Draganfly X4 UAV: Tiny, Camera-Packing, UFO-Looking 'Copter Is Cheaper Than Ever [Helicopters]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/9aYvU7Tugcs/draganfly-x4-uav-tiny-camera+packing-ufo+looking-copter-is-cheaper-than-ever

Draganfly's series of photo/video-based UAVs have always been awesome, but they've also been more of a pipe dream than anything else. The X4 is smaller than the X6, but the smaller size also comes with a 25% price cut. Yes!

Like the X6—featured in Giz Gallery 2008—the X4 is a carbon fiber-bodied UAV with four carbon fiber rotating blades. The 680-gram (with battery) copter is capable of using a still/video camera (in this case, a Panasonic Lumix point-and-shoot), an infrared camera and a low-light camera, all of which can be controlled from the ground. The X4 also features three accelerometers, three gyroscopes, three magnetometers and a barometric pressure sensor, and the controller is based on an OLED touchscreen. The X4 only has four motors to the X6's six, but that comes at a big boon to the pricey 'copter: The X6 checked in at about $15,000, and the X4 should be more like $10,000.

So yeah, this thing is still super expensive. But it's also just about the best heli-cam we've ever seen, capable of flying both indoors and in inclement weather (up to 18mph of wind). Check out these videos at Draganfly's site to get a real sense of the true badassery of the copter. [Draganfly]