CES 2018 grabbed big headlines in various segments this year.
About 4,000 companies – many of them start-ups –have something new to brag
about their products. One such big segment was interesting releases on the
drone front this year.
There has been a noteworthy developments in the drone
industry. What’s fascinating about several of the other new drones is how
distinctive they are. Let’s take a look.
The PowerDoplhin
Beijing-based drone maker-related products, PowerVision,
introduced its new underwater drone at CES 2018 called the PowerDolphin.
This drone is capable of capturing 4K videos and photos underwater, and using
sonar to create topographical maps of the ocean floor. It can deliver lifebelts
to struggling swimmers making your fishing trips much less hands-on
experiences. The PowerDolphin will be available for purchase in April with a
retail price of $749.
Tello
Ryze Robotics, a drone start-up unveiled the new intelligent
drone at CES 2018 called the Tello. It was built with support from DJI and
Intel as technology partners. Tello is the smartest drone you will ever fly.
Tello was designed not just for fun, but with ease of use and safety in mind.
The special features include its ability to hover, auto takeoff, auto landing,
13-minute flight times, and low battery protection.
With all this intelligence packed inside, it looks like a
solid choice for people who want a drone, but don’t go for a high-powered pro
model. The Tello is priced at $99 USD, and will be available in the US market
in March 2018.
Volocopter
Intel unveils ‘flying car’ Volocopter passenger-carrying
drone at CES 2018. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, called the autonomous passenger
drone as “essentially a flying car”, powered by a nine independent
batteries which power two rotors. Volocopter comes with 18-rotors. The
Volocopter was first launched by a Germany-based company, in 2012, with its
first flight in 2013. It’s expected to feature a 17-mile range on a single
charge at a speed of 43 miles per hour, or a 27-minute maximum flight time when
flying a 31 miles per hour. The Batteries charge completely in less than 40
minutes.
AirSelfie
Pocket-sized AirSelfie2 drone announced at CES 2018. The new
drone has an upgraded 12-megapixel camera for full HD photo and video, improves
battery life by 50 percent (giving a total flying time of 4 minutes, 30
seconds), and storage is quadrupled to 16GB. The drone connects to the iOS or
Android phone via its own Wi-Fi network. It will be available in the shelves
later this year for around $300.
SwellPro’s Splash Drone 3
SwellPro’s Splash Drone 3 is made for serious fun. It is
designed to help fishing expeditions catch tuna, sharks and other large sea
life by dropping bait from above. The official website describes, the Splash Drone 3
is the first fully integrated modular amphibious flying device which means that
it can be operated both in the air and underwater just fine.
It comes with fully waterproof 4k camera, S3 flight
controller for safe and reliable flight and all in one remote controller, and
also has a payload release mechanism that can be used to carry a fishing line
far away in the sea, or on a lake, and drop the bait at the desired location.