Have you ever wanted to control a paper airplane in flight? How about watching a first-person view live stream of the flight as if you were in the cockpit? PowerUp Toys has realized this dream in their new camera-equipped Paper Airplane Drone, called the PowerUp FPV. PowerUp FPV will be launching on Kickstarter this November for a Summer 2016 release!
With an anticipated MSRP of $199, PowerUp FPV will give users a unique flight experience using a front-mounted camera paired with the user’s smartphone-powered head-mounted display (HMD). Kickstarter backers can expect a discount of around 15-20% off of the MSRP, depending on how early you get in on the action. You can use Google Cardboard or any other HMD that uses a smartphone for the viewing screen. The wide-view camera rotates to let users capture video while facing forward from the cockpit, down the wings, or take a selfie as the PowerUp FPV is launched from the user’s hand.
The PowerUp FPV connects to your smartphone via WiFi, so that you can also share your flight videos directly to YouTube or other social media platforms. The WiFi connection also allows you to stream video to your phone while up to 300 feet away. You can control the PowerUp FPV with intuitive controls via the HMD or with an in-app gamepad, and the PowerUp FPV can fly up to 20 miles per hour! The paper airplane is powered with two rear-mounted rotors and the rechargeable battery will allow for about 10 minutes of flight time per charge.
PowerUp partnered with Parrot to leverage their experience in video streaming, due to the success of Parrot’s AR.Drone and Minidrones. Parrot’s founder and CEO, Henri Seydoux, said of PowerUp FPV’s campaign:
“PowerUp has created incredibly innovative products, bringing smartphone-controls to simple paper airplanes. We are providing Shai’s team with our streaming and software control technologies to help create the first ever paper airplane with a camera and live streaming. I wish them a very successful Kickstarter campaign.”
For a quick preview of PowerUp FPV, check out the video, below:
Stay tuned to Gear Diary for more news about the PowerUp FPV Kickstarter campaign and for a hands-on review of the PowerUp FPV when it becomes available!