207
Backers
$33,659
pledged of $28,000 goal
0
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on June 7, 2011.
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
Although there's no material reward at this pledge level, you get to follow our project updates as a Backer, and be fully appreciated by us as someone who supports our project! If you want to pledge for more than one of the rewards below, you can - please see the FAQ in the main text below about how to do it.
Pledge $99 or more Pledge $99 or more
For a $99 pledge you are pre-ordering and will receive an iRemoco Controller with a red Kickstarter-Edition, gyro-stabilized helicopter. The bundle includes a USB charging cable, full-color User Manual, and helicopter rotor spares. Also, your name will be listed in the iRemoco App, and the User Manual will include a personalized message signed by myself and Tom. Worldwide shipping is included.
Pledge $149 or more Pledge $149 or more
For a $149 pledge you are pre-ordering and will receive one iRemoco Controller and two Kickstarter-Edition gyro-stabilized helicopters (one red, one blue). The bundle includes 2 USB charging cables, a full-color User Manual, and helicopter rotor spares for both helicopters. Also, your name will be listed in the iRemoco App, and the User Manual will include a personalized message signed by myself and Tom. Worldwide shipping is included.
Pledge $189 or more Pledge $189 or more
For a $189 pledge you are pre-ordering and will receive one iRemoco Controller and three Kickstarter-Edition gyro-stabilized helicopters (one red, one blue, one yellow). The bundle includes 3 USB charging cables, a full-color User Manual, plus helicopter rotor spares for all three helicopters. Also, your name will be listed in the iRemoco App, and the User Manual will include a personalized message signed by myself and Tom. Worldwide shipping is included.
Pledge $599 or more Pledge $599 or more
The iRemoco Gift Pack - for a $599 pledge you are pre-ordering and will receive 6 iRemoco Controllers, 6 red helicopters, plus one blue helicopter and one yellow one - a total of 6 iRemoco Controllers and 8 helicopters. Each helicopter has a Kickstarter-Edition canopy design, and comes with its own box, full-color User Manual, USB charging cable and helicopter rotor spares. Also, your name will be listed in the iRemoco App, and a User Manual will include a personalized message signed by myself and Tom. Worldwide shipping is included.
Project By
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Hi, I'm Andrew.
Twitter: @andrewayres
Email: andrew.ayres@iremoco.com
I'm a software engineer, and got my first job 16 years ago at Webmedia in London, creating websites for the BBC, Alliance & Leicester, and many other blue chip companies. In 2009 I focused on Apple iOS software development, and co-founded Ternosis the same year with Tom Sisterson, to develop the iRemoco toy controller for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices.
Tom Sisterson, co-Founder of iRemoco, has over 10 years experience as a data analyst and a project manager in the finance industry working in Europe and Asia. Over the last 4 years, Tom has been designing electronics and programming firmware and computer software for bespoke projects, and has a great deal of experience programming electronics and iOS software under Apple’s Made For iPod (MFi) program.
Tom and I meet up regularly, usually in the Cambridge area, and telework the rest of the time.
Hi Guys! Awesome kit and love the all the little fine details of the heli! Is there any way to purchase an extra iRemoco Controller? This might stop the "NO it is my turn to fly the helicopter" fights. =)
@Anthony V - sorry to hear you're having an issue with your heli. We'll contact you individually to get it sorted asap.
Hi, I don't know if I received a marginally defective unit. Others here are raving about the control, but mine seems super sloppy. I have tried two iPhones and an iPad and both joystick and motion control... No change or improvement I the responsiveness. I have four other remote helis of various sizes, been flying them for years, so I'm pretty sure it's not operator error. Also the heli rotates without input even with the trim maxed out. It's impossible to have any fun flying it.
Hi guys,
Just want to tell you, WE LOVE THEM!
They are so well crafted (not flimsy) fly great and are so beautifully presented too. Very classy job. Congratulations!
Andrew
Received the two units back today and what a pleasure! The power and control of these units is amazing. No effort is required to learn the controls, power up and start flying for the full time of the battery. This says alot about the product and the people behind the poject.
Well Done!
Hi Ronald,
Thanks for the feedback, it's really appreciated, and we're really pleased you like the kit!
I just got the kit. The documentation is clear and seems to be correct in all respects. The helicopter worked perfectly (barring operator errors). I am pleased with the high quality of the product from packaging to the extra blades. Thank you.
Thanks Robert! btw; we've had to pitch it for indoor use (see our FAQs), because of the infra-red interference that can occur outside, but if you're getting good control outside too that's great, although it's not something we can recommend or guarantee.
its awesome! I love it and can't wait for the weather to clear up so I can try it more outside!
Outstanding job!
Hi Marco,
To charge the heli, please make sure the On/Off switch is fully Off. The best way to do this is, once the usb charger is plugged in, is switch the heli On (you should see the green light), then switch it Off, moving it as far right as possible (you should now see a red light that indicates that charging has begun).
Hi, the dongle came fully charged and charges (red led then green)
but the heli after a short fun flight does not charge( on connecting to charger led stays green and after 24h still no charge, only lights on).
Thanks
@Ahmed We'll contact you to resolve any issues you have.
Hey another thing,now my heli isn't taking commands from my iPod. It's fully charged...
Nvm my last comment,The flights are very short and I have to be super close to the plane to fly it. Help?
when i turn on my iremoco i get the inner lights of the heli to turn on but the outer lights dont power,Should i try charging it?
@Cabel - lol! @Samuel - that's great, thanks for the feedback.
@Minh - we're really sorry to hear you've got this issue. We'll contact you individually to get this sorted out asap.
Hi, I received my iremoco today, fully charged both the dongle and helicopter, but the helicopter doesnt fly, it doesnt respond to any commands from my iphone. I noticed that there was a very small screw loose that was sticking to the magnetic part of the engine (?))... managed to get that screw out of there. It turns on and lights up now, but doesn't respond to any commands from my iphone.
The iRemoco is defiantly durable! I crash it once every 10 seconds, and it is fine!
Recieved my iremoco yesterday, I spent about 2 hours flying it today!!! I love it!
Thanks Cabel, Robert and Fumimasa, that's great to hear!
Just received my iRemoco today, and I love it!
iRemoco arrived today also! So awesome!!
Thanks guys - you did a fantastic job!
iRemoco arrived today!!!
Oh, ok. Hopefully, the Helo TC wont look like the iRemoco too much.
@Cabel Soune I'm afraid that since Ternosis does not have a patent in the US they cannot sue them. Or it would be very hard to.
I think that it looks to much like the iRemoco. If everything on the Griffin looks almost exactly the same, I suggest you sue them! But only if it is a REALLY close copy to the iRemoco.
@Mark - thanks for the link. We don't have any relations with Griffin. Like you, we can't find anything on Griffin's website, and we can't find any photos of their app, its features, or controller, and it says it'll be out just in time for Christmas. Until we have better information and see their product working, we can't really compare or comment on what is essentially a vapour-ware announcement.
Woh...why is Griffin Technology selling your work???
http://gizmodo.com/5821146/no+one-will-know-youre-controlling-griffins-helo-tc-from-your-iphone
Can't find anything (yet) on GriffinTechnology.com, but must have been press released at some point to Gizmodo.
So, what gives ?!?
Hi Cabel, Thanks for the positive comment! We were thinking of including the Backers list in the next app update, but we could always do an app update just to add the Backers list. We're also working on customising the joystick sizes (a feature iJavaJoe said he'd like to see, in one of the comments below).
Re: Re:the next App update
I was looking forward to seeing the backer list in the app, and just any other changes. Great job with this whole project! You have been able to send these out in a very short amount of time, given that you are just two people!
@Cabel - I love the idea of special edition designs, and even custom designs, where you upload your own artwork. We would need to source a better printing process to enable it though - as the current design is printed by a specialist factory in China, where it's difficult to negotiate quantities less than a few thousand - not to mention the extra requirements that different designs would then introduce for the helicopter assembly process. It's a nice idea, though, and something to talk about with our suppliers, to try and find a way to do it more easily. Re: the next App update - we don't have a date set for that yet, but will let you know as soon as we do. Was there a particular feature you're looking for in the next App udpate?
best regards, Andrew
Also, when will the next app update be?
I just noticed that the iRemoco that the 207 people got from this Kickstarter project will say "Kickstarter Edition" on them! Maybe once you sell these to the public, you could make some other special editions like a green iRemoco "Cambridge Edition". It could be only available if it is shipped to somewhere in Cambridge, UK. Just an idea that I have. :)
@Fuchur Happy birthday for the 13th! We'd love it if the world worked that quickly, but we can't commit to any dates yet, because we don't know all the dates ourselves. For example, even when the air-freight arrives in the UK, we still have customs clearance, and we're trying to find out how long this process usually takes. Please rest assured though, that we won't waste any time for any processes we have control over.
@ Andrew and Tom,
My birthday is the 13th comming living in The Netherlands. Will I receive a b'day "gift" from you?
@Darva, the RC wall-crawler things are basically mini vacuums inside the car shaped shell keeping the RC on the wall.
@Darva I do have to say that's a good idea! It would neat to have a video camera inside a heli, or car.
@Darva Thanks for the free marketing research! :) Please tell your 19 year old that we've noted these ideas to add video, rc car control and the wall-crawler control to the iRemoco product range.
My 19 year old is chiming in with what he wants:
"Have a optional camera for all your vehicles that would show video on the ipad/ipod/iphone screen, why not utilize the touch screen for more than touch? This would make the huge ipad screen much more practical. Part of the screen for the video, part for the controller (unless you're using the tilt control). I realize this would be expensive, and that the video quality and refresh rate would be low, but it would still be a really cheap option for a helicopter/car/whatever with a camera on it compared to other vehicles with cameras on them.
Next, RC cars; one type that would be good for racing or drifting around obstacles inside, and another that would be good for "off road" play outside.
A wall-crawler RC car would be another cool vehicle option, I've seen them around, not sure how they work, just a neat idea. "
So, there you go. Free marketing research thanks to my college kid. :-)
@Mark Thanks, we like this suggestion a lot, and will think about how best it could be implemented, so your 12yr old can get programming helis asap! lol re: Talk Back Bear on the 4x4 :)
@Cabel Unfortunately we're not able to offer a 'choose your color' option on the helicopters. It was difficult enough offering a limited choice via the different pledge levels. It's the kind of thing we'd love to offer in future. Sorry we can't be more flexible on this at the present time. We've now made a note, though, to discuss how to make color options more flexible with the factory next time we visit China.
Here's another idea that doesn't involve divulging source code. Have the app be able to read a flat ascii file containing commands with a time interval, like a sequencer.
Would help my 12yr old get involved in simple computer programming.
We set up a "course" and try to program the heli to fly it.
I don't expect these ideas to be implemented any time soon - they're ideas for fun. You only raised 33k and not 300k $ ...
When business was slow at the Radio Shack store, I'd put a "Talk Back Bear" on the 4x4 with a walkie-talkie, placed just right, so that the bear would say what I say, in a higher pitch. Good times...
Do the blue and yellow helicopters cost more to make than the red ones? If not, could you put out a survey so you can choose colors? If that won't work I understand. Thanks!
@Mark - love the Radio Shack story :) re: opening up iRemoco to third-party development - this is something we're considering seriously. If we haven't announced it before shipping Kickstarter rewards, then please follow us on Twitter @iRemoco or www.facebook/iremoco , where we'll post future iRemoco announcements.
@iJavaJoe - thanks for the feedback. We'll create some smaller joystick size options, and put it into the next App update. We may be limited to landscape mode though, as the Controller would point to the side in portrait mode, rather than towards the heli.
re: the App Store search results, I do get the iRemoco app in the iPad search results when using both iTunes on Mac OSX, and the App Store on the iPad (I've uploaded a screengrab of the iTunes search result to http://www.ternosis.com/iremoco/iRemocoiTunes2011-06-11.png ). We'll investigate this further, and see if we can replicate the issue you're having, thanks for bringing it to our notice.
As to how it shows up in iTunes.
When you search for an app you get a screen that lists apps for iPad on the top and apps for iPhone/iPod on the bottom. Right now the app only showed up in the iPhone/iPod listings and NOT in the iPad listings. Since the app is universal I think it would be good to have it show up under both listings. This would eliminate any confusion for less savvy users and even for more savvy users
I have an iPad and in preferring the iRemoco app I noticed the controller hard to keep my fingers on, I have smaller hands. Would it be possible to make the app rotate on the screen with the rotation of the iPad. Basically I'm asking for portrait mode. I think that would make things much more usable. If you don't want it to auto rotate the how about a setting for portrait/landscape.
I used to work at Radio Shack when I was 17, and at Christmas time would do such dances with the two blue or yellow RC 4x4's set to slow, in the shopping center in front of the store.
Q:
As a programmer looking into Apple's C, will you release source code & compile info? Either open source or a private release with NDA?
A university had fun with swarming flying objects, I think with the AR Drone Parrot quad, and had them dance. These helis being cheaper, some tech universities might become customers.
@iJavaJoe Hi Joe, thanks for the message. Are you looking at Version 1.1? (and not Version 1.0) - in iTunes you should see the description, "This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad", and "Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1.2 or later."
If you can see this text on the iRemoco App page, then the issue you had is most probably due to the fact that, although direct links work immediately in locating newly released Apps on the App Store, the App Search data is based on a cache, which can take up to 24 hours to update on iTunes. Hopefully you'll see it appear in search results by tomorrow.
You should have the iPhone/iPod/iPad app registered as both iPhone and iPad apps in the app store. Right now it is only listed as an iPhone/iPod app. As I have an iPad it took me a few minutes to figure out where the app was. Thanks and I look forward to flying on my iPad!