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Used for surveillance, photography, and even deliveries, consumer drones involvement in our lives has boomed over the last 5 years – even helping to document societal unrest in unruly areas: the very basis that influenced Sergei Lupashin, founder of Fotokite to create the Fotokite Phi.

Tethered on a retractable leash similar to those used with dogs, it solves the problem of your quadcopter going rogue. The Phi aim is to simplify drone flying and make it easy for the average consumer to use with minimal training required. Extending up to 26 feet and having the ability to attach a GoPro to the kite-drone, one can only imagine the possibilities of aerial photography.

Being funded through the crowd-funding platform, Indiegogo, the Phi (drone only, no GoPro) is available for pre-order for $249 USD / RM 1027 (now $289 USD / RM 1191) and will ship sometime in Q1 2016. Not a stranger to the drone world, Fotokite previously developed and launched the Fotokite Pro, that has made itself a regular in news organisations like the BBC.

Handing tools to potential citizen journalists around the world, the Fotokite Phi is set to enable access to harmful protests zones or provide a less worrisome experience in a large open spaced area. Flight is propelled by 4 low-torqued plastic blades shielded by guards to decrease chances of injury, if one were to come in contact with the flying robot.

The aforementioned inspiration behind the creation of the Fotokite was Lupashin’s observations during protests stemming, due to the suspicious federal election that took place in Russia back in 2011. Thankfully, some of these occurrences were captured by drone photographers who were in the area, which gave us a good look at how the Russian people were reacting. Hence, it proved that drone journalism would be pivotal but the only obstacle would be the necessary knowledge to fly a drone in crowded areas – that’s where the innovative leash system would come in.

Making use of the same technology in retractable dog leashes, Lupashin excluding the need of a well-versed drone pilot. Tethered in such a manner whereby the leash line sits just below the provided GoPro slot, it’ll ensure that the lens always stays pointed towards the individual manning the drone.

Weighing only 12 ounces / 341 grams (including the battery and camera) the Fotokite Phi can fold itself to maximise space and is kept away in its packing tube. Twist gestures command the device to start-up and turning min-flight is manipulated by a button click and similar flick of the wrist, while the leash can be slacked to provide a wider viewing area for stills and video.

If you’re in the market for something a little higher end, you can look at the Fotokite Pro – mainly the same as its more affordable sibling (15 minutes fly-time) except for the tether doubling as a power cable and a downlink transfer for uncompressed HD video, providing longer recording and flight-times. Do check out their IndieGoGo and their page here if you want to get your hands on this amazing drone.

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