3D Robotics' "Solo" Is The World's Smartest Drone

by Gary Oldwood on 14 April 2015 · 3699 views

Did you think that stunning aerial footage was only a luxury of Hollywood and space agencies? Well you could be right to think that up until now. What changed is the fact that 3D Robotics released their new drone that goes by the name Solo, which might be the(ir) best one yet.

Introducing 3DR Solo

This new fellow is said to be so good that you don’t even have to worry about controlling it- you only need to worry about the footage you want to film.

In particular, 3DR Solo is equipped with two Linux computers running at 1GHz, a 3 axis handheld GoPro gimbal, electronic GoPro controls and has HD streaming capabilities. It weighs 3.3 pounds and it’s ninja-black, with a controller which looks like a joypad and has a holder for your iOS/Android device; the role of which is to display the drone view and control the GoPro camera.

Chris Anderson, 3D Robotics CEO, stated:

Solo is a breakthrough in intelligent flight. It’s not just smarter so that it can do more; it’s smarter so that you have to do less. We’ve turned the hollywood toolkit into software, and allowed everyone to experience epic video, both behind and in front of the camera.

It costs $1400 with the GoPro gimbal, and $1000 without it- kind of a touchy price but of course it’s for professionals and not amateur hobbyists. If however, you haven’t touched a quadcopter before and want to start your drone-flying career with this one, then you will be happy to hear that it even has a Panic button that immediately freezes Solo, keeping it safe from crashing into walls and other objects. In addition, it has a fly simulator app that you can use to learn how to fly this thing first, before you actually begin flying it.

Moreover, developers will be able to examine 3DR Solo in-depth, since its hardware and software will be available to anyone. This can lead to new apps and configurations that will allow users to use Solo for many more activities.

One of the most impressive features it will have is its ability to “patrol” an area by going back and forth in a line that you define with your finger on your phone’s screen ("Cablecam" feature). This will allow you to record video without having to change direction manually all the time. Apart from this nifty feature, the drone will be able to focus the camera on an object that you pick and start orbiting around it in a circle for as long as you like ("Orbit" feature). Other features include object following, "Follow me" for following the pilot automatically, auto take off and auto landing, as well as wireless stream to the pilot’s iOS/Android device for a maximum distance of half a mile (depending on the environment). It has HDMI output for connecting to several peripherals like FPV goggles and monitors.

Example photos for "Cablecam", "Follow me" and "Orbit" features

3DR Solo Full Specs

Up to 25 minutes of flight time (20 with camera and Solo Gimbal)
HD video streaming to mobile
Top speed: 55 mph
Max altitude: 400 ft, per FAA rules
Weight: 1500 g; 1750 g with Solo Gimbal and GoPro
Wifi range: up to half a mile, depending on environment
Controller with color screen and live flight data
Pixhawk 2 flight controller
APM fully-autonomous flight control software
Customizable color LEDs for orientation
Solo Battery: 14.8 V LiPo (5200 mAh)
Rechargeable controller battery: 2600 mAh / 7.2 Vdc; lasts 4 hours (extendable battery available)
10x4.5 self-tightening props
880 kV motors
Plug and play with 3-axis Solo Gimbal from 3DR
Works with GoPro® HERO3, 3+ and 4 cameras (sold separately)