Sony Airpeak: New Drone for Professional Videography

Late last year, Sony initially offered only limited details when first previewing the AirPeak. It was revealed that the well-known consumer electronics manufacturer was entering the drone market, but specifics were scarce. The initial reveal consisted of only a few shadowy images of portions of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

During this week’s CES event, the company is now ready to reveal further information. In a promotional video, CEO Kenichiro Yoshida stated, “Today, we will unveil a product that combines artificial intelligence and robotics,” and explained it was “created for imaginative professionals.”

This drone is engineered to accommodate Sony’s own imaging solutions – namely, the Alpha line of mirrorless cameras. While its size is greater than many consumer drones offered by companies such as DJI, Sony asserts it will be the most compact drone capable of utilizing its cameras.

Accompanying the announcement is newly released video showcasing the drone in operation, as well as sample video footage recorded by its integrated camera. The drone was piloted through snowy conditions and successfully captured remarkably smooth and stable video. It is also worth noting that the vehicle featured in the video is the Vision-S concept car that the company presented at this time last year.

The system appears to be positioned as a competitor to more professional-grade drone models. DJI currently dominates this segment – and nearly all other drone categories. However, while DJI holds a significant ownership position in Hasselblad, Sony’s system appears to be a uniquely designed, proprietary platform. This could offer advantages in terms of compatibility, although it doesn’t appear that the Alpha camera will be interchangeable with other models.

The company anticipates a spring launch for the system. Pricing information has not yet been disclosed.