3D printable ‘Drone It Yourself’ kit turns almost anything into an unmanned aerial vehicle

Drones are met with a great deal of suspicion at the moment, given that no-one can really agree what, if any, regulations should be imposed on their use in public and private spaces.

Jasper van Loenen, an independent designer working in the field of interaction/information, design and art, has busted the technology wide open by creating a custom DIY kit that can transform any household object into an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Spotted by Thing du Jour, most of the parts needed for this ‘Drone it Yourself’ project can be created with a 3D printer, opening up general drone usage to pretty much anyone with some basic tools and a little bit of time on their hands.

The video below shows four vice-like clamps that fit onto the edges of the original object and house both the motors and accompanying rotary blades. Aside from a central control unit, that’s pretty much all there is to it.

The motors themselves aren’t particularly powerful though, limiting what can be lifted into the air and the maximum air time. The various demonstrations show a bicycle wheel, PC keyboard, telephone and book in-flight, however, among other objects which is pretty impressive nonetheless.

Now, can I program it to post all of my snail mail for me?