By Technical Editor Matt Allard:
The Wall Street Journal has published an article claiming that GoPro is developing its own line of drones. The GoPro has been the camera of choice for many drone owners so it is only natural that the company is looking to move into this market. While there is little additional information about what GoPro is doing, the report speculates that the drones will sell between $500US to $1000US.
It will be interesting to see how GoPro set themselves apart in an already crowded multirotor market. The DJI Inspire 1’s camera looks to be using the same sensor as the GoPro 4, it will also be interesting to see how DJI react to competition from such a big player.
I think it is a very good strategic move for GoPro. Why sell you just the camera when you can also sell the drone that goes with it? The company has sold more than 2.4 million action cameras so far this year but with recent improvements to action cams by rival manufacturers they need to start exploring other markets.
The drone industry is expected to grow to $2.2 billion by next year and $10 billion by 2025, according to industry trade group the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. GoPro is after a piece of this pie and I’m sure they are working very hard behind the scenes with research and development to make a competitive product.
According to the Wall Street Journal the GoPro drone should be available late next year.
