Startup designs world's first home drone

The company Eighty Nine Robotics has introduced a drone called Rook on Indiegogo, calling it the first “fly-from-anywhere home drone." The crowdfunding campaign reached its $20,000 goal with more than a month left and it now has more than double that. The idea behind the drone is that it can be controlled through the Internet, helping users keep an eye on things at home. It can be used to monitor pets, for example, or to see if a user left something on the counter. The device comes with a wireless charging base station, so users can check back in later in the day. Pre-orders for the Rook were at $99, but those sold out and the most affordable option was bumped up to $129. The makers say the Rook will retail for $200 at launch.

The drone looks like a basic model that is quite common among China manufacturers. The Rook makers say their drone uses smart balance technology that makes it easier to fly in the home than other drones. However, there appears no reason other drones of the same build would not work similarly. The Rook is seen as a standard, app-controlled consumer quadcopter with built-in Wi-Fi and camera. It is a creative idea, and one that seems to be popular on Indiegogo, but it is not hard to copy. China manufacturers such as IMG Electronics and Anke Group Industrial could build in similar functionality to their drones. Of course, the services side of things will be the bigger challenge.