It’s been spoken of for more than a year, but there’s further evidence this week that DJI is close to releasing its first-ever racing drone.
Images posted this week by OsitaLV — a leaker with a pretty good track record — show a “DJI FPV Combo” box showing an image of a controller, goggles, and the all-important drone. Another photo of what appears to be a set of finished products show the goggles and the flying machine.
Looks like spaceship!
Someone who got evaluation didn't keep their NDA. pic.twitter.com/qyFycphly6— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) December 2, 2020
Compared to DJI’s other offerings such as the Mini 2 and Mavic Air 2, the mostly black quadcopter shown in the photo features a much chunkier design, presumably to help it cope better with the inevitable collisions it’ll endure as pilots take the device on high-speed adventures.
Up to now, DJI has focused mainly on consumer drones geared toward capturing video and stills, with the machines incorporating a number of obstacle avoidance sensors to prevent clumsy pilots from bashing into objects and falling to the ground. But racing drones are a wholly different proposition, with speed and agility central to their design. Indeed, they can move so fast that anti-crash sensors would have no time to act. Which is why they don’t have them.
In another tweet also posted this week, OsitaLV suggests the DJI racing drone could feature 4K/60 fps video recording, three distinct flight modes, and a top speed of 150 kph (93 mph). He suggests it could launch in January 2021, though here the date sounds more like a guess than a tipoff.
DJI’s plan to build a high-speed drone first came to light just over a year ago when the Federal Communications Commission published various documents that mentioned such a machine.
While DJI’s drone may not be so popular with drone racing aficionados who’re more likely to build their machines from off-the-shelf components, such a device may prove a hit with DJI enthusiasts who already have experience with the company’s current offerings and who like the idea of trying something a little different — whether to enhance their piloting skills or just for fun.
With this latest leak showing what appears to be a final product, DJI could announce the latest lineup to its growing range of drones at any time. Digital Trends will be sure to update this article just as soon as we get word.
