Remember the days when Lego was all the entertainment you had – When building things with the combined power of your imagination and plastic bricks was a legitimate way to spend a weekend? Well, it looks like that old childhood favorite is about to make a comeback. But this time, of course, your Lego will be drone-powered.
San Francisco startup Flybrix has developed a range of products that provide the perfect solution to all that unwanted Lego you have gathering dust in the attic. With the company’s DIY kits, you can build your own custom drone out of Lego bricks.
Read more: Five Reasons to Buy Your Kid a Drone
Every Flybrix kit comes with everything you need to get your own Lego drone off the ground. You can put together a quad, hex, or octo rotor, using the included bricks, motors, propellers, pre-programmed Arduino-compatible processor on an expandable PCB, and even your very own Lego pilot.
Flybrix comes from three business partners, Amir Hirsch, Robb Walters, and Holly Kasun. Amir studied math and CS at MIT and used to write code for nuclear power plants, Robb has a PhD in applied physics, and Holly, the brains of the organization, has previously worked with top global brands like Nike, adidas and Nokia. We’re excited to see what their combined brainpower can come up with in the future.
Flybrix seems like a great way to get kids into DIY and flying, but that doesn’t mean that more experienced pilots won’t enjoy the products too. If putting together your own Lego drone sounds like fun, Flybrix is currently offering two DIY kits. The standard kit costs $149, and the deluxe costs $189 and includes an RC controller. The basic kit relies on you having a smart phone to pilot the drone through an app available on both iOS and Android. Both are operated through a Bluetooth connection.
Lego has always been pretty sturdy, so when you inevitably crash it into the wall there’s a good chance it won’t smash into tiny pieces. If it does, you’ll just have to rebuild it better and stronger, with more Lego.
Malek Murison is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for tech trends and innovation. He handles product reviews, major releases and keeps an eye on the enthusiast market for DroneLife.
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