSR camera, the Micro Drone 3.0 retails for a modest $215. However, you can get it now for 30% off at just $145.
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