Pleiades's Spiri autonomous flying robot is a unique take on the quadrotor helicopter. Most remote control helicopters are designed around the idea that your interactions will be focused around maneuvering the device. By giving Spiri a (Linux-operated) brain, Pleiades wants to shift the focus and make this robot a programmable companion.
Spiri comes equipped with plenty of features as well, including three cameras, 4 GB of storage, GPS capabilities, plus Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB connections. Pleiades lists Spiri's battery life at only fifteen minutes per flight, but once Spiri begins to fade, it will automatically travel back to its charging perch and refuel. After recharging, it's straight back to work.
This is clearly a project designed with developers in mind. Spiri is an open-source platform and Pleiades can't stress enough how important the development community is going to be if Spiri is funded. The Kickstarter campaign just recently went live, but has already garnered nearly $15,000, so be sure to at least get a good look at Spiri before all of your friends are walking around accompanied by a flying robot.
[Kickstarter]
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