$149 Functional LEGO Drones For Kids To Build From Scratch

Forget getting an expensive, pre-built drone as a gift for kids. A startup company called Flybrix is selling drones that teens can build from scratch using LEGO parts. The drones are fully functional as well, able to fly indoors and can be controlled via smartphones or the controller that the company is also selling. Best of all, it can be re-built even when it crashes and it only costs $149 for the base price.

Assembly of the Flybrix drone is as simple as a LEGO set could get, Tech Crunch reports, since it doesn’t involve a lot of complicated parts. All it takes is to assemble the LEGO bricks, the boom arms to hold the tiny propellers and the motors.​

One thing to note, however, is that the lightweight nature of the drone makes it a risky prospect to fly outdoors. A strong gust of wind could easily blow it off course and cause it to crash. Fortunately, the company made the drones “crash friendly,” which makes them resistant to suffering irreparable damages during hard landings.

The drone’s control can be done via Bluetooth thanks to the accompanying app that’s compatible with both iOS and Android devices. Flybrix also has a manual flight controller for those who want to go the extra mile.

Aside from simply selling fun buildable drones to kids, however, the co-founders of the startup also want children to learn from their product. According to Amir Hirsch, Robb Walters, and Holly Kasun, they want kids to get a better appreciation of scientific fields like geometry, engineering, and aerodynamics; all of which play a role in allowing the LEGO drone to fly.

Noble aspirations aside, CNET also notes how the Flybrix drone allows for a lot of customization. So if they want, kids could build flying fortresses if they have enough parts to do so.