Toby Liew
Co-Founder of Drone Run
We are a huge supporter of new drone startups in the community because their inventions often leave a positive kick start for the drone world.
Today, as an honor to appreciate such people, we turn our spotlight towards two brothers Toby and Alex.
They are the Co-Founders of Drone Run, an innovative timed flying game for drones.
Their Kickstarter campaign is about to go live on the 30th of October, so we are doing this exclusive interview to go behind the scenes and find out what is Drone Run.
Toby will share the honor of answering our questions on behalf of his other brother.
In this interview, we talk in-depth with Toby about the Drone Run game, how to play it, what backers can expect, advises for fellow players, how their product enhances drone flying experience, what is in his drone kit, prediction about the drone industry, and so on.
If you are a person who loves crowdfunding drone-related projects, this is a piece of content you shall find interesting.
So, why wait? Let’s dive in and see what Toby has to say.
Welcome Toby, Tell us about yourself and your brother Alex. How did you both get started in the drone industry?
From a young age, we have been surrounded by model aircraft and kite flying. Thanks to our dad, we spent most days outside flying something, somewhere. This interest turned into a passion for drones, and now we are thrilled to be bringing out products to make drones flying even more fun.
Tell us about the Drone Run Game you invented, what it is, and how did it get started?
During the early design stages, we figured out what made flying fun; it boiled down to 4 points. Landing on a small platform?, flying around obstacles, performing agile maneuvers, and flying low.
This fun flying criteria formed the brief for Drone Run and allowed us to design accessories not only to make operating your drone even more fun but to train and develop flying skills to create a safe drone flying experience for the user and the environment within which they fly.
How do you play the Drone Run Game?
Currently, Drone Run consists of a timed landing pad and a series of sensor checkpoints. The aim is to take off and fly around a pre-set course, setting off each sensor, which triggers a sound and a flash before returning to the landing checkpoint, stopping the timer.
Once we have launched the Kickstarter and create a community of Drone Run players, we aim to develop even more exciting components that take flying to the next level.
Can you design your course and challenge friends?
Yes! And being able to design your courses, we suggest a few to start with that range in difficulty and length. Add as many sensor checkpoints as possible to make your course more challenging, spread them apart from each other, and create a dynamic and challenging course to slalom through. Once your course is set, hand the control to your friend for them to attempt to beat your time.
What makes your landing pad and sensor checkpoints like no other?
There is not a landing pad on the market that provides an integrated timing function and a safe, stable, and portable landing surface, keeping your expensive piece of kit away from debris and long grass. With a series of robust and easy-to-use sensors checkpoints that pair with the landing pad, Drone Run creates a flying game like no other.
What type/model of drones are recommended for your game?
We developed the sensors to be able to detect drones of almost all sizes. The landing pad’s size can support almost all ready-to-fly drones if they are under the 46cm wide. Although, we highlight DJI drones we have tested and recommend even FPV size quadcopters.
Drone Run project is set to go live on Kickstarter. Awesome! What can we expect?
You can expect to watch a video we have created to find out all about why you need to get your hands on Drone Run. There will be a few surprises in there too!
What do you get when you back this project?
You will get a landing pad and at least one sensor checkpoint, all at least 20% off our retail price. There will be training kits, core kits, pro kits, duo kits, and training bundles.
Do you have your Part 107?
The British equivalent to the part 107 is called a PfCO, and our team who conduct our test flights are fully registered.
What laws and regulations should your game’s users be aware of?
We recommend that all drone pilots are fully aware of the laws and regulations involved in drone flying before taking off. Below is a brief description of them.
- Always keep your drone in your line of sight
- Fly under 120m
- Pass the drone test and register with the CAA or FAA
- Keep a 50m distance from people and property and 150m from crowds and built up areas
- Keep well away from airports
How have the drone community responded to your timed flying game for drones?
We have had an excellent response from some of the communities’ most dedicated pilots; we cannot wait to get more of the community involved.
What are some of the best drone accessories, in your opinion?
A product we are in love with at the moment is the drone anamorphic lens by Moment, such buttery shots.
What does your current drone kit look like?
We have currently got the Mavic Pro, Mavic 2, Phantom 3 Advanced, and 4 – they are all so much fun.
Have you crashed a drone?
There have been some minor crashes in the past, luckily no critical damage. In the RC model aircraft days, it is safe to say we crashed a fair few model planes.
What are some of the most innovative ways you have seen drones getting used?
Any humanitarian relief use for drones is not only highly innovative, but incredibly valuable on a social level. The ability to deliver blood, medicine, and other emergency supplies to those who are otherwise inaccessible is amazing.
Where do you see drones headed in future?
We imagine the future of drones will see the current advancements in commercial drone usage scaled. Drone involvement in agriculture, healthcare, and disaster relief are likely to become widely commonplace. Recreational drone usage is expected to continue to grow, especially as the technology starts to fall in price.
A potential inhibitor of growth would be continued legislation that limits the freedom of pilots as a response to continued misuse of drones by reckless users.
What do you think the biggest misconceptions are of drones?
Drone flying has gained an abundance of bad press in the last couple of years and, unfortunately, the reckless actions of so few have given drone flying a bad name. With that said, there must be improved drone safety through regulation and awareness, ensuring drone pilots and the public will be kept safe.
We hope to provide a product that aids it. We have designed Drone Run to help beginners to learn the basics at a low-level and within line of sight, to set up in a controlled environment. Training is necessary for drone safety tests.
Any advice for those just starting with drones?
Become aware of the laws in your country for drone flying; find out where you can and cannot fly. Learn the basics of flying! Drones are becoming very user-friendly and easy to fly, but behind that should be a pilot that knows how to fly a drone properly.
When you are not on behind the drones, where would we find you?
We will be behind the scenes of Kickstarter, making sure every query is answered and the production of Drone Run goes smoothly. Every effort is made to ensure each backer gets their kit on time.
Yes, it was great to be able to share some more information about Drone Run and our insights into the amazing world of drones. We would like to remind MyDearDrone readers that a 30% early bird discount is being offered to anyone who signs up to our website.
We will be launching Drone Run on the 30th October, so be ready!