Technology Drones

DJI Avata Leak Teases A Drone You Can Fly Indoors

DJI drone controller Evgeniyqw/Shutterstock
By Nadeem Sarwar/

It appears that a new DJI drone with first-person view (FPV) tech that is also small enough to be flown indoors is right around the corner. Notorious drone Twitter leaker @OsitaLV has shared a video that purportedly shows a drone being controlled using the company's new Motion Controller gear. Dubbed the Avata, the leaked imagery and video of the allegedly upcoming drone also gives a glimpse of the new FPV goggles from DJI, assuming they're not prototype hardware units made solely for testing.

Another notable aspect is that the upcoming drone is allegedly a CineWhoop FPV drone, which compared to an FPV drone, offers a handful of advantages. For example, a CineWhoop drone is usually smaller and offers a more stable flying experience courtesy of the ducted rotor architecture, allowing it to capture more stable shots, plus the rotors are protected for greater safety. Coming back to the latest leak, the Avata would be DJI's second FPV drone and the first to follow the CineWhoop design concept.

CineWhoop drones aren't particularly expensive, especially if you know your way around sourcing the core parts like frame motors, BTX, antenna, props, receiver, and of course, an FPV camera, among other things. With that said, it looks like DJI's Avata might not really be a bargain deal, at least based on past models. The DJI FPV that came out in 2021 was priced at $1,299 for the whole bundle, which also included the goggles and an updated controller.

A new segment for DJI

DJI FPV drone headset goggles haireena/Shutterstock

Leaks suggest that the Avata will rely on three-inch propellors with a ducted design, while the mounted camera's movements will be limited to a single axis of rotation. Alleged images of the package also appear to confirm the DJI Avata branding. The leak also mentions the ability to shoot stabilized videos at 4K resolution, a built-in propellor guard, low-latency transmission for high-resolution visuals, and a palm-sized build.

If the leaked retail box imagery is to believed, the next DJI offering will come bundled with accessories such as the Goggle 2, the new Motion Controller, flight battery, headband, spare propellors, USB-C cables, lanyard, screen protector, an eyeglasses frame, and a dual-band antenna to name a few. However, it must be noted that wearing the Goggles 2 will put the small drone out of the line of sight, which means you will need a spotter. It might also be a legal headache in some regions with strict drone regulations.

For folks only intending to use it for indoor video capture (or, perhaps, to participate in drone racing), the restrictions might be a tad easier. Unfortunately, DJI hasn't shared any official details about the Avata FPV drone's release. However, given the recent FCC appearance of the DJI Avata alongside the Goggles 2, it is quite evident that an official debut is likely just around the corner.

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