Drones at 2016 CES: From Paper Airplanes to One-Passenger Vehicles

Drones had a significant presence at the Las Vegas CES, with some of the newest technology coming from companies that include Yuneec, DJI and Autel Robotics.

Qualcomm, best known for its mobile chips for smartphones and tablets, in September 2015 unveiled Snapdragon Flight, a platform that pulls together everything from processing power to navigation, 4K video and cameras onto a 58mm-by-40mm board. At the show, Tencent and ZeroTech demonstrated a commercial drone called Ying based on Snapdragon Flight.

CEO Brian Krzanich has said systems like drones are key parts of the company’s growth strategy, and at CES, demonstrated how drones from Yuneec armed with Intel’s RealSense 3D camera technology can avoid obstacles. Last year, Intel invested $60 million in Yuneec, and, as CES got underway, announced it was buying drone software maker Ascending Technologies.

The company at CES showed off its latest machine, the Typhoon H, which has six rotors rather than the four on its other drones. It also features retractable landing gear, a camera that pans 360 degrees and an array of autonomous capabilities.

The company’s new Phantom 3 4K unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)—or drone—offers a 4K camera that sends its live video feed over WiFi rather than Lightbridge.

3D Robotics introduced a few new features for its Solo drones. This includes the mobile app and multipoint cable cam that lets users fly to a spot, frame the shot and then mark it in the app rather than having to create a flight plan ahead of time in the app. Users also can save the flight plan in the app.

Autel Robotics, which already sells three UAVs powered by rotors, introduced its newest vehicle, Kestrel, which can take off vertically and then transform into a fixed-wing drone. The company is aiming Kestrel for use in the agriculture field as well as for humanitarian missions.

Parrot’s newest drone, Disco, is a fixed-wing UAV that users can get flying by simply turning it on and throwing it into the air. It starts flying automatically, and built-in sensors are designed to make the machine easy to land. It also can run on autopilot.

Lily Robotics’ Lily Camera is essentially a camera with four rotors. Users can throw it into the air and start operating it, and the Lily Camera can start recording at 1080p at 60fps, and also can take 12-megapixel still shots. It comes with a wrist controller, and will start shipping in February.

PowerUp Toys introduced a drone made of paper that consumers fold and then, using directions, install all the components—including a power supply, onboard computer, WiFi system and propulsion system. The device weighs two ounces and can be controlled via a smartphone or a virtual reality headset. It launches with the swipe of a finger.

Odyssey Toys at CES introduced the Pocket drone, a UAV that features collapsible rotors that tuck into the body of the vehicle. Once the rotors are stored away, the device reportedly is about the size of an Apple iPhone 6. It also includes a built-in camera that shoots 720p video, WiFi and a microSD card.

Odyssey Toys also announced Starblade, a drone with four rotors and a design that is inspired by the kinds of sci-fi ships seen in movies like the new Star Wars and Star Trek films. It’s got more than 40 LED lights and a gyro technology so that it can run indoors or out.

At CES, the company not only introduced Etos, a concept car that can drive itself, but also one that comes with its own drone. It also has its own landing pad for the drone on the back of the car, which itself is based on a BMW i8. Designers said there are multiple uses for the drone: For example, if the car is stuck in traffic, the driver can use the drone to map out alternative routes.

Chinese drone maker EHang unveiled the Ehang 184, a concept vehicle that can carry a single passenger weighing up to 220 pounds over short distances. Through an onboard tablet in the cockpit, the passenger can input a destination, and then goes along for the ride as the drone automatically takes off, flies and lands. The 5-foot-high drone has four arms, eight rotors and weighs 440 pounds.