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PowerVision Launches PowerEgg Share This on LinkedIn   Share This on Google   Tweet This   Forward This

24 August 2016

For a minute we were hoping Mork would pop out of the white plastic egg sitting on the conference table in front of us. After all, that's how he arrived on earth. In a small egg-shaped space vehicle.

And like Mork's spaceship, the PowerEgg can fly. You pull out one of the four arms, hold in the Power button on top, tap it three times to deploy its four legs and then pull out the other three arms with the rotors attached.

At which point, you may be forgiven for thinking it's a drone. But actually it's a robot. A robot that can fly and take video and stills but can do so solving the two biggest pain points drone photographers have had to endure.

PAIN POINTS

We were briefed on the PowerEgg yesterday by PowerVision CEO Chih-Che Tsai, VP of Marketing Vivian Yang and Senior Director Merlin Love where we saw the $1,288 device take off, fly around the room and land.

PowerEgg Team. Tsai, Yang and Love with the PowerEgg.

Flying indoors is just one of the tricks it can perform as a robot. It uses sensors to determine its height and location without requiring GPS. So it can fly indoors.

Tsai brought up the pain points. The trouble with most drones, he said, is:

Stand. Not a charger, the stand is a decorative but stable support for the PowerEgg.

  1. They are difficult to carry around.
  2. They are hard to operate.

The PowerEgg addresses both problems, Tsai said, and there's a bonus too.

THE EGG CAME FIRST

The egg shape doesn't require a special carrying case from your favorite camera bag maker (and they just about all make them). It fits into a backpack. And, unless you're trying to learn Chip Kelly's no-huddle offense, you can just tuck it away like a football without fumbling the thing.

When closed up, it has no edges, just the naturally smooth contours of an egg. That looks simple enough but it required 130 patents to perfect and the aerodynamic issues were just part of them, Tsai told us.

HANDLING

As for the second issue, Tsai handed us a small device he said could control the egg with nothing more than simple gestures. It was the PowerEgg Maestro.

We were sure our index finger had fallen on the Power button underneath the controller but Tsai assured us it was the shutter button for the video/still camera. Right where it should be.

A quick press takes a still. Holding it down begins video capture.

In Flight. Two-hand controller at launch and flying inside the room.

And just behind it is a large button that, when depressed, tells the PowerEgg to pay attention to your gestures.

Not comfortable with gestures? A small joystick on the top lets you control the PowerEgg conventionally.

That's just one of the two controllers available for the PowerEgg. The other is a more traditional double joystick model with an easel for your smartphone so you can see what the PowerEgg's camera sees.

Tsai said the company's goal was to make it easy for anyone to fly the PowerEgg.

There's actually an app running on the phone that can map a flight plan, perform various stunts and monitor performance.

PERFORMANCE

Performance, culled from the company's experience, is the bonus Tsai promised.

PowerVision isn't a new company. Founded in 2009, has 500 employees in China where it is headquartered, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany and Finland. It specializes in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technologies, products and services including smart drones, data visualization and forecasting, virtual and augmented reality.

Lens. 28mm equivalent.

What the company has learned in seven years in the commercial UAV sector, it is bringing to the PowerEgg, its first consumer product.

When we looked at the app, we knew we weren't looking at a v1.0 release. There was a depth of data and control that reflected the company's experience. And the extensive settings are customizable.

What was new for them, Love said, was figuring out the optimal user experience and designing the user interface for a consumer app.

We'll just give one example of how the commercial capabilities translated to the consumer product. Love told us the PowerEgg's ability to transmit video and stills using radio frequency from 3.1 miles away is based on the company's commercial drones' ability to transmit them as far away as 43.5 miles.

The specs tell the full performance story:

POWEREGG SPECIFICATIONS
Weight 4.6 lbs. with battery and propellers
Maximum Flight Speed 13 m/s (Professional mode)
Maximum Ascent/Descent Speed 5 m/s ascending;
2 m/s descending (Professional mode)
Maximum Flight Time Approx. 23 minutes
Optical Positioning
System Range
Altitude Range: 0.66 to 13.12 ft
Surface with clear pattern and adequate light (Lux > 15)
Hover Accuracy Vertical: +/- 0.1m
With optical positioning active: 0.2 to 4 m; +/- 1m
Horizontal: +/- 0.2m
With clear surface pattern and adequate lighting): +/- 1.5m
Digital Image Resolution Ultra HD: 3840 x 2160 at 30p
Full HD: 1920 x 1080 at 30/60/120p
HD: 1280 x 720 at 60/120/240p
Photo: 4254 x 3264 pixels
Maximum Transmission Distance Maximum 3.1 mi (Subject to regulation and local operating conditions). Distance will be shorter for CE.
Flight Battery Capacity 6400 mAh

The camera, which rides in a 3-axis gimbal capturing 4K video and DNG/JPEG stills to a micro-USB card, has specs worth a peek themselves:

CAMERA SPECIFICATIONS
Sensor 1/2.3" CMOS sensor
Lens FOV 95° 22m (35mm equivalent) f2.8 G
ISO Video: 100 to 3200
Still: 100 to 1600
Shutter 8 seconds to 1/8,000 second
Storage Micro-SD
Maximum capacity: 64-GB
Class 10 or UHS-1 rating required
Image Size 4,254 x 3,264
2,840 x 2,160
2,560 x 1,920
Still Modes Single shot
Burst shooting: 3/5/10 frames
Auto Exposure Bracketing: 3/5/7 bracketed frames
Self-timer: 5/10/30 seconds
Time-lapse: 1/30, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 60 seconds
Video Modes Ultra HD: 3,840 x 2,160 at 30p
FullHD: 1,920 x 1,080 at 30/60/120p
HD: 1,280 x 720 at 60/120/240p
Maximum Video Bitrate 60 Mbps
Supported File Formats FAT32/exFAT
JPEG, DNG
MP4, MOV (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264)
Operating Temperature 14° to 104°F

For the full set of specifications, see full specs.

THREE PIECES

The PowerEgg isn't the whole story. PowerVision also approached its flight controllers differently, separating the flight processor from the control units.

Three-in-One. Two-handed controller with base station mounted to it and PowerEgg behind it.

The PowerEgg Maestro and the more traditional two-handed joystick controller talk to a base station (seen with two antennae) that also holds your smartphone running the PowerEgg app.

Separating the controller from the base station allows for future PowerEgg and potentially third party controller and upgrade options, Love said, pointing out the connector cable was a simple audio jack. And those antennae could be longer to increase the range.

The base station and the controllers each have their own built-in, non-replaceable batteries. You charge them via USB.

But the PowerEgg itself has a large battery that comes with its own charger. You remove the battery from the unit to charge it.

ROBOTICS

The key to the PowerEgg's control are its sensors on the base of the unit.

Robotics. Sonar sensor pair (right) and optical sensor (left) on bottom of the unit. You can also see the underside of the camera in its gimbal.

There's a pair of sonar sensors to measure altitude (which is something GPS isn't good at) and an optical sensor to detect patterns.

Love told us that the PowerEgg can learn to detect patterns.

They had, for example, placed a target on the hotel rug for the PowerEgg to land on. At first landings were off but the PowerEgg learned to distinguish the target from the pattern of the rug.

When we saw it land, it hit the target, if not a bulls-eye, close enough.

MODES

The PowerEgg, which uses AirMap for navigation and flight plans, offers several operational modes:

  • Follow Me: The PowerEgg will trail your movement.
  • Selfie: Wherever the PowerEgg goes, its camera looks back at you.
  • Orbit: You set a center point on the map and the PowerEgg with focus on it while rotating in a 360° circle (which Love told us is very difficult for most drones to calculate).
  • WayPoint: This mode lets you pin locations on a map for the PowerEgg to visit.

You set these using the app on the device attached to the base unit.

BEAUTY IS SKIN DEEP

The white shell, a strong but lightweight plastic, isn't the only color the PowerEgg will fly in. The company has been running PowerEgg Design Challenge 2016 to encourage personalized color schemes and designs for the product.

Love said the idea was to eventually offer skins for the PowerEgg through a local supplier.

REPAIR

"All drones crash," Love admitted, and our experience is that they reach end of life before pilots every acquire the skill to safely fly them.

Battery. The only thing airport security checked.

And that raises the question of repair.

The plastic shell is modular so parts can be swapped out in case of a crash and easily replaced, Love said. And just two Allen screws hold the blades in place, so they're just as easy to swap out.

PowerVision plans to sell a repair kit for $59.95 that includes screws, bushings, a cleaning kit, one arm and one leg. Replacement propellers will be available for $24.95 for a set of four (two clockwise and two counter clockwise).

Love also mentioned he had no trouble going through airport security with the PowerEgg. The only thing the agents were interested in was the battery, which they swabbed.

PRICE, AVAILABILITY

PowerEgg is available for pre-order now in white for $1,288 through the PowerVision Online Store. PowerVision said it expects to ship in mid-October.

Pre-orders through Sept. 30 will receive the $218 PowerEgg backpack at no charge in addition to the PowerEgg aircraft body, the illuminated stand (shown above), the Maestro remote control, the two-Hand remote control, a smart battery with charger and the base station. B&H is also accepting pre-orders a $1,288 but it isn't clear if the backpack is included.

No Mork, unfortunately, but this is only the first PowerEgg the company has launched.

PowerVision Launches PowerEgg -- the World's Most Intuitive Consumer Drone

Art Meets Technology as PowerEgg Combines Stunning Design and Aerodynamic Innovation

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- PowerEgg, the first consumer drone developed by PowerVision Technology Group, a worldwide leader in robotics and big data technologies, is now available for global pre-order. With its unique egg-shaped robotic design and the industry's first gesture recognition remote control, PowerEgg is the world's most intuitive drone designed for both enthusiasts and first time drone owners. PowerEgg global pre-orders are now being taken at the PowerVision Online Store with shipping scheduled in mid-October 2016. Pre-order customers will receive a PowerEgg backpack valued at more than $200.

Fly PowerEgg Right Out of the Box

PowerEgg takes the consumer drone market to the next level with the world's first gesture-based one-handed drone controller -- PowerEgg Maestro. With PowerEgg Maestro, takeoff and landing can be done with the push of a button so that anyone can fly PowerEgg right out of the box. The one-handed remote has motion sensing capabilities, allowing the user to interact with and manipulate the drone in flight via gesture recognition through advanced, integrated accelerometers and gyroscopes. Users can control up-down, left-right and near-far motions.

PowerVision separated the flight processor and base station from within PowerEgg Maestro to enable its one-handed gesture-based capability. This allows for future PowerEgg and potentially third party controller and upgrade options. For users that require enhanced control, PowerEgg also comes with a traditional two-handed remote control.

"As an established innovator in the commercial drone industry, our goal was to take PowerVision's technology expertise and package it in a form factor that everyone interested in flying a drone could relate with and enjoy immediately," said Wally Zheng, Founder & Global CEO of PowerVision Technology Group. "We designed PowerEgg to be the consumer drone for everyone. It's sleek, compact and portable but also easy to operate, making it simple for anyone to launch and capture special moments on camera."

Feature-Rich in a Sleek and Smart Design

PowerEgg's sleek and innovative design addresses user demand for easy drone portability with its pack-and-go features. It delivers long distance real-time video transmission up to five kilometers (approximately 3.1 miles), is equipped with HD video transmission and has a maximum flight time of approximately 23 minutes. With its optical positioning system, PowerEgg can fly indoors, low to the ground and in GPS-free areas. PowerEgg's visual and ultrasonic sensors scan the ground beneath it for patterns, enabling it to identify its position and move accurately.

PowerEgg's integrated 4K UHD camera can produce professional-grade photographs and videos with panoramic 360 degree views on a 3-axis gimbal, delivering stabilized aerial views with an immersive "spherical" experience. In addition, PowerEgg's flight software includes multiple automated flight modes that let the user easily frame their shots while the PowerEgg automatically manages its flight path. These PowerModes include Follow Me, Orbit, WayPoint and Selfie mode and are easily accessed through the iOS or Android user interface.

"With the power to enhance anyone's lifestyle, PowerEgg is truly revolutionary. For the first time a consumer drone delivers three key elements: stunning design, powerful features and operational simplicity," said Chih-Che Tsai, CEO of PowerVision Robot Corp., the U.S. subsidiary of PowerVision Technology Group. "Ideal for family fun or for professional use, PowerEgg is the best flying camera for capturing special moments, unique experiences and your greatest adventures."

Pricing and Availability

PowerEgg is available worldwide in white and priced at $1,288 through the PowerVision Online Store. Users who order PowerEgg during the pre-order period (Aug. 24 through Sept. 30) will receive the PowerEgg Backpack (MSRP $218), PowerEgg aircraft body, Maestro remote control, Two-Hand remote control, smart battery, charger and base station.

About PowerVision

PowerVision Technology Group is a worldwide leader in UAV technologies, products and services with a corporate mission to innovate the future. PowerVision's lineup ranges from smart drones and robots, data visualization and forecasting and virtual reality. Founded in 2009, PowerVision Technology Group comprises nearly 500 employees in China, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany and Finland. PowerVision Robot Corp., based in San Mateo, Calif., is the U.S. subsidiary of PowerVision Technology Group. To learn more about PowerVision Technology Group or PowerVision Robot Corp., visit http://www.powervision.me. You may also connect with PowerVision Robot Corp. on Facebook and YouTube.


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