It’s spring! Birds are flying! So are drones! What?!
Well, if you look up and see a flying yellow saucer-type of thing hovering nearby, don’t worry. It’s not an invasion by aliens. It’s only a friendly flying camera-drone from camera company Snap named “Pixy.” No more of that “who has the longest arms?” awkward stretching to get everyone in the frame. Now, just launch the bright yellow flying puck from your hand to take lots of photos and videos.
Pixy is now available for purchase online from Snap for $230. Unlike the larger drones, Pixy is small and light, and works without a controller. Take it on a picnic and carry it in your pocket. Immortalize the day by selecting one of its four pre-programmed flight modes and launch away.
Pixy even sounds friendly with its quiet propellers. A full battery charge should give five to eight short flights (10-20 seconds). Extra batteries are $20 and a portable dual-battery-charger sells for $50.
And if you like to take a LOT of photos, Pixy shoots up to 100 videos or 1,000 photos stored on a 16GB drive. The photos may not be high quality, but it is a fun way to capture moments. Images are synced to Memories in Snapchat.
(It may be small, but it is still classified as a drone under FAA regulations and operators are required to obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate (.)
One caution ~ be careful in the wind! (And by trees, too.)
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Show Pixy website: https://pixy.com/
- Also show a WSJ video on how it works: https://on.wsj.com/3LvdIGS
- Poll students: Who would be interested in buying a Pixy? How much would they spend?
- Competitor Air Neo: https://airselfiecamera.com/
- Discuss the various pricing models in class: demand-oriented, cost-oriented, profit-oriented, and competition-oriented.
- For Pixy, divide students into groups and have each group work on any/all of the six steps.
- When setting the price level, assign each team a different model to use (demand-oriented, cost- oriented, etc.).
- Debrief the exercise. Compare the various pricing models and discuss advantages/disadvantages of each.
- Optional: FAA Drone Pilot Certificate site: https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/become_a_drone_pilot/
Sources: Heath, A. (28 April 2022). Snapchat’s flying camera. The Verge.; Stern, J. (28 April 2022). Snap Pixy review: A mini-drone to take selfies for you. Wall Street Journal.; other news sources.
