After months of leaks, DJI has announced a brand new mini-drone that boasts a built-in camera and supports hand gesture control.
The DJI Spark is a small drone that comes equipped with 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor that captures 12-megapixel photos and can shoot video in Full HD. It also features a two-axis mechanical gimbal that, combined with digital stabilisation, reduces blur and shake.
Excitingly, the DJI Spark also features a ‘Gesture Mode’, which lets you control the drone’s operation using hand movements. When the Spark takes off from your hand, you can send it up and away, have it take a selfie, and bring it back to you with your hands. The ideas is to make it much easier to take great selfie shots using drones.
Speaking about the Spark, Paul Pan, Senior Product Manager at DJI, said: “Controlling a camera drone with hand movements alone is a major step towards making aerial technology an intuitive part of everyone’s daily life, from work and adventure to moments with friends and family."
Pan continued: “Spark’s revolutionary new interface lets you effortlessly extend your point of view to the air, making it easier than ever to capture and share the world from new perspectives.”
The Spark’s body is small and lightweight – in fact, it weighs in at a feathery 300 grams, which is lighter than your average can of soft drink. It has a maximum flight time of 16 minutes, and can transmit video in HD from up to 1.2 miles away.
There’s also a built-in FlightAutonomy system that makes use of the main camera and several sensors to allow the Spark to hover accurately at up to 30 metres height – as well as sensing obstacles from up to five metres away.
Pre-orders for the DJI Spark will begin shipping in mid-June, with colour options including: Alpine White, Sky Blue, Meadow Green, Lava Red, and Sunrise Yellow. The retail price is £519, which includes the aircraft, a battery, a USB charger, and three pairs of propellers. There’s also a Spark Fly More Combo that includes the aircraft, two batteries, four pairs of propellers, a remote controller, propeller guards, a charging hub, a shoulder bag and all necessary cables for £699.
