Sony has announced their first-ever professional drone! The “Airpeak S1” is the first model in the new Airpeak line as well as the world’s smallest drone that can be equipped with a full-size mirrorless interchangeable-lens Alpha camera! Utilizing the best drone features, such as a proprietary motor, propeller, control system and sensing technology, the S1 can fly at extremely high speeds with very stable wind resistance. The Airpeak S1 also features an advanced remote controller for outstanding control, obstacle detection, automatic flight control and more! It’s time to open up a new world of creative possibilities with the Sony Airpeak S1!
Starting with the very important feature, flight performance, the Airpeak S1 has powerful flying capabilities. This includes a fast maximum speed of 90km/h, a maximum angular velocity of 180°/s, and a maximum tilt angle of 55°. The S1 also uses a combination of Sony-developed technology to create excellent propulsion and wind resistance in strong wind speeds of up to 72km/h.
The Airpeak S1 boasts a lightweight, highly efficient, sturdy and responsive proprietary 17″ propeller and brushless motor. To ensure optimal control of these components, the S1 is also equipped with an ESC (Electric Speed Controller).
With 5 stereo cameras equipped with Sony’s image sensors, located on the front, back, left, right, bottom, the S1 can process the camera data at high speed in real-time for stable flight even GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) reception may be hindered. The Airpeak S1 is also equipped with a unique high-performance flight control system that integrates all sensor information such as IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), direction, barometric pressure and infrared ranging to optimize the propulsion device.
The Airpeak S1 has an obstacle braking function by utilizing its Multi-directional sensors. With stereo cameras on the front, rear, left and right and an infrared range-finding sensor mounted on the top, the S1 can recognize obstacles in the vicinity of the aircraft. This allows the aircraft to automatically decelerate and stop according to the behaviour of the aircraft and the surrounding conditions.
To give users lots of flexibility for different creative projects, the Airpeak S1 is compatible with a wide range of Alpha camera bodies. The Alpha 7S series and FX3 for high descriptive capability with suppressed noise, the Alpha 7R series for ultra-high-definition, and the Alpha 9 series and others for distortion-free images and, of course, the Alpha 1, which can shoot footage in 8K!
The Airpeak S1 includes “Airpeak Flight,” an iOS® and iPadOS® compatible app that integrates the aircraft, transmitter, camera, and gimbal, allowing the operator to monitor status information such as flight distance and remaining battery power, as well as change various operations and settings on the screen. The S1 also includes a dual operation mode so that one user can operate the drone, while another user can operate the gimbal and camera simultaneously, all while checking the same image, even in complicated scenes.
To keep the user’s workflow as efficient as possible, the S1 has a web app, “Airpeak Base,” that allows the operator to manage equipment, create flight plans, and manage flight logs. With Airpeak Base, the operator can create advanced flight plans and automatically fly the aircraft along the same course repeatedly, as if the drone were on rails installed in the air. It can also 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.
All aircraft information, including logs, can be uploaded to the cloud via the mobile app Airpeak Flight. Airpeak Base allows users to check the status of the aircraft and can provide notifications if necessary. Users can manage the status of the aircraft before flight, view past flight logs on the logbook screen, and view details such as in-flight errors.
For more information on the Sony Airpeak S1, you can go to electronics.sony.com/airpeak.
