YI Pixie, the first Xiaoyi drone product to be launched

On April 4th, in the field of drones, the most famous is DJI. Although many brands such as GoPro and Xiaomi have launched drone products one after another, they still cannot shake up the status of DJI. Recently, YI Pixie, the first unmanned drone product of Xiaomi's ecological chain enterprise Xiaoyi, was exposed on the Internet. From the appearance point of view, YI Pixie is not a professional-grade drone, but an entry-level consumer product.

Appearance

The appearance of YI Pixie is similar to that of DJI's drone Spark, which is small and exquisite. The overall size is about 25cm*18cm and the weight is about 300g. Appearance uses a black and white design, four wings should be non-foldable design.

Performance

From the performance, according to the exposure information, YI Pixie has a 15 megapixels 4K camera that supports 4K resolution video capture. Support three axis shake system, time-lapse photography mode, continuous shooting mode and other functions. YI Pixie uses a brushless motor + replaceable propeller configuration, replaceable battery, support 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz Wifi picture transfer to mobile phone, built-in GPS, can be operated through the APP. Other features include supporting face tracking, flight missions, one-click take-off and landing, and more.

In terms of configuration, YI Pixie can be said that it is advanced enough, from the appearance point of view is also very simple just like the dji spark, it seems that small Xiaoyis are aware of the needs of entry-level users. At present, the Xiaoyi's products include panoramic cameras, micro-single, sports cameras, driving recorders, etc., which are highly cost-effective.

It is well-known that the quality of Xiaomi Technology's products has always been trustworthy. If there is no accident,'s price will also bring surprises for everyone. YI Pixie overall performance is fairly good, we predict that the price of YI Pixie will be relatively cheaper compared to other brands, in line with the needs of entry-level drone users.

Zipline Tests Second Generation UAV - part 2

U.S. startup Zipline, which focuses on developing drones and using drones to deliver life-saving medical supplies, has demonstrated its second-generation delivery drone Zip 2, and plans to expand its business to the United States and other global markets this year. The Zip 2 drone has a maximum flying speed of 79 mph and a load of 3.85 pounds.

Zipline drones may look like airplanes, but they don't need a runway. The company's system involves three types of hardware: a set of drones, a track that uses motor winding cables to launch their tracks, and a tower with ropes to capture the drone on return. The company had previously demonstrated drones and launchers, but now it also shows the catcher.

Zipline's old system can launch about 50 drones per day, but it will simplify airplanes and electronic equipment and increase it to about 500 a day, Wyrobek said. The second-generation drones are now used in Rwanda and their cruising range is about 100 miles. In addition, the drone's electronic “brains”, communications, rc battery cables, and batteries are now integrated into one module. When Zipline gets an order via SMS, it takes about one to two minutes to send the destination to the electronic device instead of using the 10 minutes that were set earlier.

In addition, the second-generation drones now do not have to be assembled with multiple components, but only a single electronic module, which is lighter in weight - mounted on top of the drone. After that, an employee placed a payload on the drone, then scanned the device with a smartphone and digitally associated the payload with the drone. There is also a smartphone scanning several QR codes on the plane, triggering a quick test. Each flight can last up to 45 minutes per flight. In addition, drone air sensors measure wind speed and direction.

Zipline will only focus on medical supplies at this stage - it will begin with the delivery of blood and then begin to deliver vaccination and prescription drugs. Blood can only flow to the hospital, but other products will also expand Zipline's clinic services.

Zipline Tests Second Generation UAV - part 1

According to CNET, drone startup Zipline recently tested its drone at the foothills of the western part of the Central Valley in California. The company had previously shown some technologies but now reveals its faster new drone model - from 68 miles per hour increased to 80 miles per hour. In addition, it has an upgraded transportation system that can handle 500 flights a day.

Zipline was founded in 2011 by a group of engineers from SpaceX, Boeing, Google and Willow Garage and launched a drone-based logistics service as early as 2016. As of now, Zipline has raised approximately $43 million in funds. Zipline's investors include Visionnaire Ventures, which led the Round B financing, and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, founders of Yahoo Yang Zhiyuan, Sequoia Capital, and Anderson Horowitz and so on.

Amazon, Google, Wal-Mart, and other companies are also testing drones, but Zipline is now able to use drones to deliver blood from bases to Rwandan hospitals. The company’s second launch site in Rwanda is nearing completion to expand the delivery of vaccines and drugs and plans to start operations in Tanzania.

When the road was flooded or the clinic was on the island, delivery drones could quickly reach medical supplies 50 miles away. So Keenan Wyrobek, founder and director of engineering at Zipline, believes drones will also come to the United States. Wyrobek said that Zipline’s drone will be able to integrate with existing air traffic control systems in the future. At present, drones are operated by humans remotely. If there is a problem, they can change course, but in Rwanda, there are 7,000 flights that do not require any action based on the requirements of the air traffic controller.

The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States is wary of approving drone operations, but Zipline hopes to find a place to operate in the United States. This is part of the eight proposals made by states and local governments to launch drone delivery plans.