ZANO IS A NANO DRONE THAT IS ABLE TO FLY AUTONOMOUSLY!

Posted By Simon Montford on Nov 30, 2014

The word 'drone' has very negative connotations due to their continued use by the military to carry out reconnaissance and air strikes but it's important to remember that many technologies that we take for granted today were also developed by the military. One of many examples is GPS (Global Positions System) that was originally developed as a reliable way to guide missiles to their intended target.

Like GPS, drone technology is being adapted to meet the needs of the civilian population in all kinds of weird and wonderful ways. The Zano is no exception. This mini marvel was developed by engineers who were previously working on technology intended for military and law-enforcement drones. 

They say good things come in small packages and in this case that is certainly true! The Zano utilizes incredibly smart algorithms that enable it to avoid obstacles so it's incredibly easy to control. The Zano has GPS on-board and uses infrared, air pressure sensors and echo sounding sonar to find its way around. This is not dissimilar to how bats use echo-location to prevent collision, by emitting high-frequency sounds that bounce off objects.

The Zano is ideal for both indoor and outdoor use, as it is able to stream footage either via wi-fi or 3/4G. It has a range of around 100 feet, flight time per charge of 15 minutes, and is capable of reaching a top speed of 25mph. The Zano will come with an iOS and Android app and the company is accepting pre-orders starting from £220 (£140). Beta testing will commence in March 2015, so expect delivery mid to late 2015.

Pre-order: Kickstarter

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