Insta360 subsidiary announces FPV drone with 360-degree view

At the end of July, Insta360, the company known for 360-degree action cams, announced the launch of its subsidiary Antigravity, and now the manufacturer is announcing its first quadrocopter, the Antigravity A1. According to the company, this is the “world's first 8K 360° drone”.

In practice, this means that the fuselage of the drone is equipped with two cameras at the top and bottom and records everything around it in 360 degrees. This enables complete coverage of the surroundings without blind spots. As the A1 is a first-person view drone, the drone pilot can look around him or her via the goggles, while the advanced stitching technology makes the drone invisible.

Control and recordings

The model is controlled via a handle controller that reacts to the movements of the hand and is intended to make traditional stick control superfluous. Antigravity promises that pilots can look freely in any direction thanks to head tracking, while the drone can be flown using intuitive hand gestures.

The 360-degree perspective does not end when the drone lands. The recordings in 8K resolution can also be viewed in 360 degrees and played back as 2D video. The free choice of camera angle should ensure that good videos can be created from recordings even if the drone is not perfectly aligned with the subject during flight.

The A1 weighs just 249 grams, which is why it can be flown without a license. Only insurance is required, and users must register with the Federal Aviation Office because of the built-in camera. As C0 drones, they have a maximum flight altitude of 120 meters.

Launch not until 2026

It is surprising how early Antigravity is announcing its drone: the global sales launch is not planned until January 2026. The manufacturer intends to announce the final prices, details of bundles, and regional availability shortly before the market launch.

c't has already had the opportunity to take a prototype of the Antigravity A1 for a spin. The pre-production model already delivered on the promise of a seamless all-round view in an impressive way. However, it is likely to be a challenge to transfer the masses of image data to the video goggles with as little interference and latency as possible—especially when operating at the highest speed level, which was not yet activated during our test flights.

Antigravity is bridging the gap until the market launch with a competition called “Co-Creation Project,” for which interested parties can apply on the company's official website. Selected participants will then receive a pre-series of the Antigravity A1 to develop ideas, the best of which will be integrated into the retail version. Antigravity is offering prize money for this.

(nij)