Terrific article in today’s Business Technology section of the New York Times on the rise of amateur drone developers – moving from little remote controlled units like the helicopter units sold on Amazon to venture capitalists, engineers, and others moving into this brave new world. Featuring no less than the editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine, what’s not to like?
[O]ne weekend in 2007, Mr. Anderson brought home a model radio-controlled airplane and a Lego Mindstorms robotics kit. Soon he and the children put the two toys together, making the Lego robot fly the plane. The result was a clunky Lego drone.
His children moved on to other playthings. But Mr. Anderson was captivated. And that led him to found an online network for amateur drone enthusiasts, DIY Drones, and to co-found a new business, 3D Robotics, which features an online store for those hobbyists.
“This is the future of aviation,” Mr. Anderson, 49, said. “Our children will not believe that people used to drive cars and drive airplanes. We are the weak link in the chain.”