Sony originally announced Airpeak, its entry into drones, last year. Today, as part of CES’s announcements, the company revealed a few more details: namely, the appearance of the drone.
Very little information was provided on how the drone would work, with Sony focusing on showing what we can expect when it comes to the design and construction of the Airpeak (although no specification of its size or weight has been provided). The drone has a rectangular central body with a gimbal below it, where the Sony Alpha camera is located. The legs bend upwards after the drone takes off to give the camera the ability to rotate 360 degrees in flight without obstructions. The drone has a quadcopter design and each arm that holds an engine and rotor appears to be made of carbon fiber.
See the latest news from Sony revealed at CES 2021, starting with the exclusive Airpeak reveal. Learn more: https://t.co/ltzutqpAgx #SonyCES pic.twitter.com/B0HpRGpSKF
– Sony (@Sony) January 11, 2021
In a video posted on Twitter and in the image below, an autonomous rotating camera is shown, as well as what appear to be two more cameras in a bar, both in the front and the rear (they can also be sensors), which probably points to the fact to be used to navigate in flight while a second operator can focus on filming. This reflects the design of the latest DJI Inspire.
Airpeak will be officially launched in the spring of 2021.
“Sony launched the Airpeak brand with the goal of further developing today’s drone technology, while at the same time achieving maximum value creation,” says the company on its official website. “As the first phase of this project, Sony will launch a new business focused on professional photography and video production in the spring of 2021.”
The video below offers a long and detailed view of how the drone takes off and operates during flight.
Sony specifically states that the drone will have support for Sony Alpha cameras, but has said nothing about other camera models.
“To fully support the creativity of video creators, the payload of the drone can be equipped with an Alpha mirrorless camera to capture high quality full-frame video and aerial photography,” writes Sony. “Airpeak, the smallest drone class in the industry that can be equipped with the Alpha system, is capable of dynamic filming and accurate and stable flight, and aims to contribute to the world of entertainment, while seeking new possibilities for creative expression . ”
Sony posted some images of the drone on its website along with these videos:
Noteworthy, almost no cables are visible connecting the Alpha camera to the drone, which suggests that connectivity can be compact and discreet, which is always an advantage.
It is unclear whether Sony has more plans to explain more about Airpeak at CES or whether it will wait to reveal more as the launch date approaches.
(via DPReview)