Sony Introduces the Professional Drone for Creatives Airpeak S1
After a series of videos were released over the past six months, Sony plans to release the Airpeak S1 as the first model in Airpeak line, which has been developed to contribute to the further development of drones and the utmost in value creation.
The commercial drone, Airpeak S1 will be the world’s smallest drone able to be equipped with a full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens α camera, enabling dynamic and precise flight with high agility by using a proprietary motor, propeller, control system, and sensing technology, and supporting the creative expression of its users to the fullest. It also supports producing high-quality aerial images with a remote controller that can control the aircraft at will, obstacle detection and automatic flight control via sensing, and increased flight safety via cloud management of the aircraft and flight information.
“Sony is excited to launch our new drone business with the Airpeak S1,” said Yang Cheng, Vice President, Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics Inc. “Combining an extremely compact size with some of Sony’s most advanced imaging, sensing, AI, and robotics technologies, the S1 will allow content creators, storytellers, and commercial professionals to capture that which they’ve never been able to capture before.”
Main features:
Fly dynamically with basic high performance
Reaches a maximum speed of 90km/h, a maximum angular velocity of 180°/s, and a maximum tilt angle of 55°.
Stable flight even in strong winds
Propulsion technology using a combination of independently developed key devices provides wind resistance of up to 20m/s, enabling stable flight even in strong winds.
Independently developed propulsion device and flight control system
In addition to the lightweight, highly efficient, sturdy, and responsive proprietary 17″ propeller and brushless motor, it is equipped with an ESC (Electric Speed Controller) for optimal control of these components.
Unique, high-performance flight control system that integrates the propulsion device and all sensor information to ensure a stable flight and high maneuverability.
Accurately grasp position and orientation using multiple high-performance sensors
Stereo cameras equipped with Sony’s image sensors are installed in 5 locations (front, back, left, right, bottom) of the aircraft. Sony’s Vision Sensing Processor, which processes camera data at high speed, and proprietary algorithms are used to accurately estimate the aircraft’s spatial position and orientation in real-time, enabling stable flight even in environments where GNSS reception may be affected or hindered, such as indoors or under bridges. Airpeak S1 integrates visual information with sensor information such as IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), direction, barometric pressure, infrared ranging, etc., estimates self-position and attitude with high accuracy, and recognizes the surrounding space in real-time. This enables stable flight even under conditions where it is difficult to receive GNSS, such as indoors and under bridges.
A wide range of cameras and lens options
Choose the right α system for your application and expand your filmmaking horizons: the α7S series and FX3 for high descriptive capability with suppressed noise, the α7R series for ultra-high-definition, and the α9 series and others for distortion-free images.
The α1, which can shoot footage in 8K, is also compatible.
“Airpeak Flight”, a remote controller with high operability and a mobile app that allows centralized control of the aircraft and equipment.
Capable of operating the aircraft, camera, and gimbal while checking images captured by α camera in real-time.
The iOS / iPadOS compatible mobile app Airpeak Flight integrates the aircraft, remote controller, camera, and gimbal, allowing the operator to monitor status information such as flight distance and remaining battery power, and change various operations and settings on the screen.
Integrated management in the cloud with “Airpeak Base”
Airpeak Base is a web application that allows the operator to manage equipment, create flight plans, and manage flight logs.
In equipment management, information on the equipment used is automatically listed and managed based on the flight log. This allows the operator to check the condition of the aircraft before going to the field, contributing to problem reduction.
Creation of missions for video production and mission flight/repeat flight
With Airpeak Base, the operator can create advanced flight plans and automatically fly the aircraft along the same course many times as if on rails installed in the air.
It is able to set the position (latitude, longitude, and altitude) and speed of the aircraft along the timeline, and specify the orientation of the gimbal and the timing of video or still image shooting. It can also draw smooth curves on the map.
Repeat flight is an automatic flight function that automatically reproduces the flight route, gimbal, and camera movements based on the flight logs that have flown in the past.
The Airpeak S1 will retail for $9,000 and will include two sets of propellers, a remote controller, two batteries, and a battery charger.
A third-party gimbal created specifically for the Airpeak S1 will be sold separately. An ‘Airpeak Protect Plan’ will also be made available to cover accidental damage, though the price hasn’t been specified. The drone is manufactured in Japan and will start shipping out to customers in Fall, 2021.
More info on Sony Airpeak’s website.
