A 360 degree FPV drone unlike something else

If Dji enters the 360 -degree action camera marketWhy shouldn’t he venture install in drones? It was my immediate thought when the company announced its first drone, the A1, of a brand and a derivative team called Antigravity.

So what is the A1? Is it an entry-level device? A camera for creators looking to spice up their videos without years of practice? A competitive pov drone? It’s a bit of the three, but antigravity A1 is not only a drone. It will finally be launched in a three -part set: the flight unit, OLED vision glasses and a dedicated handle movement controller.

In its current form, antigravity A1 weighs approximately 249 grams (8.8 ounces), which helps it get rid of drone license requirements in most regions. (As this is a pre-production model, this could change a little before it reaches the retail.) Two ultra-remedying cameras are positioned on the roof and the underside of the drone rather than on the front. It’s like the Insta 360 x5 camera is a kind of cocoon for antigravity A1.

With these two camera units, the A1 can capture the 8K resolution video, stretched on a canvas similar to a sphere from the point of view of the drone. With sewing algorithms that the company has continuously improved on five generations of 360 -degree cameras, this should lead to mainly transparent images where the A1 never interrupts sight. The drone itself will not appear in your video. It’s like the company’s “invisible” selfie stick, but, well, in the sky.

The A1 is unlike any other drone with which I played-something I learned when I tested a pre-production unit on a Mercedes-Benz race track in Schlüselgel, Germany. Naturally, this included high-speed cars, wet conditions and almost-and.

Thanks to the work at Engadget, I am a Dabbler drone, but A1 of Antigravity is a different experience from the start. Control of the A1 is to attach glasses and direct it from a first -person point of view, controller in hand. However, unlike other FPV drones, you can watch (and move) wherever you want.

For about 15 minutes of flight time (you can see the strengths here), I found that it was a surprisingly intuitive experience. With other FPV drones, your view is locked in the direction of the camera. Of course, you can run rival drones to see elsewhere, as with Dji to openBut it’s not the same thing. Because the A1 broadcasts a 360 -degree video with glasses, you turn your head will never affect the direction it faces. Instead, you will just see what’s going on around the drone when it flies, which makes it much more intuitive for recruited drone pilots. Better still, you can scratch and move while looking elsewhere – like video game controls for a first -person shooting game.

This freedom of movement is raised by the unique A1 controller, which is better described as a mixture between a traditional drone controller and a Wiimote. While some of the physical buttons and dials adjust the altitude, start / stop video recording and even more, management involves a point and click method. When you move your hand to the right side, a reticle appears on the screen of the glasses. By pressing the trigger, the shooting of the A1 in this direction, an action that antigravity calls for the control of the freemotion.

As I mentioned, it means that I don’t have to look at where I am going – even if it is better if I do to avoid accidents (or collisions with an expensive mercedes). If you have been intrigued by FPV drones, it is a simpler experience that feels freer. You can look where you want, not indebted where the cameras are pointed out on other drones. I also think that I could have friends and a family pilot with A1 with a minimum of training. Speaking of spectators, Insta360 included an intelligent touch for them: the glasses have an external screen so that the spectators can see what is happening. There is nothing more dull than watching someone else steal a drone without being able to see their POV.

The A1 is a small zippy drone, probably thanks to its low weight. But even at this pre -production stage, the resulting video is better than I thought. In addition, it offers substantial versatility if you are looking for full action.

After testing the A1, Antigravity sent me my video from the drone, so I was about to crop, crop and reposition the images. You can even use the same 10 seconds and frame (or crop) with three very different angles. For example, you can extract a car tracking photo, a zoomed photo of the drone pilot or simply the blue sky of Germany from a clip. It is the exciting part here.

Insta360 has built excellent editing tools (mobile and office) for its cameras in the past, and it plans to do the same for its first drone. A first version of the software was not without hiccups, but the publishing was quite easy once I understood that the key images anchor the point of view of the drone. I could then add several key images, mark objects that I would like to keep in the frame or track. Editing my images started to become strangely pleasant, and I have Never I appreciated this task.

Another characteristic that the company has underlined is the detection of the payload. Although the exact weight limit is always refined thanks to additional tests, Antigravity says that the A1 will not be able to steal if the drone detects that it transports something it should not – a decision to further smooth the problems of potential license. The company also alluded to future accessories and peripherals to extend the A1 experience – something it has done successfully with its action cams and cardan.

Some specifications are always a mystery because the drone is a work in progress. To this end, the company is Opening of applications For a co-creation project, where participants will obtain pre-production A1 antigravity in exchange for comments. The ideas of these testers will be integrated into the final version of the retail sale, and the best could earn a share of a prize pool of $ 20,000.

Flying the A1 around a racing track was the most fun I have had with a drone for a long time. But, with glasses and a dedicated controller included, how much will a flight cost? This could decide whether the antigravity of Insta360 can carve out a place next to the DJI drone army.