360 drone showdown: Antigravity A1 vs. DJI Avata 360

The buyer drone market in 2026 is clearly shifting towards full spherical video. As an alternative of aiming a set digicam lens, 360-degree drones document the whole atmosphere without delay. You fly first, then body your photographs later in software program.

As of now, two high contenders dominate this house: the Antigravity A1 and the DJI Avata 360. Each goal hobbyists and creators, however their {hardware} and flight philosophy differ sharply.

After taking part in with each drones for the previous few months, right here’s my tackle what kind of particular person or flight every drone is finest for, what’s truly price it, and whether or not one drone actually is best than the opposite.

{Hardware} and construct high quality

A have a look at the Antigravity A1 {hardware}

The Antigravity package focuses on an immersive, head-mounted expertise out of the field. The headset makes use of an adjustable velcro strap and an exterior battery pack. Small OLED screens on the skin of the goggles present system standing and reside digicam views with out requiring you to place the headset on.

The joystick is a single-handed movement controller with buttons for document, photograph, flight modes, emergency brake, and menu navigation. The platform options folding motor arms that collapse right into a compact, extremely moveable bundle.The digicam consists of twin 1/1.28-inch CMOS sensors mounted on the highest and backside of the chassis. 

To maintain the underside glass lens off grime and rocks throughout takeoff, you need to manually lengthen built-in touchdown legs earlier than flight. This drone is exclusive in that the two large angle lenses are in a set place pointing straight up and down, the downward lens goes to be inclined to wreck from touching the bottom for those who aren’t cautious. You’ll want to at all times use the included touchdown pad, and don’t overlook to manually lengthen these touchdown legs earlier than setting down. Forgetting this step on the flawed floor will imply a scratched lens.

This package did include a shoulder bag to pack every thing in, which makes for simple portability. 

A have a look at the DJI Avata 360 {hardware}

DJI takes a conventional, inflexible method to its airframe structure. The controller works with customary handheld remotes, just like the RC 2 with an built-in show display screen, in addition to movement controllers. You may pair the drone with FPV goggles, however you may also fly fully by way of a display screen in your controller. The platform is a inflexible, non-folding body. Heavy-duty propeller guards encompass the rotors to soak up impacts. The cameras include twin 1-inch CMOS sensors. 

When the cameras are in touchdown mode they’re rotated away from the bottom and secure from scratches. Moreover the field it got here in, the Avata didn’t include any kind of case (except you go for the Fly Extra Combo), so make sure you store for some choices to assist out with the portability of this package for those who don’t go for the Fly Extra model. 

{Hardware} verdict

Antigravity wins on portability palms down. Its folding design and light-weight body match simply into small backpacks and the supplied shoulder bag. For pilots who should journey mild, the inflexible, cumbersome form of the Avata 360 is likely to be a dealbreaker.

One other win for the Antigravity is the takeoff weight. The Antigravity weighs in at 249 grams, which places it under the FAA’s sub-250g threshold. This issues for regulatory registration compliance in some markets, in that you just don’t have to register it to fly for leisure functions. On the flip facet, the Avata 360 weighs about 455 grams, which suggests within the U.S. you’ll have to register with the FAA earlier than flying the Avata.

Nonetheless, DJI wins throughout most different {hardware} classes. The Avata 360 wins on management flexibility, permitting you to decide on between line-of-sight display screen flying and head-mounted FPV goggles.

Moreover, the inbuilt rotor guards are an enormous plus for DJI. Plus, DJI wins on touchdown gear design, eradicating the chance of scratched optics for those who overlook to flip down handbook legs.

And eventually, DJI wins on digicam {hardware}, as its bigger 1-inch sensors seize cleaner element and higher dynamic vary.

Software program ecosystem

Each platforms carry out reliably when connecting {hardware}, managing settings and updating system software program.

Antigravity makes use of a cellular smartphone software to handle firmware updates and preliminary pairings. Be sure to have house in your telephone – the app file dimension is roughly 1.2 gigabytes, and preliminary firmware packages attain 2 gigabytes. The desktop and cellular enhancing suite handles 360-degree reframing easily, permitting you to show spherical video into flat 16:9 or 9:16 clips with easy keyframes.

DJI integrates the Avata 360 into its current software program ecosystem by way of the DJI Fly app and desktop suite.

Each software program platforms course of spherical video properly and will probably be acquainted to these used to enhancing motion digicam footage. To people who are new to this kind of video enhancing software program, the training curve could be a little steep, however the reward is a few eye catching footage. They mechanically sew out the seam line the place the 2 lens views meet, making the drone invisible within the ultimate export. When it got here to sewing 360 views collectively I discovered each drones had glorious high quality with no seen artifacts or ghosting traces.

Flight efficiency and person expertise

Flying the Antigravity A1

Flying the Antigravity A1 is a singular, futuristic expertise. You placed on the headset, level the joystick into open house, and pull the acceleration set off. The drone flies towards the purpose in your view, no matter the place its nostril is pointing.

Antigravity 360 video processed in Antigravity Studio and transformed to gif for simple viewing on this article.

You may inform plenty of thought went into the headset. For instance — along with the view you get when sporting the headset — there may be additionally a display screen on the entrance, permitting you to take a look at settings or firmware replace progress without having to put on it. This additionally permits others to see what you’re looking at whereas in flight, which makes for a compelling use case that has been utilized in settings comparable to school rooms and even at a hospice and respite heart for youths.

Headset with ahead display screen displaying the view of the pilot.

Essential security guidelines for FPV flight:

• At all times use a visible observer: You can’t see your bodily environment whereas sporting a headset. A spotter retains eyes on the airspace.
• At all times sit down: It’s fascinating to me that every one the Antigravity A1 commercial movies confirmed folks standing and strolling round whereas sporting the headset. I discovered the perfect follow is to take a seat down and keep put, it’s too straightforward to get disoriented and journey, doubtlessly scratching and breaking your new gear, nevermind your limbs!

It takes a couple of minutes to adapt to the management logic, however when you get the grasp of it, navigating wide-open areas feels pure. My youngsters took to it in seconds.

Gif displaying the drone’s response to the joystick motion instructions.

One large gripe I’ve is that the twine from the headset to the battery wasn’t fairly lengthy sufficient to settle in my pocket. I’m 6 ft tall, and the twine size was simply effective for my shorter companions, so these with longer torsos beware.

There may be one key flight hazard in cinematic mode that I found instantly: altitude management. Should you tilt the joystick level under the visible horizon line whereas pulling the set off, the drone begins descending (that is fairly straightforward to do for those who calm down your hand whereas flying). With out a seen horizon indicator or altitude warning within the headset, you’ll be able to lose top shortly with out realizing it.

The Antigravity additionally has a FPV mode, the place you’ll be able to take ahead dealing with video, and the drone will sweep left or proper as if flying a cinematic FPV drone. Between the 360 digicam and the FPV mode, it feels that there aren’t any limits to what and how one can seize footage.

Flying the DJI Avata 360

Working the Avata 360 with an ordinary display screen controller requires little break-in interval for these used to the controls. Anybody who has flown an ordinary digicam drone will really feel snug instantly.

Utilizing a controller with a display screen affords clear sensible benefits:

• You don’t want a devoted spotter to observe the airspace round you.
• You preserve direct line-of-sight with the plane whereas viewing reside telemetry and digicam framing in your display screen.
• You may stroll round with out the chance of tripping. 
• You get rid of the chance of movement illness related to FPV goggles.

However if you want you may also buy the DJI headset to get the identical kind of views because the Antigravity. I used to be not in a position to take a look at that {hardware} for this overview.

The Avata 360 additionally includes a single-lens mode. This setting turns off one digicam and makes use of the remaining lens like a conventional forward-facing FPV drone taking pictures 4K video. You may replicate quick, sweeping FPV flight paths utilizing a fundamental handheld controller, avoiding the setup problem of goggles and exterior batteries.

This versatility basically makes these 360 drones a 2-in-1 bundle. By providing each a full 360-degree immersive mode and a devoted single-lens 4K mode, it capabilities as each a specialised spherical video seize instrument and an ordinary FPV cinematic drone. This provides creators the pliability of two distinct plane sorts in a single bundle. This is applicable to each the Antigravity and the Avata 360. For these trying to make video content material and seize nice photos from a unique perspective, some of these drones are an thrilling new improvement and conjures up much more creativity on this market. 

Instance gif displaying the turns in single lens FPV flight mode on the Avata 360

Picture high quality and knowledge seize

360-degree cameras seize every thing across the plane, leaving framing selections for post-production. Each fashions output spectacular spherical photos, however sensor {hardware} creates a transparent hole in picture constancy.

The Antigravity A1 captures 8K video at 30 frames per second utilizing its twin 1/1.28-inch sensors. In direct daylight, colours look vibrant, and exposures steadiness sky highlights and floor shadows successfully. To edit the media on a desktop you’ll have to obtain the Antigravity Studio software, I discovered it to be a robust and intuitive instrument for creating movies.

The DJI Avata 360 captures 8K video at 60 frames per second utilizing its twin 1-inch CMOS sensors. The bigger bodily pixels seize extra mild, giving DJI a transparent benefit in high-contrast or low-light conditions. Shadow particulars stay clear, and highlights resist clipping. The upper body fee additionally permits creators to export clean slow-motion clips in the course of the post-production reframing course of. Just like Antigravity, to do desktop enhancing you’ll want the DJI Studio desktop software. It had related performance and layouts to the Antigravity Studio app. Each software program choices have been glorious to make use of. 

Whereas each drones produce nice footage for social media and private archives, the Avata 360’s superior optics, larger body charges, and better video bitrates ship higher total picture high quality.

Each plane advance leisure drone images by separating flight path management from digicam route.

Select the Antigravity A1 if portability is your high precedence. Its folding body and light-weight construct make it a perfect journey companion for creators who need an immersive, headset-first flying expertise.

Select the DJI Avata 360 if you would like superior digicam efficiency, sturdy {hardware} safety, and choices for flight controls. Its bigger sensors, fastened lens safety, and talent to fly by way of an ordinary display screen controller make it the stronger total bundle for many hobbyists.

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