Ever wish you had a flying camera follow you around for your own personal videos? That reality is coming in a $299 drone.
In the game series Mass Effect, a reporter uses a camera drone to capture interviews instead of needing a separate camera person to hold the camera in the right place. It’s a minor part, truth be told, but an indication of what the future could look like for capturing videos and reports, as drones take off in a big way.
We’ve seen drones do exactly that over the past decade, moving on from being a toy for consumers and an enterprise-level gadget able to deliver goods to being capable of replacing helicopter footage in films for professionals, while giving enthusiasts the ability to capture video in much the same way.
In the latest move, DJI is delivering a little bit of that futuristic vibe Mass Effect demonstrated with a drone able to capture video of a person in a lightweight and compact personal drone of sorts.
At IFA this week, DJI has announced the DJI Neo, a 135 gram personal flying vehicle with a 4K camera on-board that features AI subject tracking and can be used indoors as well as outside.
The DJI Neo reportedly launches in a mode and tracks the subject in the frame, with modes including circling the subject, rotating around the subject, flying around the subject and flying in reverse rather like a boomerang, as well as options that ascend and fly around the subject or goes the opposite way doing much the same.
All of this can happen without a remote control, though can be paired with DJI’s Fly app or the DJI Goggles. The point appears to be flying and capturing video without needing to have your phone controlling, with voice supported to control the drone, as well.
Inside, there’s 22GB of storage capable of holding up to 40 minutes of 4K video or over 55 minutes of Full HD 60fps video, and when connected to a phone, the Neo can share the footage directly back to a phone over WiFi. In terms of audio, DJI notes that the app will switch to using the microphone on the phone itself, so you’re not stuck getting audio from a drone flying above you, though Bluetooth mics can also be used.
It’s the note about using the Neo drone indoors that grabs us, solely because all outside drones in Australia have to contend with CASA regulations about where you fly them. However, a drone with indoor capabilities may have more options, something the Neo deals with by having propeller guards to prevent safety concerns.
Personal drones aren’t entirely a new thing altogether; GoPro offered one years ago, albeit without the AI tracking. However, making the technology capable of flying indoors and outdoors for a sub-$300 price point could give DJI a bit of an intriguing gadget for folks keen on capturing more video solo.
“At DJI we are always studying everyday camera use so that we can help people capture their videos and photos in the most convenient way possible,” said Ferdinand Wolf, Creative Director at DJI.
“The DJI Neo strives to give people the latest tech in the smallest form factor so that they can capture their daily lives, saved as treasured memories, safely and with ease,” he said.
For folks intrigued by the concept, the DJI Neo is set to start shipping in Australia this week, arriving in Australia for $299.
