I bought a quadcopter drone so I could learn more about an interesting and possibly disruptive technology that is only in its infancy. More specifically:
- To acquaint myself with how easy a 2013 model quadcopter is to fly.
- To elevate my other hobby, photography, by taking photos from new perspectives.
- To get insight into the culture of modding, tinkering and making. Some build their aircraft from the bottom up, others buy a consumer device and add modifications to it. The process by which those details are shared, vetted, improved upon fascinates me.
- To explore how this trend overlaps with 3D printing, another area that fascinates me. I have seen reports of how some pilots have printed landing gear or other parts for their aircraft.
- To participate in the culture of sharing and learning which makes it so much quicker to get into a new field and in turn opens up the field to future generations of newcomers.
Haughty perspectives all. I also expect that flying it and using it to take photos will be lots of fun. And that the fun can be shared with the kids. The point I have saved till last is that since I was five or so years old I have wanted a remote controlled toy. At first it was cars, then it was a boat, then an airplane. Every year there was a remote controlled toy on my birthday or christmas wish list. And none of the presents was a remote controlled toy. So, many decades later, I bought one myself.