3DR Robotics Teases New Consumer Drone Called "The Solo"

Less than 24 hours before their competitor and arguable "Apple of Drones" DJI is set to make their own special announcement, 3DR Robotics released a Youtube video teasing their newest drone. Filled with more shots of baboons than of the actual drone itself, the video only gives us a glimpse of what is to come on April 13 when they actually announce the new drone. Nonetheless, there is still a fair amount of information which can be from the video (including the possible name of this new drone!). Here is what we know so far:

Hey there good looking...

One thing the current lineup of drones by 3DR have likely never been called is stylish, but then again, they never pretended to even care about that. 3DR entered the market by creating drones such as the Iris+ which are built using easily molded plastic parts but are well designed and have advanced features all for a fairly reasonable price. Built around their amazing open-source "Pixhawk" Autopilot System, these drones are also able to be controlled via an Android device running the app Drone Planner, allowing users access to a "Follow Me" mode and the ability to pre-plan missions. 

Now while filmmakers and advanced hobbyists haven't been turned off by the plain looks of the Iris+ or the X8+, general consumers and first time buyers have likely been more drawn by the stylish appeal of the Blade QX3 or the DJI Inspire. Releasing a drone with slightly better looks would attract those customers who judge a book by its cover or need a quad which looks just as good as it flies.

It's so easy a monkey can fly it...

While baboons are most definitely not monkeys, they are still primates, and I believe that 3DR filmed the video with this theme to emphasize how easy their new drone is to fly. An easy to fly, cool looking, phantom-style drone would definitely make sense for 3DR to release.

How low can they go?

I don't know exactly how much 3DR is going to end up selling their new drone for, however I am willing to bet that it will be competitively priced against the DJI Phantom 2. This would lead me to believe that 3DR could start selling the entry version of the quad for right around or even under $1000. Like their other drones, you will then be able to customize/add on extra propellers, battery packs, or even a carrying case. This means that by the time it is all said and done, you could be spending close to $1500 for a drone which originally started under $1000. For reference, the Iris+ starts at a relatively cheap $750 but more than doubles to $1660 once you add the Tarot T-2D Gimbal, FPV LiveView, extra battery, carrying case, and the spare legs, propellers and arms.

Called The Solo

In what I imagine was a very purposeful "Let's see if someone spots it" move, 3DR left literally one frame in the entire video which showed the name on the side of the quad. I spotted it while I was going through making the GIFs for this post and was super surprised myself when I saw it. 

Why call it the Solo? Maybe cause you can fly it by yourself and get shoots which would usually require a two person setup? Maybe it is a tribute to Hans Solo, captain and pilot of the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars. Or maybe cause it's priced "so low" that it is going to shake up the whole industry (we can hope). Whatever the reason, it's more than likely that the new drone from 3DR Robotics is called the Solo.

Ready-to-Fly (and Film) right out of the box

Based on the fact that it includes a gimbal out of the box and who 3DR is likely targeting this drone at, I believe that the Solo will come with everything you need to capture smooth, stable, aerial footage regardless of your prior flying experience.  Because so many people are buying drones for their GoPro cameras and expecting incredible results like they've seen on YouTube, making a drone which can please these people will produce customers who are brand loyal for the rest of their quadcopter days.

5.8ghz Downlink For Smartphones

In the shot where the baboon is holding the transmitter, a smartphone clip is clearly visible sprouting from where the antenna usually would sit. While this could easily be intended simply for holding your smartphone when using the Droid Planner app to view your drone's location, I believe that it is included because the Solo will rely on user's smart devices for viewing the live FPV video. This is exactly what DJI did with the Phantom 2 Vision+. Doing so, would allow 3DR to bring down the price (since they wouldn't have to include an external monitor or goggles for FPV) which as I wrote above, is likely one of their main objectives for the Solo.

Has a power button and status lights (duh)

Just in case you didn't actually take the time to watch the full video, I thought I should mention that we do get to see a shot of the power button being pushed and the drone turning on. This doesn't really provide us much useful information, though it does show a departure from the style of power button and status lights which 3DR currently uses on its Iris+ and X8+.

Now all we have to do is wait...

Barring a leak, this video is likely all the info we will get until the big announcement next Monday. But between then and now we also have the DJI event which should tide all you drone enthusiasts over till then. With NAB literally just days away, it is already plain to see that it is going to be dominated by aerial filming platforms known to the popular media as drones. So get ready, it's gonna fly by before you know it.