Hexakopter: remote-control helicopter puts on amazing aerial display

We’ve seen the value of using multiple rotors in unmanned microcopters like the CyberQuad, DraganFlyer X8 and more recently Parrot’s AR.Drone. The HexaKopter is another case in point – the 1.2kg, six-rotor device has a flight-time of up to 36 minutes and can carry around 1kg along with a high-definition camera that delivers some amazing images. And it’s also a lot of fun.

Creator by Holger Buss says the HexaKopter is easy to fly, robust and has plenty of applications, from aerial photography, environmental measuring and as a toy.

Buss, who has a pretty big following around the world, has taken lots of video (like the one below) to show off his devices, of which the Hexakopter is but one.

Apart from aerial photography, environmental measurements, we think the military might be vaguely interested in the maneuverability of this device too. It’s stability control is nothing short of amazing – as demonstrated in his latest videos.

What makes this device special is the built-in GPS locator that allows it to be programmed via a laptop with a “home” location (which automatically returns it to from where it was launched). Using an aerial map on the laptop with the flight control software, Buss demonstrates how easy it is to program different waypoints on the map and have the microcopter travel to each one in sequence. The laptop also beeps when each waypoint is reached. This would make it easy photograph or film various events in a single short flight.