INDIEGOGO Special: Kudrone from Ruiven

Since starting this blog, I have come to realise some of the best new products are not coming from big-name brands.  Instead, start-ups and smaller businesses are creating great-looking and functional devices & luggage to rival the more established names.

To help them on their way from concept to the marketplace, these companies turn to crowdfunding sites to get their idea off the ground.  With such a huge selection currently on Indiegogo, I am running a week of specials, highlighting some of my favourites, available for backing now.

• ClickPack Pro
• KuDrone
• Travis the Translator
• Travelmate

Kudrone from Ruiven

Despite my fascination with Drones, they are not something I have covered on the site before.  The top-end ones are big, costly and not really suitable for travel.  However, the smaller ones tend to lean more towards being a toy rather than a great gadget you could genuinely make use of during your travels.

Step forward, the Kudrone! A compact drone packing some impressive specs is usually reserved for the more professional units.  So if you have longed for the holiday footage usually only provided by drone use, then this could be the answer!

To justify bringing a drone on your travels, it should tick each of the following boxes: Spec, Functionality, and Price.  If it can do this, then you are on to a winner.

Specification

The big plus for the Kudrone is the 4k/1080p camera.  Most drones at this price don’t even come close to shooting 4k video!  Using it for selfies, group or panoramic images will also impress thanks to the 13mp image sensor.

The most important feature for me on this type of drone is Auto follow.  This enables the drone to record and follow you around while your phone is in your pocket, more on the controls below.

• Size 174 x 174 x 43mm
• Weight 80g
• Connectivity 2.4GHz Wifi
• Max Controllable Distance 80m
• Max Operating Height 30m
• Max Flight Time 8 mins
• Swappable Batteries
• Micro SD Slot up to 64GB
• Android (4.0.3 or later) & iOS (8 or later) App
• 12 Month Warranty

The weight and size dimensions of the Kudrone make it the perfect option for travellers wanting to capture those unique angles that only a Drone can deliver! Better yet, the Kudrone comes with a free Hard Shell carry case if purchased during the Indigogo campaign.

Functionality

Controlling a drone is always much harder than it looks, and that is before you even consider your surroundings or the weather!  The Kudrone comes with a free custom app which makes your smartphone a controlling device for it, but the real benefit comes from the tech on the drone.  With a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyro, 3-axis magnetic compass and vision capture sensor all the hard work in providing a steady recording is done by the Kudrone.

Once you have connected your smart device to the drones wifi signal you will be able to control it manually.  With two thumb controllers to maintain the flight path, the on-screen display clearly gives you all the information you need while you use the screen as the view finder!

If want to be in on the action the Auto Follow feature uses your GPS coordinates to follow you during your activity.  Just remember that 8 min flight time!!

The battery can be quickly recharged using the micro USB cable or you can purchase additional battery packs and a multi dock charger if you are going to be a heavy user.

The Kudrone is currently $129 (+ shipping) on Indiegogo. This includes additional propellers, 2 batteries and a 16GB Micro SD card.