Recently we saw a new leaked video of the DJI Avata being tested in the field, which you can watch in the video below. Since being leaked, we’ve had some time to look closer at what is shown in the video, in this article we’ll summarize our findings.
What is the DJI Avata FPV drone?
First and foremost the DJI Avata drone is clearly visible flying for large portions of the video. Due to the low quality of the video, we cannot resolve any additional details about the drone other than that it is clearly the DJI Avata drone (due to the distinctive prop guards and overall shape).
One interesting detail is the orientation of the drone. It seems as though the camera, battery, and main body of the drone sit above the propellers and propeller guards during flight. This means the gimbal for the drone will likely be unable to pitch that far down which should not be that much of an issue as the drone is intended to be used as an FPV drone which means you will be flying it forwards for most of the time, with the gimbal pitched upwards.
This unique design feature can be rather limiting in the respect that it forces the DJI Avata drone to take off and land on its propeller guards/housing. This also means anything directly under the drone will be unprotected from its propellers, therefore launching on a grassy surface may be challenging.
How about the new DJI FPV goggles?
In addition to the drone’s flight, we can see a man flying the drone with redesigned DJI FPV goggles on his head. These newly redesigned goggles have a thinner and more compact appearance to them with flip-out antennas (just two this time) sticking out on both sides. The goggles can be seen wired to a battery held by another person.
Is there a DJI Avata Controller?
The video depicts the DJI Avata drone being controlled by DJI’s FPV Motion controller which hints at future compatibility between the DJI Avata drone and the FPV Motion controller. At this time there isn’t any leak detailing a controller for this new drone, but it will potentially be compatible with the existing DJI FPV controller, as sold with the original DJI FPV drone.
Any more photos of the DJI Avata?
In addition to the aforementioned video, an additional photo was leaked by the Twitter account @DealsDrone. The photo shows the same individuals as in the previous video, with two of them wearing DJI FPV 2 Goggles.
The DJI Avata drone can be seen on the ground in the lower portion of the photo, in what can be assumed to be its take-off position. The man in the white shirt can also be seen holding the DJI FPV Motion controller.
DJI Avata leaked close-Up photos
In addition to the video and above leaks, three close-up images of the DJI Avata were also leaked courtesy of Douyin. The three images show the Dji Avata drone in great detail.
In the first image, the orange quick-release buttons for the rear-mounted battery can be spotted. The battery in the drone also has “Avata” written in gray along its back.
Additionally, there are three visible screws holding in each motor which suggests they may be user replaceable, although the wiring can be challenging for repairs, potentially needing to be unsoldered and resoldered to an internal ESC controller (speed controller).
The propeller ducts can be seen with small extensions on all four sides to make sure the propellers do not make contact with the ground during take-off or landing, although this still may limit it’s take-off ability from long grass.
The camera is mounted on a single-axis gimbal with shock absorbers (as seen in the second photo). The frame of the drone encases and protects the camera apparatus on either side and also holds a LED indicator light with a DJI logo next to it. The single axis stabilization suggests that the roll and yaw axis will be stabilized with EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization), which sadly will degrade video quality and the smooth quality of video captured.
DJI Avata in summary
While it is unclear whether the video and images are of reviewers or field testers working for DJI, it is clear the DJI Avata drone may release sooner than previously thought.
Earlier we saw leaked FCC confidentiality dates point to a very late release date, but we have seen DJI push their confidentiality dates far past their release dates in previous drones (possibly in an attempt to cloak their release dates).
These new leaks of a working DJI Avata drone in the field with support for devices such as the FPV Motion controller could indicate a much closer release date, but only time will tell.
Let us know what you think in the comments below!