Do drones need four or more propellers? Zero Zero Robotics' bi-copter drone says that all you need is two!
(Image credit: Zero Zero Robotics)
It is ten years since the first ready-to-fly drone was launched, but recent launches from have shown us that the next ten years may well be as exciting. Zero Zero Robotics is certainly starting the new decade with a camera drone with a big difference. It is not a quadcopter, and not really a multicopter in the usual sense... the V-Copter Falcon has just two propellers.
The folding gull-wing design of this bi-copter give the V-Copter Falcon drone a distinctly futuristic look... looking like a cross between a Back to the Future DeLorean, a Star Wars spaceship, and a bird of prey.
The specs of the drone look impressive, with a promised 50 minute flight time, a 7km range, and a 1/2.3in 12 megapixel camera that provides 4K footage from a three-axis gimbal.
The V-Copter Falcon is expected to go on sale from February and will retail for $999.
Weight: 720g
Folded dimensions: 220.6 x 148.3 x 72.4mm Max speed: 20m/s Max hovering time: 50 minutes Max control range: 7000m Internal storage: 8GB, plus microSD card slot Camera sensor: 1/2.3in 12MP CMOS Lens, focal length equivalent: 28mm f/2.2 ISO range: 100-6400
Chris George has worked on Digital Camera World since its launch in 2017. He has been writing about photography, mobile phones, video making and technology for over 30 years – and has edited numerous magazines including PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Digital Camera, Video Camera, and Professional Photography.
His first serious camera was the iconic Olympus OM10, with which he won the title of Young Photographer of the Year - long before the advent of autofocus and memory cards. Today he uses a Nikon D800, a Fujifilm X-T1, a Sony A7, and his iPhone 15 Pro Max.
He has written about technology for countless publications and websites including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Dorling Kindersley, What Cellphone, T3 and Techradar.
