Most of the drones/quadcopters which we know today usually
have several arms and propellers. But this unique drone apparently can't be
categorized as quadcopter, because it only has two propellers. It has eccentric
shape, much like a drinking bottle with large volume.
Apart from the unique shape, the drone named Sprite is
designed with a different approach. The developer, Ascent Aerosystems, would
like to offer a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) that's not only portable, but
also has extraordinary physical endurance.
The elongated shape makes it easy to be carried in a
backpack. It has diameter of 10 cm, with a total length of 35 cm and weighs 1.2
kg. When not in use, the propellers will be automatically folded at the side of
the body.
The construction is made of polycarbonate material, making
it able to land on steep ground. Sprite Drone is also water resistant, and it
can float on the water if an emergency landing is needed. Sprite is powered by
a pair of coaxial rotors. It's able to fly at a maximum speed of 10
meters/second, and the maximum distance of transmission signal is about 2-50 km,
depending on the equipment used.
Another interesting part of the Sprite is its modular
concept, the module at the lower part of its body, which becomes the home of
the 2-axis gimbal along with its 1080p camera, can be easily removable. The
developer plans to provide a number of accessories in the form of separate
modules with different functions. You can put the obstacle avoidance module, or
a module contains 2-axis gimbal for GoPro camera which is included in the sales
package.
For the operational, Sprite is accompanied by a controller,
but it can also be controlled via an Android device or laptop with the help of
applications such as DroidPlanner and MissionPlanner. GPS-based autopilot
feature is also presented, allowing you to specify the number of waypoints that
will be passed by Sprite.
Sprite can also be operated without a controller or mobile
device. Press the button on its body, then it is ready to fly and do its
mission: to follow wherever you go and record the precious moments. Sprite's
flying time ranges from 10-12 minutes on a single charge.
Sprite Drone is actually designed for professional needs
rather than a toy for the drone lovers. It's ready to assist special missions
like finding mission by the SAR team, checking the construction or inspection
over watery region.
If you are interested you can get the Sprite Drone through
its Kickstarter page. There are two bundle offered: Pathfinder for $ 799, or Explorer
for $ 949.