The HoverAir Aqua, the first fully waterproof self-flying drone, has finally been released into global retail channels, following a successful debut on crowdfunding, so you can pick up a drone that can capture your solo water activities today.
HoverAir established the "follow-me" drone category with its X1 series of drones, which can safely be released from the hand and will use onboard sensors and AI to keep the user in shot, and essentially work as your own private camera operator.
Now the company has developed that tech so it can be used somewhere no other AI tracking drones can.
I tested and was impressed by the HoverAir X1 and X1 Pro Max, but there was an issue for fans of wakeboarding to kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding and the like – perhaps even jet-skiing.
For one thing, drones are not typically waterproof. Consumer drones also struggle a little over an aquatic environment because the water all looks the same to the downward-facing sensor, and there is likely to be more wind.
Until now the solution was simple. If you wanted footage of yourself enjoying the water, you'd get a friend to manually control a drone, taking off from land and being optimistic that nothing went wrong in the meantime, because if the drone hit the water's surface, it would sink.
The HoverAir Aqua, however, is designed to cope with the challenges that water activities present, while still being a consumer drone with a take-off weight under 250g.
It has powerful enough motors to handle winds up to Level 7 and speeds of up to 34mph (Level 5 is more common).
Significantly, it is "positively buoyant," meaning it can land on the water if necessary and either be picked up from the surface or take off from it.
The drone also boasts a hydrophobic lens, behind which is a 1/2.8-inch sensor capable of capturing 4K video at up to 100fps so crisp slow motion is possible. HoverAir has also included the company's SmoothCapture image stabilization system.
"Our goal was simple: give people the freedom to focus on their adventure without worrying about their camera. With Aqua, anyone can capture breathtaking moments on and around the water completely hands-free," said Co-founder MQ Wang.
I know from experience that the tech HoverAir brought to the follow-me space is impressive. Admittedly, that has been subsequently mimicked a little by others of the best beginner drones, but I look forward to testing the unique way it has been enhanced for aquatic conditions.
This is coming the same week we published the GoPro Mission 1 Pro review – but it does beg a question; GoPro is waterproof for sure, but there is no way that company's new camera will follow you with AI. Is the whole action camera technology reaching a turning point, with this, a ruggedized drone?
The HoverAir Aqua is on sale now worldwide in several combos starting at $ 1,299 / £1,129.
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