Lily Camera Drone Delayed Until Summer 2016

The Lily camera drone has been delayed until next summer, the company behind it has announced. There are a few reasons for the delay, not the least of which is the need for more testing time. The company has some good news to announce amidst the delay, however, stating it has scored $15 million in private funding from various investors. The funding will aid in expanding the company's workforce and getting the drone ready for launch.

The company has already made extensive progress per its past updates, including things like redesigning its tracker and recording video from its first production units. At this point in time, the company says its staff is working on the drone's flight control software, but there are several things that need done before the Lily units ship out.

Lily camera drone hands-on: Aerial video, no pilot required

The reason for the delay boils down to some changes and issues. For one, the company says it "hit roadblocks" with the flight software. Optimized components forced a redesign of the software's "core parts," which the company says "turned out to be a larger undertaking than expected." The good news, though, is that the camera is now more responsive and stable.

In addition, some of the Lily Camera's hardware has been modified — there's now a waterproof sonar sensor, for example — and a redesign was applied to the internal structure. Overall, the company says it needs more time for testing. There are 200 units produced so far, and the team needs to test them in "the most extreme conditions" to see how they manage.

SOURCE: Lily