DJI may be planning to launch a first-person-view (FPV) drone soon, according to recently spotted FCC filings. Spotted by DroneDJ, the company has filed for three products - a "DJI FPV Air Unit," "DJI FPV Remote Controller," and "DJI FPV Goggles."
DJI has had previous projects involving FPV drones. In 2017, the company released a PlayStation VR-sized headset called DJI Goggles that can be paired to some DJI drones. But that somewhat clunky solution was about as far as the Chinese company ever went with the idea.
Meanwhile, an "FPV air unit" with dedicated goggles and a controller sounds more like a drone built for racing, or at the very least, high maneuverability. It would make sense; DJI is far-and-away the leader in consumer drones, and has seen competition like GoPro, 3D Robotics, and recently, Parrot walk away from the market (to varying degrees).
However, DJI hasn't released a drone that's specifically designed for the growing drone racing/ FPV scene, which usually consists of tailor-built drones built from off-the-shelf components.
But FPV drones don't just benefit games, races, and leagues - the videography world also enjoys the features of this technology. Skillful individuals are putting their skills as FPV drone pilots and capture videos that have since gone viral.
It makes sense designing a product that would easily tap into this trend, especially with DJI's knowledge and expertise of designing tiny cameras and drones that can capture footage in the best quality.
What people must remember about FPV drones though is, these things crash more often than any other drones. These are way faster, making it quite difficult to drone, and not a lot of pilots have access to auto hovering or GPS lock.
A big reason why FPV drones often get cobbled together from off-the-shelf parts is because that makes it easier to fix them when they crash. How DJI compensates for this will be something to look for if and when the drone gets released.
If DJI releases a drone with performance and capability as priorities rather than price, it could be a huge step toward making drone racing accessible. The exposure generated by new products from DJI alone will be enough to take to the hobby to an entirely new audience.
And there's plenty of good reasons why DJI might do exactly that. The company has the engineering ability and financial muscle to develop a racing drone that's easy to fly, accessible and competitive with anything else on the market.
