What can we expect from DJI at CES 2018?

The big question that is on everybody’s mind is whether DJI will announce any new drone at the CES 2018 event in Las Vegas?

In the past, DJI announced new products at the Consumer Electronics Show. For instance, in 2015, they announced the Osmo and other gimbals, in 2016, the Phantom 3 4K and the Inspire 1 Pro Black Edition, and in 2017, the Osmo Silver, a limited Phantom 4 Chinese New Year Edition and the CrystalSky Monitor.

DJI RELEASE DATES

To get a better idea of what we may expect, let’s take a look at the past release dates of DJI’s consumer drones and gimbals.

The DJI Phantom series release dates:

• The Phantom 1, originally known as the Phantom, was released in January 2013.
• The DJI Phantom 2 was released in December 2013.
• The DJI Phantom 3 was released in April 2015.
• The DJI Phantom 4 was released in March 2016.
• The DJI Phantom 4 Pro was released in November 2016.

PowerVision Unveils PowerRay Underwater Robot

PowerVision Technology Group, a worldwide leader in UAV, robotics and big data technologies, and the maker of the consumer drone PowerEgg and the premium professional cinematography drone PowerEye, today announced PowerRay, an innovative underwater robot with ground-breaking features designed to revolutionize freshwater, saltwater, or ice fishing for today’s recreational fishing enthusiasts and casual hobbyists.

Delivering the most thrilling and effortless fish finding experience for consumers, PowerRay features an optional add-on component, PowerRay Fishfinder, which leverages sonar system to detect fish with precision and sends images of fish and underwater landscape, temperature data, as well as alerts to users through internal Wi-Fi to enable fishermen to make spontaneous decisions.  The PowerRay robot can dive as deep as 30 meters or 98 feet underwater.  The sonar system can detect fish up to 40 meters or 131 feet below the robot, making the total diving depth up to 70 meters or 230 feet with precision up to 10 centimeters or 3.9 inches.  The internal Wi-Fi system allows transmission of

DJI Phantom 4: The Smartest Drone Yet?

DJI, the world’s leading maker of unmanned aerial vehicles, on Tuesday launched the Phantom 4, the first consumer quadcopter camera (or “drone”) to use highly advanced computer vision and sensing technology to make professional aerial imaging easier for everyone.

The Phantom 4 expands on previous generations of DJI’s iconic Phantom line by adding new on-board intelligence that make piloting and shooting great shots simple through features like its Obstacle Sensing System, ActiveTrack and TapFly functionality.

TapFly in action.

“With the Phantom 4, we are entering an era where even beginners can fly with confidence,” said DJI CEO Frank Wang. “People have dreamed about one day having a drone collaborate creatively with them. That day has arrived.”

The Phantom 4’s Obstacle Sensing System features two forward-facing optical sensors that scan for obstacles and automatically direct the aircraft around the impediment when possible, reducing risk of collision, while ensuring flight direction remains constant. If the system determines the craft cannot go around the obstacle, it will slow to a stop and hover until the user redirects it. Obstacle avoidance also engages if the user triggers the drone’s “Return to Home” function to reduce the risk of collision when automatically flying back to its take off point.

With ActiveTrack, the Phantom 4 breaks new ground, allowing users running the DJI Go app on iOS and Android devices to follow and keep the camera centered on the subject as it moves simply by

3D Robotics SOLO Drone Review Plus Sample Video Footage and Pictures

My experience this far with the SOLO drone by 3DR has been one of highs and lows. Luckily none of the lows have included flyaways or crashes, but unfortunately the highs were dampened by poor GPS connections, a delayed gimbal delivery date, and shorter than promised radio range in all but the perfect environment. Leaving the delayed gimbal aside (I'll take it as a sign that I need to work on my patience), there are still the two main issues which I and many others have experienced when flying the Solo.

A shot of a drive-in theater taken with the Solo.

The first is that almost every time I go to fly my Solo it has trouble connecting to the satellites to get a GPS lock. Sometimes this means that I just have to wait 5-10 minutes (the Phantom 3 will GPS lock in less than a minute even in urban environments) but other times I have had to skip flying altogether out of fear of flying without a return to home point created and set. For a drone which 3DR

NAB 2015: 3DR Introduces Solo, the World’s First Smart Drone

"Solo is a breakthrough in intelligent flight. It’s not just smarter so that it can do more; it’s smarter so that you have to do less. We’ve turned the Hollywood toolkit into software, and allowed everyone to experience epic video, both behind and in front of the camera.” — Chris Anderson, CEO 3D Robotics

SoloTM provides a best-of-breed flight experience and unprecedented ease of use by tapping the processing power of twin Linux® computers, technology that has enabled 3DR to make radical breakthroughs in autonomous flight and camera control. As the first drone designed with every aspect of the photographer’s experience in mind, Solo can define its own flight, freeing users to focus on getting the shot. This intelligent drone is also the first to support full control of GoPro® cameras and deliver live-streaming HD video straight to mobile devices or through the controller’s HDMI port.

Today 3DR announced Solo, an all-in-one personal drone whose ease of use and powerful new features kick off a new aerial age. With computing power unmatched in the industry—from two integrated Linux computers, one on the craft and one in the controller—Solo delivers several world-first technologies, such as unfettered in-flight access to GoPro controls, including wireless HD streaming straight to mobile devices, and effortless computer-assisted Smart Shot flight features that allow even new pilots to capture professional aerial video from day one.


“We set out a year ago with the promise of not just creating the best drone, but the best overall aerial filmmaking experience imaginable. While this meant giving Solo smooth and powerful flight dynamics, it also demanded we make a smarter drone, one that could abstract users from flying so they can focus on getting great video,” said Colin Guinn, Chief Revenue Officer of 3DR. “What our users really want is great shots. They want professional tools that enable them to get those shots easily and consistently, right out of the box. Solo delivers on this promise: You get the shot, every time.”

“Solo will expand our concept of what a drone can be and do,” said Chris Anderson, CEO of 3DR. “Solo uses advanced autonomy to make creativity easier. Rather than needing skill to capture a great

Cool Tech Gadgets, DSLR Accessories, and Other Innovative Projects You Might Want To Check Out On Kickstarter (April 30, 2014)

    Starting about 6 months ago I began really getting into backing projects on Kickstarter. As a tech enthusiast, I had known about Kickstarter for a while and even checked out some pretty cool projects, but I had never felt compelled enough to pull the trigger. That all changed with the Pressy Button for Android phones. It was a product that I could see myself using, it was innovative and creative, and above all it was affordably priced at below what they were planning on selling it for to the general public. This is ultimately one of the best things about Kickstarter; startups can get support for a new product and backers can get it for a discounted price (yeah I know I'm late to the party and everybody has already known this for like 5 years but whatever). Since popping my figurative Kickstarter cherry in the fall, I have gone wild, backing 11 total projects almost all of which were successful. Some of my favorite projects I backed were: The Pocket Drone and the Retro-Essential Brass & Wood Pen.

    I now regularly check Kickstarter's recently launched project page to see if there are any new and interesting projects which I might want to back. I decided to share some of these projects (my favorite of which is the Frankenspiel FS-X Bluetooth Speaker) so other people could benefit from my semi-recent obsession. If you have any questions, suggestions, or projects you think I should check out, please leave a comment or find me Facebook or Twitter.