At today’s media event in NYC, DJI announced its new Spark drone, destined for the entry-level market as an everyday portable solution for capturing aerial footage. To go with your shiny new Spark, DJI is releasing a new iOS control app, dubbed GO 4.
The new app features a new set of four automated flight modes, which allow you or I to pull off advanced flight maneuvers that would otherwise wreck a $499 toy. The GO4 app starts you off with ActiveTrack, allowing the Spark to focus on any moving subject within the frame; Pano, an automated stitching software tool that allows you to capture panoramas; ShallowFocus, an exaggerated depth of field shot; TapFly which hovers and tracks a target and finally, the Gesture mode which allows you to use simply hand gestures to take selfie shots or videos.
DJI is obviously including photo/video filters within GO 4, automated editing and exporting/uploading to YouTube, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook and other social networks.
All of Spark’s flight modes include full flight autonomy, thanks to a sensor cocktail of GPS/GLONASS, a 3D sensing system and what DJI is marketing as a vision positioning system for in-flight stability.
An SDK is also available for the Spark platform, which includes a partnership with Epson, including coding while using drones, or for use with the first-person view goggles, allowing developers to get a bit more creative with flight modes or capture features.
The DJI Spark drone is available for pre-order now starting at $499, with an expected shipping date on June 15th.
