NAB 2017: DJI Unveils Latest Goggles

Control your drone with your head using DJI’s new FPV Goggles.

All images via DJI.

DJI made waves this week at NAB by announcing their groundbreaking new goggles. The goggles are a new way to look at the world (and your footage!) in that they enable users to control the drone through head movements. This development in drone technology pushes the boundaries of camera control, the future of VR, and DJI’s standing in the world of aerial photography. Let’s take a look at some of the key features of this product.

The goggles feature wireless “low-lag connectivity” and rely on two ultra-high definition screens at 1920X1080 — twice the resolution of normal 2k screens. They also offer an impressive head tracking feature:

Your head movements control both aircraft yaw and camera tilt in Head Tracking Flight mode as with remote controller sticks. All you need to do is turn left or right to yaw left or right, and straighten your head to stop turning. In Head Tracking Gimbal mode only the gimbal will move without affecting yaw.

DJI’s new Intelligent Flight Mode: Fixed-Wing Mode allows you to control the drone with your head while maintaining realistic plane movements by flying with enough rotational movement:

An AR trajectory prediction feature in Fixed-Wing Mode makes using this mode in complex environments safer. Other Intelligent Flight Modes include Terrain Follow, ActiveTrack, TapFly, Cinematic Mode and Tripod Mode.

You can control the goggles through a touchpad on the side or 5D button on the Mavic Pro controller with an easy-to-use, intuitive menu system.

All of this means better real-time awareness of how your viewer will see your finished shot. An added benefit is that your clients can see what you’re shooting while you’re shooting it. A director can view the shot while the operator is flying the drone for real-time cinematic shot direction. (Fun fact: the goggles will supposedly be “glasses friendly.”)

The goggles will begin shipping in May of 2017. Pre-orders are not an option at the moment as the goggles are already out of stock, but they will eventually be on sale for around $449.

Specs: