


CES 2016: We've Hit Peak Drone

LAS VEGAS—"We've hit peak drone."

That's what I said to myself on Thursday morning, as I ambled through CES's Central Hall and discovered that Polaroid—yes, the company that built its brand on instant photography, but now seems to make just about every type of tech product—had its own drone lineup. I just wasn't expecting that.

CES 2016 Bug ArtAt CES, most of the drone activity is relegated to the South Hall, with a cluster of booths set up from vendors you're familiar with (DJI, Parrot, and Yuneec) and many more that have no brand recognition in the U.S. It was easy enough to find and photograph several dozen aircraft (although that did eat up a couple hours of my time). If you want to see the menagerie for yourself, I've put together an extensive selection of images (with informative captions!) for your perusal.

Generic copters aside, there was some big drone news from the major players at CES. Parrot made the first big waves, showing off its Disco aircraft at CES Unveiled and Pepcom, events held ahead of the official opening of the show floor. Our favorite video talent, Sascha Segan, talked to Parrot on Periscope about the Disco (below). It's a big, fixed-wing drone, more similar to an airplane or glider than a helicopter. It has a nose-mounted 1080p camera (with digital stabilization) and promises to go as fast as 50mph in the air. It's still in the prototype stage, but Parrot hopes to start selling it in 2016. It wouldn't surprise me if the official on-sale date and further details are announcements at next year's CES, however.

DJI, the name that most folks associate with quadcopters, didn't have a big show, product wise. The single new model, the Phantom 3 4K, uses the camera from the Phantom 3 Professional, but comes in at a lower price point ($999) by omitting DJI's LightBridge streaming system. This means that the footage that's sent back to your phone is 480p instead of 720p, and that the operating range is cut roughly in half (based on our testing of similar models). For drone enthusiasts looking to save some money, it's appealing. But I still think it's worth it to spend a bit more on the Pro model. The video stream that's sent to your phone acts as your eyes in the sky, allowing you to set up your shot and better avoid obstacles. And while the more limited range won't be a huge deal in open, rural spaces, it can seriously limit your flying in more crowded, suburban settings.

But you wouldn't know that DJI didn't have a lot of buzz at the show based on the throngs of folks who were crowded into its booth when I stopped by. I could barely squeeze in to get a shot of the P3 4K. DJI's Michael Perry was presenting a series of drone photo and video awards, highlighting the best images shared this year via SkyPixel. The crowd gave Perry its rapt attention, and the winning photos that I saw were simply gorgeous.

3D Robotics didn't show at CES proper, but did host an offsite Drone Rodeo (photos below). It introduced some software updates to its Solo. New features include a Multipoint Cable Cam function—a form of waypoint planning—a Follow Me mode with independent camera control, and integration with to ensure that you're flying in nonrestricted airspace.

And GoPro, which has its Karma drone slated for a 2016 debut, wasn't ready to show it off at CES.

It was Yuneec that took the award honors home, at least as far as PCMag's Best of CES is concerned. Its new model, the Typhoon H, looks like a pretty serious flyer, and its price point is aggressive to boot. It features a six-rotor design, but the body itself is pretty compact, and rotor arm folds down for transport. Construction is premium, with carbon fiber elements, the landing gear folds up during flight, and the 4K camera can spin around to face any direction, just like DJI's pro-grade Inspire 1.

Dual operator control is supported—one person can pilot the drone and the other can move the camera—and Yuneec is going to be offering a few different versions, with premium models featuring a collision avoidance system powered by Intel RealSense. The Typhoon H can fly for up to 22 minutes before you'll need to recharge or swap batteries, and is limited to operating at 400 feet above ground level in accordance with FAA regulations. The price point for the basic model is $1,799.

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