A new Kickstarter campaign seeks to marry the two worlds of radio-controlled cars and radio-controlled quadcopters in one sleek design, and it could provide the foundations for vehicles which can navigate both land and air.
The creator, Witold Mielniczek, is currently a PhD student at Southampton University, but he has a notable background in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Mielniczek has previously worked on an UAV designs, and one, named HALO, won accolades from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Department of Defense's main research agency.
Despite his defense background, Mielniczek is looking to start a new project, referred to simply as "B," and it functions as both a radio-controlled car and quadcopter capable of recording video.
The B is a rear-wheel drive vehicle with a polycarbonate body, four wheels, four 7-inch propeller blades and a high-definition camera which has a 720x1280 recording resolution. The car, or aircraft, depending on your tastes, records video on a micro SD card which can support up to 32 gigabytes.
The car is designed to fly around obstacles which are too big to navigate around on land by seamlessly transitioning between car and quadcopter modes. The vehicle, which takes off vertically, can survive falls from high altitudes thanks to its chassis and flexible wheels. If the vehicle falls, the wheels will simply pop off and can be easily reattached.
The B is powered by an 11.1-volt lithium-polymer battery, reportedly producing up to 15 minutes of both driving and flying time.
Mielnizek said he may try to take the technology put into the prototype car and fold it into a full-sized vehicle to be used for humanitarian and transportation purposes. The body of B could also be outfitted with solar panels or freely rotating propellers, which could then be used to charge the vehicle while stationary. While this method of charging would take a long time, Mielnizek notes, it could also allow for extended remote exploration of unexplored regions on Earth.
Currently, Mielniczek is looking to raise £86,500 (approx. $131,000) for the project. With that money, Mielniczek said he'll secure patents, manufacturing and certification costs.
Mielniczek said he hopes to release the B towards the end of 2013, if he meets his Kickstarter goal. But the B, if it reaches retail market, won't be cheap - those who donate £320 (or $485), will receive a B if the campaign is successful.
Mielniczek's campaign has 38 days to go as of this posting, and has reached nearly ten percent of its goal.
