Drones may be known for a lot of things: large-scale forestation, sticky legal battles, crashing into things. Being good-looking isn’t one of ’em. But this new UAV that’s modelled after a paper crane shows that drones can actually be pretty, too.
Called the Lazurite Fly, it’s an open-source drone that made its debut this week at the CEATEC expo, Japan’s leading conference for emerging tech and the biggest electronics show in Asia. Designed by Japanese electronics parts maker Rohm, it weighs just over an ounce. Oh, and it’s complete eye candy.
Engadget reports it’s got a carbon tube frame, is outfitted with two ultralight motors that power the flapping wings, and is covered in 3D-printed nylon.
No doubt adding a camera or GPS or other add-ons would weigh it down, but it sure is nice to look at. Hopefully it sets a precedent for drones being less, well, ugly.
[Engadget]
Top GIF: ROHM Semiconductor Europe YouTube, Images via YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images, Bottom GIF: ROHMedia1 YouTube