At the National Association of Broadcasters Show on Sunday, DJI unveiled the latest model of in its prolific line of Phantom drones, the Vision Plus. The upgraded UAV, which will retail for $1,299, is a suped-up model of the Phantom Vision, which was introduced last fall. The new model improves upon the previous iteration with a three-axis gimbal, more than double the WiFi communication distance (about 2,300 feet), a 50-percent boost in maximum flight speed (to around 50 feet per second) and a 90-degree tilt that lets you shoot subjects directly below the aircraft.
In addition to the new hardware, DJI is releasing a firmware update that includes updated safety measures regarding where you are allowed to fly your drone in relation to airports. For example, if you fly your drone within 1.5 miles of a large commercial airport, you will receive a warning on your control device and the drone will land automatically. For a full explanation of the new update, and to see a perfect example of a manufacture enacting responsable safety measures on their product, click here.
And check out this video to watch DJI Director of Aerial Imaging Eric Cheng explain all of the new features of the Vision Plus.
Alan is serial entrepreneur, active angel investor, and a drone enthusiast. He co-founded DRONELIFE.com to address the emerging commercial market for drones and drone technology. Prior to DRONELIFE.com, Alan co-founded Where.com, ThinkingScreen Media, and Nurse.com. Recently, Alan has co-founded Crowditz.com, a leader in Equity Crowdfunding Data, Analytics, and Insights. Alan can be reached at alan(at)dronelife.com