The Aeryon Scout gets VideoZoom10x upgrade (w/ video)

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Aeryon Scout is not a new piece of technology. This flying robot, which was created by a Canadian company called Aeryon Labs, is able to quietly hover in place and point a camera down onto the people and objects below. If you have, or are interested in getting your hands on, one of these quadrocopters then you are in for a substantial upgrade, known as the VideoZoom10x payload.

The VideoZoom10x payload is ready to turn your bot into a full-fledged spy copter. The payload, which weights in at just 200 grams, adds a stabilized ten times optical zoom video capability, which means that you will be able to see a lot more detail in what is going on, at least within the payloads useful range, which comes out to be around 300 meters.

This is not the first adaptation of the Aeryon Scout. Previous versions have carried a Kinect sensor, a mini quadrotor DIY project, or a quadrotor that is able to juggle. The company even claims that the machine has helped to take down a drug lord in Central America by providing important surveillance of a narcotic-traffickers compound deep in the jungles of an unnamed country.

The Scout has a maximum range of 3 kilometers with a top speed of 50 kilometers per hour. It is able to deal with wind up to 80 km/h. The base unit weighs a little bit more than a kilogram. It can be carried in case, and also has a thermal camera option for nighttime use.

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