Walkera Unveils 2 new drones at CES 2018

All the hype and drama surrounding CES 2018 has finally passed and now we can look back at the most awesome drone-related products featured there. With Autel Robotics and Intel providing some interesting new drones, it’s safe to say Walkera wasn’t too shy either. They’ve announced not just one but 2 brand new models that will defend its name in the year to come.

Both of these drones sport completely different designs and performance charts. That’s because they are meant for 2 completely different types of users who desire different flying experiences. So, what are these brand new Walkera drones all about? Well, let’s start off with the first one and build our way to the second…

 

Walkera PERI

– Should DJI Spark Be Worried?

Walkera PERI

First, we are going to take a closer look at Walkera PERI, an interesting miniature drone that could pose to be a great threat for DJI Spark. Both of these drones are quite similar in both design and performance. The price tag is somewhat the same story too, but that is only if we do not count DJI Spark’s Fly More Combo which slightly raises the price bar.

So, with all that in mind, what noteworthy is there to say about Walkera PERI other than the fact that it’s a possible DJI Spark killer? Well, how about we start off with its specifications. Mark my word guys – the specs will outright amaze you. After the specs, we will take a closer look at its camera and features too before inspecting its price and release date!

Specifications

Starting off with the specifications, it’s clear that Walkera PERI is somewhat on point with DJI Spark. As far as battery duration is concerned, these 2 are actually right next to each other with roughly 15 minutes of flight time each. On the other hand, Walkera PERI can reach up to 1 kilometer away from its controller while still achieving perfectly smooth HD video transmission. DJI Spark can’t do this on its own though – you’ll have to get the Fly More Combo if you want longer flight range.

Features

Waalkera PERI Features

These days, every selfie drones needs to have absolutely brilliant features if it wants to make a good name for itself out there on the market. Walkera PERI is doing just that by basing itself on GPS and GLONASS navigation.

Not only that, this little bugger also has access to optical flow positioning as well as an altitude hold system powered by infrared blasters. This enables it to perform equally good in both indoor and outdoor scenarios. In addition to positioning features,

Walkera PERI also sports a bunch of others including active track mode, dronie mode and even gesture mode. All in all, if you’re looking for a well-versed drone as far as features go, then Walkera PERI seems like it won’t disappoint you.

Now that you know a fair share about PERI’s features, let’s take a moment to talk about its design. As far as the size is concerned, Walkera PERI is roughly the same as DJI Spark.

Weight, on the other hand, reaches 320 grams which is just slightly heavier than Spark’s 300. Still, PERI can reach a top speed of up to 10m/s thanks to its aerodynamic blade design that greatly reduces wind resistance. Last but not least, this little birdie comes in several different colors including Misano Red, Samoyed Yellow, Foil Silver and Hainan Blue.

 

Camera

The camera is one of the strong points of Walkera PERI. Even though the majority of these so-called selfie drones sport some sort of an image stabilization system, PERI takes it one step further by implementing a gimbal. While 2-axis gimbal (like the one on DJI Spark) would be sufficient considering everything else PERI has to offer, that wasn’t enough for its makers. Instead, they opted for a 3-axis gimbal to go with their 13MPX camera.

Walkera PERI Camera

Walkera PERI camera can record exceptionally smooth aerial videos in 4K resolution at 30 frames per second which is yet another advantage over DJI Spark’s FHD. The videos are stable and smooth without any cropping since we are talking about a mechanical stabilization system.

 

Price tag and release date

As for the price tag, you are looking at $499 which is not too bad considering its nearest competitors. I am referring to the likes of Yuneec Breeze, Zerotech Dobby, Wingsland S6 and of course DJI Spark. Also, we must take into consideration the fact that Walkera PERI seems to be better than all other selfie drones out there.

Release date is roughly 2 months from now. However, you can already preorder it from the official Walkera website and it will be shipped out in roughly 2 months.

Walkera Voyager 5

– A Highly Versatile Industrial Drone

After taking a thorough look at PERI, now it’s time to check out its big brother – Voyager 5. I am sure most of you are well familiar with Walkera’s Voyager series of drones. Perhaps they are not as popular or mainstream as DJI ones, but they sure do have a lot to offer. One of their biggest virtues in contrast to DJI flagships is their specialized choice of cameras. But more on that down below. For now, let’s start off with the specifications and build our way to other important aspects!

Walkera Voyager 5

Specifications

Walkera Voyager power supply system consists of not one but 3 high capacity batteries that allow it to have up to 45 minutes of continuous flight time. Even if something happens and one of the batteries disconnects from the power distribution board, the drone can continue flying as if nothing had happened.

In terms of range, Walkera Voyager 5 can go all the way to 5 kilometers while keeping its video signal as well as controls. This will enable you to do all sorts of industrial tasks that require long range models. So, without any doubts, Walkera Voyager 5 poses as one of the highest quality drones for industrial use.

 

Features

Walkera Voyager 5 sports a bunch of safety features that allow it to be among the safest and most reliable drones out there. It’s not only because it has dual GPS modules but because of dual IMU and compass as well. All of these sophisticated systems allow Walkera Voyager pinpoint flight precision enabling it to be smooth and steady for any line of work you put it up against.

Walkera Voyager 5 IP43

When it comes to obstacle avoidance sensors, Walkera Voyager 5 sports downward facing infrared sensors as well as optical flow positioning module. Thanks to this, it can maintain a safe dose of precision even without GPS connection. In addition to that, there is also front infrared obstacle avoidance sensor that rounds up this excellent sensor-based system.

Walkera Voyager 5 Foldable DesignFurthermore, Walkera Voyager 5 also incorporates IP43 Protection certificate which confirms that it is not only dustproof but waterproof as well. This means you can use your Voyager 5 in the harshest of conditions without worrying about anything going faulty. All in all, for an incredibly huge sum of money (more on that down below), you can expect nothing but magnificent all around performance in a variety of industrial uses. One thing is certain – Walkera Voyager 5 can be put in the same basket with the likes of new Intel drone (also unveiled on CES 2018) and Alta’s.

 

Camera

As always, Voyager series come with exceptional camera choices. It’s nothing different with Voyager 5 who boasts with 4 brilliant cameras to choose from, each with their own unique characteristics to perform certain tasks.

  • 4K camera
  • 30X optical zoom camera
  • Starlight night vision camera
  • Infrared thermal imaging camera

As you can see, with such a wide array of different cameras to choose from, there is no doubt Walkera Voyager 5 can be a vital part of any sort of industrial work. Whether you are in the need of a search and rescue drone, agricultural innovation, bridge inspector or virtually anything else… Walkera Voyager is bound to provide you with nothing but exceptional performance!

 

Price tag and release date

As far as the price tag is concerned, there is no doubt Walkera Voyager 5 is a ridiculously powerful commercial drone. With that being said, you will have to dash out close to $20,000 if you want the benefits this drone has to offer. When it comes to the release date, Walkera Voyager 5 can be purchased straight from Walkera’s official website and it will be shipped out ASAP after your payment confirmation.

Conclusion

After all the topics that were touched in this article, it’s only logical to give a short summary on the matter. First off, we have Walkera PERI, a drone that could very well endanger DJI Spark’s position at the throne. With an aggressive price tag and much longer range (both operating and video) than the standard DJI Spark package, the future looks very bright for this little bugger.

On the other hand, Walkera Voyager 5 continues in the same fashion just like its predecessors. This marvelous drone has been upgraded in every aspect, featuring a foldable body and several professional grade camera choices. These include smooth ultra HD camera, infrared, and optical zoom camera… plus plenty more reasons why this will be among the hottest industrial drones in 2018.

Zoran Valentak