Solo quadcopter, which happens to be 3DR’s first Linux-based Unmanned Aerial Vehicle has the can beam HD video to a mobile app. With the feature to control GoPro cameras directly and live-stream HD video to mobile devices, the drone is first of its kind. The device comes with two Linux computers with one related to the Solo’s Pixhawk 2 autopilot and the second connected with both the Solo and a mobile app. Both the computers run Linux on a 1GHz Cortex-A9 processor and interact with each other via WiFi.
The dual computers make the drone less prone to autopilot system failure. Interstingly, the device can take off, land on its own and return home. It can also wirelessly transmit HD video from a GoPro to an Android or iOS device from up to half a mile. In order to save higher-resolution video from GoPros such as the $130, 1080p GoPro Hero or 4K-ready, $500 Hero 4 Black, the cameras’ own onboard storage needs to be used.
The 1,500-gram Solo equipped with WiFi, GPS, and four 8809 KV copter motors can fly for almost half an hour without any payload. The speed, however, drops to 20 minutes when the weight of the GoPro is added. The drone automatically heads home after a certain time.
Priced at $1,000, the quadcopter comes for $1,400 if purchased along with GoPro gimbal. The company also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and a free replacement if Solo breaks. While, global sales will launch in June and July, the drone will ship across 2,000 locations in the U.S. on May 29. The drone is currently available for pre-order.
