Fat Shark’s newest FPV goggles make flying a drone feel more like piloting a fighter jet

By Alexander Thickstun May 18, 2016

Most UAVs on the market today have the ability to capture a live video feed, so you can see exactly what the camera’s seeing while you fly. But if you’ve ever tried reading your phone or tablet while you’re flying outside on a sunny day, you know firsthand how difficult it can be to see what’s happening on such a tiny little screen.

That’s where Fat Shark‘s Dominator V3 goggles come in. With this FPV setup, you’re immersed in one giant display that’s akin to watching a movie in a dark room. Using a 800 x 480 pixel display for each eye, the goggles allow you to see what your UAV’s camera is seeing, with minimal latency. We wore these while flying a DJI Phantom 4, and it was a rather eye-opening experience (pun intended). In addition to giving you a clearer view of what your drone sees, the Dominator V3 goggles also provide you with a wealth of flight information like altitude, speed, and camera settings. There’s even a horizontal line that shows your UAV’s angle of attack and tilt, bringing you closer to a fighter-jet experience.

1 of 9

fat shark dominator v3 review video dominator1 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

fat shark dominator v3 review video dominator2 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

fat shark dominator v3 review video dominator3 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

fat shark dominator v3 review video dominator4 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

fat shark dominator v3 review video dominator5 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

fat shark dominator v3 review video dominator6 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

fat shark dominator v3 review video dominator7 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

fat shark dominator v3 review video dominator8 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

fat shark dominator v3 review video dominator9 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Fat Shark Dominator V3 googles can connect to your UAV’s remote via HDMI, and there are expandable options for head-tilt, and 3D transmit and receive antennas. For DJI Phantom drones, you’ll need to purchase and install an HDMI output module on the bottom of your remote, and adjust settings in the DJI Go app to enable a dual display output.

Recommended Videos

Also, be warned that the Dominator V3’s do not come with a wall charger for the battery. Fat Shark assumes that most FPV enthusiasts already have a standard RC type charger, but most UAVs on the market today come with proprietary power connectors. Therefore, you have to buy a Fat Shark wall charger separately for $20.

I’ve flown UAVs for quite some time, but never with FPV goggles before, and I have to say these completely change the game. I was somewhat reluctant because these goggs didn’t have HD displays, but the resolution is still incredibly good for real-time streaming. But really, at the end of the day, none of that stuff matters — it’s the immersion that makes the biggest difference. I’m not sure I can go back to flying with my phone ever again.

Topics

Emerging Tech

Alexander Thickstun

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Alexander graduated with a degree in Aerospace Engineering in 2005 and an MBA in 2011. He's an outdoor enthusiast and avid…

Outdoors

Juiced Bikes offers 20% off on all e-bikes amid signs of bankruptcy

Juiced Bikes Scrambler ebike

A “20% off sitewide” banner on top of a company’s website should normally be cause for glee among customers. Except if you’re a fan of that company’s products and its executives remain silent amid mounting signs that said company might be on the brink of bankruptcy.That’s what’s happening with Juiced Bikes, the San Diego-based maker of e-bikes.According to numerous customer reports, Juiced Bikes has completely stopped responding to customer inquiries for some time, while its website is out of stock on all products. There are also numerous testimonies of layoffs at the company.Even more worrying signs are also piling up: The company’s assets, including its existing inventory of products, is appearing as listed for sale on an auction website used by companies that go out of business.In addition, a court case has been filed in New York against parent company Juiced Inc. and Juiced Bike founder Tora Harris, according to Trellis, a state trial court legal research platform.Founded in 2009 by Harris, a U.S. high-jump Olympian, Juiced Bikes was one of the early pioneers of the direct-to-consumer e-bike brands in the U.S. market.The company’s e-bikes developed a loyal fandom through the years. Last year, Digital Trends named the Juiced Bikes Scorpion X2 as the best moped-style e-bike for 2023, citing its versatility, rich feature set, and performance.The company has so far stayed silent amid all the reports. But should its bankruptcy be confirmed, it could legitimately be attributed to the post-pandemic whiplash experienced by the e-bike industry over the past few years. The Covid-19 pandemic had led to a huge spike in demand for e-bikes just as supply chains became heavily constrained. This led to a ramp-up of e-bike production to match the high demand. But when consumer demand dropped after the pandemic, e-bike makers were left with large stock surpluses.The good news is that the downturn phase might soon be over just as the industry is experiencing a wave of mergers and acquisitions, according to a report by Houlihan Lokey.This may mean that even if Juiced Bikes is indeed going under, the brand and its products might find a buyer and show up again on streets and trails.

Cars

Volkswagen plans 8 new affordable EVs by 2027, report says

volkswagen affordable evs 2027 id 2all

Back in the early 1970s, when soaring oil prices stifled consumer demand for gas-powered vehicles, Volkswagen took a bet on a battery system that would power its first-ever electric concept vehicle, the Elektro Bus.
Now that the German automaker is facing a huge slump in sales in Europe and China, it’s again turning to affordable electric vehicles to save the day.Volkswagen brand chief Thomas Schaefer told German media that the company plans to bring eight new affordable EVs to market by 2027."We have to produce our vehicles profitably and put them on the road at affordable prices," he is quoted as saying.
One of the models will be the ID.2all hatchback, the development of which is currently being expedited to 36 months from its previous 50-month schedule. Last year, VW unveiled the ID.2all concept, promising to give it a price tag of under 25,000 euros ($27,000) for its planned release in 2025.VW CEO Larry Blume has also hinted at a sub-$22,000 EV to be released after 2025.It’s unclear which models would reach U.S. shores. Last year, VW America said it planned to release an under-$35,000 EV in the U.S. by 2027.The price of batteries is one of the main hurdles to reduced EV’s production costs and lower sale prices. VW is developing its own unified battery cell in several European plants, as well as one plant in Ontario, Canada.But in order for would-be U.S. buyers to obtain the Inflation Reduction Act's $7,500 tax credit on the purchase of an EV, the vehicle and its components, including the battery, must be produced at least in part domestically.VW already has a plant in Chattanooga, Tennesse, and is planning a new plant in South Carolina. But it’s unclear whether its new unified battery cells would be built or assembled there.

Cars

Nissan launches charging network, gives Ariya access to Tesla SuperChargers

nissan charging ariya superchargers at station

Nissan just launched a charging network that gives owners of its EVs access to 90,000 charging stations on the Electrify America, Shell Recharge, ChargePoint and EVgo networks, all via the MyNissan app.It doesn’t stop there: Later this year, Nissan Ariya vehicles will be getting a North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter, also known as the Tesla plug. And in 2025, Nissan will be offering electric vehicles (EVs) with a NACS port, giving access to Tesla’s SuperCharger network in the U.S. and Canada.Starting in November, Nissan EV drivers can use their MyNissan app to find charging stations, see charger availability in real time, and pay for charging with a payment method set up in the app.The Nissan Leaf, however, won’t have access to the functionality since the EV’s charging connector is not compatible. Leaf owners can still find charging stations through the NissanConnectEV and Services app.Meanwhile, the Nissan Ariya, and most EVs sold in the U.S., have a Combined Charging System Combo 1 (CCS1) port, which allows access to the Tesla SuperCharger network via an adapter.Nissan is joining the ever-growing list of automakers to adopt NACS. With adapters, EVs made by General Motors, Ford, Rivian, Honda and Volvo can already access the SuperCharger network. Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, and Jaguar have also signed agreements to allow access in 2025.
Nissan has not revealed whether the adapter for the Ariya will be free or come at a cost. Some companies, such as Ford, Rivian and Kia, have provided adapters for free.
With its new Nissan Energy Charge Network and access to NACS, Nissan is pretty much covering all the bases for its EV drivers in need of charging up. ChargePoint has the largest EV charging network in the U.S., with over 38,500 stations and 70,000 charging ports at the end of July. Tesla's charging network is the second largest, though not all of its charging stations are part of the SuperCharger network.