The newest drone from DJI became official today. For aficionados of first-person view (FPV) flight, it's called Avata and the developer calls it "the ultimate immersive drone experience." According to DJI Creative Director Ferdinand Wolf, it works in conjunction with the DJI Goggles 2 and the DJI Motion controller to give "the nearly out-of-body experience of FPV flight." However, you can also operate it using the DJI FPV Googles V2 and the current DJI FPV Remote Controller 2.
The Avata weighs 410g and features a 2,420 mAh battery with an 18-minute runtime. For added protection in confined locations, it incorporates integrated propeller guards, and the 1/1.7" CMOS sensor in its 155-degree field-of-view ultrawide camera. Both "2.7K" and 4K at 60, 50, 60, 100, and 120 frames per second can be captured.
It has the ability to stop "in a fraction of a second," accelerate like a racecar, zoom in and out of confined locations, and hover like a conventional drone. The new Turtle Mode allows it to flip back up and take off again if it lands upside down.
There are three operating modes, to be specific: Typically, the Avata functions like other DJI drones, hovering in place with the aid of satellite navigation or visual positioning devices on the drone's bottom; The only mode that gives you complete control and the immersive FPV flight experience while allowing you to adjust parameters to your heart's content is manual mode (only with the DJI FPV Remote Controller 2).
Lastly, Sports mode is a hybrid blend of the other two, offering some of the dynamic movement capabilities that come with Manual mode along with some of the key safety features of Normal mode.
DJI's online site currently offers the Avata for $629 (or €579, £499) by itself or $1,388 (or €1,429, £1,229) when purchased with the DJI Goggles 2 and the DJI Motion Controller. For an additional $1,168, you may get it coupled with the DJI Motion Controller and FPV Goggles V2. For $279, you may get a package that includes two batteries and a hub for battery charging.
