Top actioncam outfit Insta360 is taking its immersive video capture know-how to the air with the launch of the Antigravity brand. The "world's first 360 drone" will launch next month as a lightweight easy-to-fly immersion machine.
"Today, most drones are tools. With Antigravity, we're aiming higher," said BC Nie, Head of Marketing at Antigravity, which has been founded by drone enthusiasts and engineers and incubated by Insta360. "While others compete on specs, we've flipped the script, reimagining what a drone should be able to do. The result is something that empowers real emotion and enables experiences like freedom, creativity, and discovery for everyone."
On specs, we don't have a great deal of information on the brand's first release yet. But we can confirm that it will take off at under 249 g (8.8 oz) so pilots won't need to register the cameradrone for recreational use. The "true immersive capture" camera will boast an 8K resolution. Antigravity is promising a few world-firsts in drone design too, "that enable pilots to experience and capture the world in ways that weren’t possible before."
And 360-degree videography will be made simple so that "beginners, experts, and everyone in between" can get creative. Clearly that means the cameradrone will include a bunch of sensors to enable automated flight modes and obstacle avoidance, with a live video feed streamed to a dedicated remote or a mobile control app.
"Antigravity drones are made for the curious and the adventurous," reads the press release. "Creators. Travelers. Families. People with bold ideas but with limited time to learn complex flight controls and aerial content creation. It's for anyone who's ever wanted a drone, but felt it would be too big of an investment for something they may never be able to use to its full potential."
Like upcoming models in the fleet, the first drone is not for hardware tinkerers, and will include "smart safety features such as payload detection to prevent misuse or unauthorized modifications."
The brand is also setting up an online community hub where users will be able to share thoughts and experiences that could impact future product development. The co-creation platform intends to reward contributors who come up with ideas that make it through to new drones. "Every idea is read and considered, and those that inspire future products or features will be rewarded accordingly. Every contribution will be helpful in understanding what matters to users."
That's about all we know for the moment. Is the mini flyer set to duke it our for aerial supremacy with the likes of DJI? Maybe. But the immersive video chops are aimed at setting Antigravity's releases far apart from the other players, so a one-on-one dogfight may not be possible. We'll bring you all the details on the brand's first 360-degree cameradrone when it's ready for take-off.
Source: Antigravity
