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 R/C that’s modeled after a paper crane shows that other flying gadgets like drones can actually be pretty, too.
Called the Lazurite Fly, it’s an open-source device 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. It’s not quite a drone itself, but hopefully it sets a precedent for its UAV brethren to be less, well, ugly.
[Engadget]
Top GIF: ROHM Semiconductor Europe YouTube, Images via YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images, Bottom GIF: ROHMedia1 YouTube