X

The drones of CES 2017

There were fewer drones at CES this year than last -- and the focus was definitely shifting to commercial and unusual types.

Joshua_Goldman.jpg
Joshua_Goldman.jpg
Joshua Goldman
Hover Camera Passport
Hover Camera Passport
1:12
1 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Hover Camera Passport

The Hover Camera Passport has been available since last October, but it created the most drone buzz at CES for its new Owner Mode. Thanks to an upcoming firmware update, the foldable quad will use facial recognition to keep the camera on you and, using hand gestures, you'll be able to snap photos and start and stop recording video.

autel-x-star-premium.jpg
2 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Autel X-Star Premium

Seattle-based Autel returned to CES this year with a new partner, Flir. Its X-Star Premium quadcopter can be outfitted with the company's new thermal camera.

Autel X-Star Premium
Autel X-Star Premium
1:12
3 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Autel X-Star Premium

gdu-byrd-premium-2-thermal.jpg
4 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

GDU Byrd Premium 2.0

GDU -- formerly ProDrone -- was one of the first to market with a folding quadcopter, well ahead of DJI and GoPro. At CES 2017 it's unveiled another first for the company: a modular gimbal system that lets you pick the best camera and stabilizer for the task at hand. The list of available cameras will include a thermal camera that was also on show at CES.

ehang-184.jpg
5 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

EHang 184

If this contraption looks familiar, it's because EHang debuted its personal octacopter at CES 2016. The crowds weren't as big this time around. The company started selling its GhostDrone 2.0 smartphone-controlled drone in the second half of last year, and it had that at the show, too.

mola-ufo-1.jpg
6 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Mola UFO

The UFO is just a prototype at the moment, but it fits right in with all the other foldable selfie drones at CES.

mola-ufo-2.jpg
7 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Mola UFO

The UFO's propellers fold and its arms tuck right into the body of the drone.

onagofly-1-plus.jpg
8 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

ARI Onagofly 1 Plus

While I'm reluctant to give ARI and its Onagofly drones any attention after its poor contributor service following its Indiegogo campaign last year, the company is trying to make things right. It's put together a US-based support team for US and Canada that can be reached at support.us@arirobot.com. Other regions can use services@arirobot.com. ARI was flying the updated version of the original called the 1 Plus at CES.

simtoo-intelligent-selfie-drone-1.jpg
9 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Simtoo Intelligent Selfie Drone

The Intelligent Selfie Drone is a small folding drone that looks remarkably like the Hover Camera Passport.

simtoo-intelligent-selfie-drone-2.jpg
10 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Simtoo Intelligent Selfie Drone

To be fair, though, Simtoo created one of the first folding drones I ever laid eyes on, the Dragonfly.

walkera-voyager-4.jpg
11 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Walkera Voyager 4

The Voyager 4's big selling point is the 4K-resolution 18x optical zoom camera.

wingsland-s6-1.jpg
12 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Wingsland S6

Wingsland's S6 is another pocket-size folding drone with a camera.

wingsland-s6-2.jpg
13 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Wingsland S6

It does, however, come with a small dart shooter that can be triggered with its remote. The company was giving attendees a chance at target practice at CES.

xiaomi-mi-drone.jpg
14 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Xiaomi Mi Drone

Just one of many things in Xiaomi's booth was its Mi Drone that it launched in July 2016. As is the case with many of the company's products, the Mi is big on features and low on price.

yuneec-h520-1.jpg
15 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Yuneec H520

The H520 is a commercial version of the company's Typhoon H. The plan is to offer it with Intel's RealSense technology for obstacle avoidance.

yuneec-h520-2.jpg
16 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Yuneec H520 cameras

As with the GDU Byrd, you'll be able to pick from different cameras for the Yuneec H520 including, you guessed it, a thermal camera.

yuneec-valet.jpg
17 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Yuneec Valet

Just a concept at the moment, the Valet is intended for home security or virtual tours. The pad it's sitting on will automatically charge it after a flight.

Makeblock Airblock
Makeblock Airblock
0:53
18 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

Makeblock Airblock

zero-tech-dobby-s.jpg
19 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

ZeroTech Dobby S

ZeroTech announced an update to its Dobby drone from 2016. The update adds the capability to set up 30- and 60-second autotracking videos, which the company says allows the drone to fly higher and take longer videos. An Orbit Mode was also added.

Orbit Video Mode tracks the user and automatically records videos in a circular orbit.

yi-erida.jpg
20 of 24 Josh Goldman/CNET

YI Erida

YI's Erida tricopter was developed with Atlas Dynamics, a team of developers and engineers that tried to get the Erida crowdfunded in 2015. Made of light yet strong carbon fiber, YI says the tricopter can reach speeds of up to 75 mph (120 kph) and stay in the air for up to 40 minutes.

gopro-karma-preview-25-4.jpg
21 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

GoPro Karma

Though the Karma drone wasn't at CES, GoPro founder and CEO Nick Woodman announced for the show that the company had determined a faulty battery clip was responsible for a recall of the folding quadcopter-cum-stabilization system last November. More details on the return of the Karma will be announced in February.

hobbico-c-me-3068-001.jpg
22 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET

Hobbico C-Me

The Hobbico C-Me is a $200 foldable quadcopter that flies up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) high for up to 10 minutes. It can capture 8-megapixel photos -- with a flash -- and records 1080p full HD video.

powervision-powerray-4.jpg
23 of 24 Joshua Goldman/CNET

PowerVision PowerRay

Designed for fishing hobbyists, the PowerRay can dive 30 meters (98 feet) underwater for up to four hours to give you a view from its integrated 4K UHD camera using an app on any iOS or Android mobile device via Wi-Fi (presumably with the help of a floating antenna). The app lets you control the robot and its camera and gives you position information and other data to help you find fish.

droco.jpg
24 of 24 UVify

UVify Draco

Ready-to-fly racing drones are not nearly as plentiful as those made for photography because racers typically build their own rigs. So when one comes along -- especially one that claims speeds faster than 75 mph (121 kph) -- it stands out. The Draco, in development by UVify, also has a modular design allowing you to swap out prop arms so you can keep racing.

More Galleries

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone

18 Photos
Take a Look at Apple's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: New Colors, Prices and More
iphone 15 in different color from an angled view

Take a Look at Apple's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: New Colors, Prices and More

19 Photos
I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips
Rahul Manepalli, right, Intel's module engineering leader, shows a glass substrate panel before it's sliced into the small rectangles that will be bonded to the undersides of hundreds of test processors. The technology, shown here at Intel's CH8 facility in Chandler, Arizona, stands to improve performance and power consumption of advanced processors arriving later this decade. Glass substrates should permit physically larger processors comprised of several small "chiplets" for AI and data center work, but Intel expects they'll trickle down to PCs, too.

I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips

20 Photos
Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe
andromeda

Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe

16 Photos
Disney Treasure Cruise Ship: Bookings Now Open for $9K+ Maiden Voyage
disney-treasure-tomorrow-tower-suite-3

Disney Treasure Cruise Ship: Bookings Now Open for $9K+ Maiden Voyage

16 Photos
Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action
A photo of a silhouette of buildings on the water taken on the iPhone 15

Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action

12 Photos
Take a Closer Look at the iOS Settings You Should Change Right Now
A smart man holding an iPhone 14 Pro Max

Take a Closer Look at the iOS Settings You Should Change Right Now

10 Photos