DJI’s $2,800 camera drone was a hit at CES Unveiled

LAS VEGAS — DJI’s new drone, the Inspire 1, is an impressive combination of intelligent aerodynamics and photographic power.

The Inspire 1 was one of the most popular products at CES Unveiled, a media event that kicks off the weeklong extravaganza that is CES.

A camera hangs down from the front of the Inspire 1, and can rotate 360 degrees to catch stills or video anywhere around it. It can also move its gaze up and down from any place in its rotation.

After the drone has taken off, its legs adjust upward so as to stay out of the view of the camera. The propellers are mounted on the tops of the legs.

A set of three optical sensors on the bottom of the drone help it navigate and avoid running in to anything, even indoors. They also can tell when the drone is within 18 inches of the ground, and at that time the legs adjust down for landing.

Shenzhen, China-based DJI gave VentureBeat a quick video presentation of the Inspire 1’s features at CES Unveiled:

The Inspire 1’s camera is of high quality too; It can shoot 4K video from the air, DJI says. It takes 12-megapixel still photographs, and features a 7-shot-per-second burst mode.

The drone can be operated by two controllers at once, so that one person can fly while the other operates the camera.

A DJI spokesperson told VentureBeat that the Inspire 1 is available now for $2,875 with one controller, or for around $3300 with two controllers.

The company says people in filmmaking, agriculture, conservation, search and rescue, and energy infrastructure are using DJI camera drones to bring new perspectives to their work.