LeveTop is a chunky cylindrical autonomous folding drone you can carry around clipped to your belt

Every category of device has an archetypal form factor. With drones, you tend to get four rotors attached to a body that looks like someone sat on a camera. The LeveTop (from $139) goes for something different, and in action looks like a tiny quadcopter attempting to airlift an Echo or a bumper sized can of baked beans. This might look comically ungainly, but the chunky drone can still zip through the air at 33mph, with a 100m range and 20-minute flight time. And when airborne, LeveTop can hover, object track, and stay within geofenced boundaries, while recording 1080P video. But when the LeveTop lands, the form factor suddenly makes sense – you fold the arms into the cylindrical body, stuff the drone into its case ($15), and cart it about attached to a belt.

Craig Grannell Contributor

About

I’m a regular contributor to Stuff magazine and Stuff.tv, covering apps, games, Apple kit, Android, Lego, retro gaming and other interesting oddities. I also pen opinion pieces when the editor lets me, getting all serious about accessibility and predicting when sentient AI smart cookware will take over the world, in a terrifying mix of Bake Off and Terminator.

Areas of expertise

Mobile apps and games, Macs, iOS and tvOS devices, Android, retro games, crowdfunding, design, how to fight off an enraged smart saucepan with a massive stick.