Though the company’s cameras have long been at the heart of hobbyist and professional drone setups alike, GoPro today unveiled its highly anticipated entry into the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market.
GoPro’s Karma drone will hit the market just four months after the Federal Aviation Administration’s finalization of commercial drone rules, but years behind competing drones from manufacturers like DJI, Parrot and Yuneec. However, GoPro’s highly recognizable brand power in conjunction with the Karma’s portability, smart features, ease of use and competitive price already make the drone a compelling choice in what is quickly becoming a crowded market.
The Karma features a unique foldable design that allows it to fit into a slim backpack case which is included. And unlike drones from competitors like DJI, the Karma holds its GoPro camera out front in order to avoid the occasional intrusion of spinning rotors into your shot.
The camera is held by a clever three-axis gimbal which not only stabilizes the footage while the drone is being flown, but can be removed from the drone for handheld shooting or for other shots when using one of the many mounts GoPro currently offers for its cameras.
Like GoPro’s Hero adventure cameras, the Karma is primarily targeted at the consumer and sports/outdoor markets. That goes a long way in explaining its low base price of $799 but it also informed the drone’s highly portable design and the clamshell remote control’s smartphone-like interface and built-in flight trainer.
