The Antigravity A1 was the first 360-degree camera drone, and it remains a brilliant piece of tech, but it wasn't easy to buy for many when it launched because it required FPV-goggles. These monitors worn over the eyes make you feel like you're sat inside the drone just like a pilot, but they push up the price and (in some places) add safety concerns.
- Cheaper because this kit drops Antigravity's unique goggles
- Better intuitive A.I. tracking for runners & riders – no hand controls
- Drag-to-Fly from the watch screen
In the UK, for example, it's legally required for any drone operator using FPV goggles to have a 'spotter' with them – a friend to keep an eye on the skies with their traditional human vision.
In other words the tech is super cool, but you have to pay more to get something which – for solo operators – can be inconvenient.
When DJI came along, playing catch-up, with their own 360-degree drone, the Avata 360, one thing they definitely did think through was a variety of control options.
When I spoke to the co-founder of Insta360, the company behind Antigravity, I asked him about this problem and he told me, tantalizingly, I wasn't the only person who had mentioned it. For a company known to listen to its users, that was effectively an admission that an alternative controller was on the way.
Now we know what it is – and it's different again from other solutions out there.
Insta360 has presented users with a wrist-watch with built-in screen which acts as the basic control interface. The core controls can be activated
In the company's word, this means there is no need for carrying a game-pad style controller around – something that also wasn't an option with the A1's original FPV goggles kits. As I found in my original tests of the Antigravity A1, these involved a kind of 'joystick' you held in the air.
The drone is now more competitive with the likes of the HoverAir X1 Pro Max in terms of subject tracking, and pricing, but retains the advantage of the 360-degree footage and software for 'frame later' and 'infinite edits' from the same clips.
This is complemented with the use of the watch, of course, as the screen is just about big enough to tap-to-drag an area, selecting a subject for the drone to track (you might select yourself then ride off into the sunset – or at least for 20 minutes or so before the useable battery starts to dip).
The new Follow Me bundle also includes full cover guards for the propellors in case of accidental collisions. They are a more lightweight style than the cinewhoop design that is built into drones like the DJI Neo series.
The result is a drone which competes on quality and safety, doesn't face so many of the legal issues that DJI are struggling against in the USA (it is also Chinese, but DJI is being targeted specifically by the US government, so some Americans prefer to look elsewhere during this administration at least).
I'd also say that the controls look like the best beacon-style drone controls yet – and I look forward to reporting back in more detail soon (because they're waiting for me at the post office!)
I'm a little worried that the prop guards will push the weight over 249g, though (249 to 351 to be precise) so there may be some issues.
Check my guide to the best camera drones and you'll see options from but the ring here is the first that seems to offer subtle camera direction atop a general A.I. follow mode, all without anything in hand.
