Using Lego To Build Your Own Drone
Flybrix is a San Francisco startup that offers the chance for consumers to build their own reusable drone by using Lego building blocks, and the drones that you build have the ability to really fly. The kit conveniently provides the necessary tools for flight like the motors and battery etc, along with Lego pieces that are collected from Lego wholesalers. The kit is also going to be compatible with old Lego that you might have stashed at home.
The average flight time for the Lego drones is around 5 minutes or so and the Flybrix kit allows you to create either a octocopter, quadcopter, or hexacopter frame design.
Flybrix has also said that their software is open source; it's easy for users to modify in order to meet their own specific needs.
It has been only a few years and they have already sold thousands of their kits online and sold hundreds of kits to schools all over the world. But they are just getting started. They allegedly hope to have national retailers pick up their kit later this year. You can find thousands of videos on Youtube of people building different Lego drones and testing/flying them out.
The company has also already made over $1.9 million in sales, all within the first 90 days following their official launch in selling online.
The Lego drone kit isn't the only build-your-own drone kit on the market either.
There are several other options, like the Erle-Copter Drone Kit, HobbyKing kits, FlyBlocks kits, RadioShack drone kits, and more. Depending on what you want to go with, you can spend $47.99 on a drone kit or you could spend more than $100, there are many options in-between. The Flybrix kits are usually around $200.
Lego has been a popular children's toy for decades and has sold millions of sets worldwide. It's a toy that I myself remember playing with for many hours when I was growing up.
Free Build or Follow The Instructions?
Previous research on Lego has suggested that Lego might make children less creative because of the instructions that come with the kit. Researchers insist that following the instructions will undermine or undercut the ability of the participant to engage in a creative task.
But aside from this criticism, others insist that it's a toy which can foster creativity for a child; especially if you 'free build' with the blocks.
You'd think that with all of the video games and computer games that are out there today that Lego would have become much less popular over the years, but it's maintained its popularity for an impressive stretch of time.
Children all over the world, and even adults, are content playing with Lego for hours. And lately the company has been seeing their best sales ever, they saw billions of dollars in revenue last year.
Of course, the company hasn't always been seeing such roaring success as they seem to be now. Back around 2004, they announced a troublesome deficit and they've initiated a very skillful turnaround; 2015 was said to be their best year ever.
Though you can purchase the Lego drone kits from Flybrix, they aren't endorsed by The Lego Group in any way. Flybrix is its own independent company. But if you want the chance to order a convenient kit that allows you to build a Lego drone that can really fly, then look no further because they've made it easy for you to make that dream into a reality.
Pics:
Flybrix
Pixabay
Sources:
https://flybrix.com/
http://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-alumnus-amir-hirsch-flybrix-lego-drone-kits-0803
https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/11/why-flybrix-skipped-crowdfunding-to-launch-its-lego-drone-kits/
http://www.upworthy.com/it-may-sound-weird-but-lego-is-quietly-trying-to-ditch-plastics
https://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/lego-creativity.html
https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news-room/2016/march/2015-annual-result
http://www.techrepublic.com/pictures/diy-drones-10-kits-to-build-your-own/16/
http://fortune.com/2016/03/01/lego-sales-toys-2015/
http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/22/technology/flybrix-lego-drone/index.html
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-candy/201506/building-lego-kit-instructions-makes-kids-less-creative
http://www.thedrive.com/aerial/12392/flyblocks-diy-drones-encourage-stem-learning-for-kids
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-candy/201506/building-lego-kit-instructions-makes-kids-less-creative
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lego_Group
Related Posts:
Growing Demand For Underwater Drones
https://steemit.com/technology/@doitvoluntarily/growing-demand-for-underwater-drones
Mind-Controlled Toys: A New Era In Playtime
https://steemit.com/technology/@doitvoluntarily/mind-controlled-toys-a-new-era-in-playtime
@doitvoluntarily - Though I am a bit old now to play with lego blocks, this DIY Octocopter drone based on lego has my hands itching. Am going to apply to HQ (my wife) for sanction of funds to buy this. LOL. This is a great idea in my opinion and will actually boost creativity - especially, if the software is open source and there is expandability in structure due to lego block compatibility, children can really be creative and make a lot of different applications of drones. Thanks for sharing this. Cheers. Upvoted
I think it really depends, my daughter just builds it according to instruction and leaves it but I never did, I build it once or tried some variation but then it was just pure mayhem fantasy building! I loved Lego. I'd work for these guys if I could!
Awesome article, good memories!
Awesome, wont be sharing this post with my son (11) - there will be no end to his 'Dad, I want one' whining ;)
And you don't? Sure, sure heheh ;)
What a cool video! It must have taken them forever... stop-motion animation, love it!
cool!
wow... this is pretty damn cool... I'll have to send that to @isnogud, he's a real lego fanatic!
Some lego kits are expensive enough and still people buy them so I think there is room on this market for this intuitive concept Flybrix.
We may see some drones out of lego bricks fly across the sky sooner or later haha
It is interesting!)
love this
Awesome.
Wow, creativity at it peak..
Awesome!