Engineer creates giant claw that can be added to personal drones

Maybe you’re familiar with the arcade game in which you insert money into a machine and a giant claw drops down in an attempt to snag you a prize. Engineering graduate Ben Kardoosh is trying to apply that same concept to personal drones.

The drone accessory, called Mantis, allows a quadcopter or drone to automatically grab and lift small objects. Drone flyers can use it to salvage lost or hard-to-reach items, or, as Kardoosh writes, use it to grab the TV remote that is all the way on the other side of the room.

The claw doesn’t not rely on an external power source, but in it’s most basic form can still lift up to 2 lbs. Kardoosh has created a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the Mantis Claw. Currently he’s developed three different versions that vary in weight and lift capability.

The standard version can be purchased for $38 and the most complex is available for $59.