The Hiro quadcopter was developed as a battle drone, and is able to survive all kinds of airborne shenanigans. Liana Bandziulis
Most device-makers don’t have to design for use cases in which their gadget will be slammed into a wall, shot at, or engulfed in flames. For drone pilots, though, these are sometimes legitimate concerns: a drone’s internal electronics are exceptionally delicate, and their environments can be extraordinarily hostile.
The Hiro Action Sports Airframe is a quadcopter case designed with hard impact in mind: it envelops everything but the motors and propellers in hard plastic. The frame is a hollow shell made from a special military-grade polymer blend meant to survive all manner of aerial ultraviolence. It can fly through fire and land on water. It can slam into things and emerge entirely unscathed (except for the occasional broken propeller). And yes, it can take a round from a shotgun and keep on flying.
This very design has primarily been used as a fighting copter for drone-on-drone combat games, including the company’s own Game of Drones — an aerial nod to the golden days of BattleBots. The pre-built Hiro kit, therefore, comes with a NAZA controller tuned for nimbleness, not stability or autonomous flight. However, the stand-alone frame can hold any controller, and it’s possible to mount a camera gimbal underneath. It’s the perfect body for flights through danger zones, whether you’re search-and-rescuing over the forest, flying near water… or getting creative in exploring your New Jersey neighborhood.
The ready-to-fly package starts at $650. The frame by itself is $140. Choose between hunter orange or clear plastic; you can stick LED strips in the clear one for a personalized light show.
Customize the Hiro cases any way you want, like with LEDs for example. Liana Bandziulis
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