DJI Spark Launches: $500 Drone That Can Launch From Your Palm

by Mudit / May 25, 2017 07:16 PM EDT

Trying out the new gesture controls on the DJI Spark

DJI launched their new camera drone called 'Spark' this week. The new DJI Spark is the smallest camera drone on the market currently weighing a measly 10.6 ounces, which is less than a standard soda can. Although small and compact, the Spark has some interesting surprises. The drone is capable of achieving flight directly from the palm of your hand and can be controlled using hand gestures alone.

According to Paul Pan, who is the senior product manager of DJI - "Controlling a camera drone with hand movements alone is a major step towards making aerial technology an intuitive part of everyone's daily life, from work and adventure to moments with friends and family"

He also went on to add "Spark's revolutionary new interface lets you effortlessly extend your point of view to the air, making it easier than ever to capture and share the world from new perspectives."

The DJI spark has been designed to accompany you on almost any journey. With its compact size, it fits easily in your bag without adding too much weight to it. Apart from hand gestures, the Spark can also be controlled using a mobile device or a remote controller. The drone is set to come out in 5 different colors, namely: Sky Blue, Alpine White, Meadow Green, Lava Red and Sunrise Yellow.

The drone has a very capable camera that can capture 12-megapixel images and record video at 1080p. The drone also comes with some presets like Rocket, Dronie, Circle and Helix. These presets are called 'quick shots' and can be activated using the hand gestures or the remote control.

Rocket sends the drone straight up in the air with the camera pointed down. Dronie will make the drone fly up and away from you while keeping the camera pointed at you. Circle, will make the drone revolve around you while Helix will cause it to spiral while gaining altitude in the sky.

The Spark has a maximum flight time of 16 minutes and is available in two packages, each costs, $499 and $699 depending on the accessories you decide to get. You can pre-order the DJI - Spark right now on this link.