That discomfort of a man could change in the next few years as the airborne gadgets become more and more popular and people buy dronesfor personal use. Startups are already popping up with different takes on design, uses and price.

The latest aerial offering is the PlexiDrone by DreamQii, a midrange drone for photographers who don't want to mess around with additional complicated technology. White and unremarkable-looking, the PlexiDrone is simple to put together . Just put togather four propellers and two pieces of landing gear. It can hold a GoPro, the drone photographer's camera of choice because of its light weight, or other lightweight cameras and camcorders.

"This is not designed to be a toy; this is a tool for the average person to use," said Klever Freire, founder of PlexiDrone, who showed off his creation last week in, yes, a coffee shop in Brooklyn.

The consumer drone market is still wide open for newcomers due to a combination of tangled Federal Aviation Administration restrictions, high price tags, privacy concerns and a bad reputation.