No one asked for a smartphone controlled paper airplane, but that’s exactly what was delivered when inventor Shai Goitein created the original PowerUp 3.0 module and shepherded it to Kickstarter success.
Now, he’s back with the PowerUp FPV, an upgrade to the original that adds live streaming capabilities through an onboard, rotating camera that records up to 30 frames per second. A head-mounted display is packaged with the PowerUp FPV, letting users enjoy a first-person view on the high-flying action by tilting the smartphone used inside. Or, if that’s too dizzying, users have the option to use a smartphone as a manual gamepad or just enable PowerUp FPV’s full auto-pilot mode.’
With 300 ft. of range and a top speed of 20 mph, it can go pretty far pretty fast. Its crash detection software, along with its carbon-fiber and nylon reinforced frame, will make sure it avoids unfortunate situations wholesale and survives them if it if they still occur. $179 gets eager paper airplane engineers a PowerUP FPV by June 2016. Its Kickstarter campaign is looking for $100,000 by January 10th, 2016.
The PowerUP FPV is a simple upgrade to a simple idea, adding a lot of fun to the experience of flying the PowerUp. For much less, the Carbon Flyer offers an entire, indestructible package — just without the live-streaming. Shai Goitein has certainly identified a feature set that many are looking for with their paper airplane-esque drones.