Fotokite Phi is a new quadcopter that does not require too much technical know-how to be operated. It has a GoPro camera and retractable leash that makes it very easy to be operated unlike most drones and quadcopters currently out on the market.
Designed by Perspective Robotics AG and funded through crowdfunding website Indiegogo, Fotokite Phi follows in the same breath as its professional version commonly used by well-known media outlets such as the British Broadcasting Corporation. One glaring difference the Fotokite Phi offers is its retractable leash and instead of integrating a built-in camera the quadcopters uses either a GoPro Hero3 or a GoPro Hero4 camera.
The Fotokite Phi is designed to be very portable. The quadcopters can be folded and can fit inside a tube roughly the size of a whiskey bottle, according to CNet. It also weighs less with just a little over 350 grams.
The quadcopters has a camera housing that can hold the GoPro camera. Users can setup the camera housing to look down for overhead shots. There is also a button located at its back which turns both the quadcopters and GoPro camera on.
The retractable leash of the Fotokite Phi which can be extended up to 26 feet has its own processor and sensors that allow its users to fully control the quadcopters by pressing and holding a button or moving the leash towards the direction the user wants to go.
According to Tech Crunch, the Fotokite Phi will be released within the first few months of 2016. It can be pre-ordered in Indiegogo for $349.