Do you ever worry that your paper planes just aren’t high-tech enough? PowerUp is here to help. The device — known in full as the PowerUp 3.0 Smart Module — is an insert that slips into a regular paper airplane, letting you control it remotely using your phone. The carbon-fiber device gives you 10 minutes of flight on a single charge, with a range of 180 feet, and it features a tiny motor to help propel your creation forward. The creators also claim that it has a “crash-proof” design, which should come in handy while you’re learning the ins and outs of being a paper pilot.
Turn a regular paper plane into a smartphone-controlled drone
is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
The smartphone app, meanwhile, lets you control movement simply by tilting your device left and right. It was developed initially for iOS, but an Android version is also in the works. Creator Shai Goitein was looking to raise $50,000 in crowdfunding dollars to turn PowerUp into a commercial reality, but the Kickstarter project blew past that goal with more than $200,000 raised as of now. And there’s still quite a bit of time to go — you have until January 25th to pledge and get rewards like an early beta version of the device. The final retail version of PowerUp 3.0 is expected to launch next June.
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