We've been writing mainly about drones that will take the in-game play footage or even selfies for you and your team mates. But today, I'll write about something that does a purpose of helping you win a game, if we talk about airsoft. But it is developed for purposes of special operations and first responder needs --- a drone that can go to areas where other flying drones cannot due to their bigger sizes and even some land-based drones due to problems posed by terrain and other obstacles.

The solution from CyPhy Works is simple: build a pocketable flying drone. It makes sense right?

The CyPhy Works Extreme Access Pocket Flyer is light at 80 grams and small enough that you can carry it in a pocket --- well more of the cargo pants pocket. For soldiers and responders, that wouldn't be a problem as they wear uniforms with big pockets that can easily take in the Extreme Access Pocket Flyer.

Apart from the easy storage, the Pocket Flyer can fly longer than other small drones --- it can fly for two hours whilst others cannot even stay longer than 30 minutes. It can also transmit better quality images; send and receive commands faster and it cannot be jammed by wireless jammers. What gives?

The answer is that the Pocket Flyer is tethered. Yes, it has an umbilical cord. It uses a microfilament through which it can draw power and communicate with its base station. The distance for the pocket flyer can only be as far as the length of the spool of microfilament which is 76 metres (250 feet). For small unit operations or responding rescuers, using the Pocket Flyer to check buildings, rooms, and some hard to reach places to find the enemy or get some real time intelligence, the length should be enough to give them information on what's immediately ahead of them.

Control of the drone can be done via a mobile phone or a tablet so there's no need of another device to control it, and that means no additional weight to worry.

The CyPhy Works Extreme Access Pocket Flyer is still in a prototype stage, but it has just got the interest of the U.S. Air Force as it was awarded a contract through the Rapid Innovation Fund to help improve search and rescue operations (Air Force PJs?). This means we'll probably find and even more capable pocket drone in the future if all things work out right for it.