By Yadira B. Arnold 
Cinewhoop drones are all the rage right now as they can dive, spin and accelerate through inaccessible spots to produce spectacular images. DJI has picked up on this trend with the Avata, an FPV drone that is a far cry from the company’s fast DJI model called FPV. Instead, the Avata focuses more on agility and has propeller protection, which makes it possible to fly safely around people.
It is available with the new 2 glasses, which are smaller and lighter than the V2 glasses that come with the DJI FPV drone. You can also get it with an updated motion controller that allows you to control the Avata by moving your wrists.
The system could help drone users get into the world of FPV and cinewhoop, but with the 2 glasses and the motion controller, it’s not inexpensive at 1,388. To find out how it compares to FPV and other drones, I asked my drone pilot friend Samuel to test it in a number of challenging scenarios.
The Avata is unlike any other DJI consumer drone. For flying indoors, close to people or in a confined space, it has propeller protection and a small square body measuring 7 x 3.1 inches. At 410 grams, it is much lighter than the FPV, but slightly heavier than the 249-gram Mini 3 Pro. Therefore, registration or licensing is required in Europe, the USA and many other countries.
Batteries use a flexible connector that limits collision damage. DJI claims a flight time of up to 18 minutes, but we usually have about 10 to 12 minutes or even less if we flew it extremely fast. That’s still fine for an FPV drone (most take less than 10 minutes), but DJI should be a little more realistic in its marketing.
The Avata’s battery powers in about 45 minutes, and the 279 Fly-More kit gives you two extra batteries and a powerr. Samuel stated that he would get at least six batteries if he bought one for his photography business.
I would also buy the largest possible microSD cards, since the slot hidden under them is extremely difficult to access, especially when removing a card. The USB-C port for transferring and powering is also difficult to access. DJI is usually characterized by these types of features, but they are, frankly, serious design flaws. On the plus side, the Avata has 20 GB of internal memory, which can be used in a pinch.
Among them are two flight time sensors that can detect and map ground obstacles. However, the Avata does not have ahead-facing sensors, so its main protection is propeller protection and its robust design.
The Avata pro View combo comes with the DJI Motion Controller as the only way to fly the drone. You can also use the FPV 2 remote control, but it is sold separately for 200.
Also included in this set are the new 2 glasses – not to be confused with the v2 glasses. They are smaller and lighter than the latter and use micro-LED panels instead of OLEDs with a resolution of 1080p for each eye compared to 810p for v2 glasses. You can use the V2 with both the Avata and the FPV, but the 2 glasses will only work with the Avata.
DJI Avata FPV drone gallery
The extra sharpness and small size are pleasant, but you can not wear glasses under the 2 glasses. Instead, they have built-in diopters to correct their eyesight. If you have astigmatism, DJI includes lens set ups that you can send back to have your prescription made.
Samuel was not crazy about diopters. While they gave him a clear view, he often had to take off his helmet to see the drone, which meant that he had to put his glasses back on. He found the v2 glasses easier because he can wear his glasses underneath.
The 2 glasses allow you to fly the Avata without a mobile phone, as a mini version of the DJI Fly app is integrated. However, if you want others to have a view, you can connect a smartphone using a USB-C port on the side. The 2 glasses control the Avata via DJI’s Ocusync O3, delivering a 50 Mbps video stream from a distance of up to 6,2 miles. However, we have found that the v2 glasses provide a more powerful power supply over longer distances, probably due to the larger antennas.
Performance
The Avata is a joy to fly, but it’s not as fast as some FPV drones. In manual mode, it reaches a top speed of 60 miles per HOUR, well below the 87 miles per HOUR of the DJI FPV. And this is in manual mode-the sport and normal modes are set at 31 miles per HOUR and half respectively.
However, it has impressive maneuverability, which allows you to fly to places where you would never take another drone. We took him around handball players during a training, in the middle our legs, through the small gap in a panel, around a castle roof and into it with people and fragile objects around. It is also difficult. We have had a number of accidents where a drone with an open propeller would have been finished. It can also bounce off a person without hurting him.
Considering the fact that the Avata could be the first FPV drone for many people, selling it with the Motion controller is a good idea–but not the only option. DJI is also expected to sell a set with the FPV 2 controller, which will provide more accurate control for advanced users. As it stands, you will have to pay an extra 199 extra to get it.
The motion controller is easy to use – you just need to point it to where you want to fly and pull the trigger to accelerate. To climb, tilt the controller up and apply current, then reverse this for descents. A big catch at the top puts it in a hover, and with the red catch you can take off and land.
However, it has some limitations. You can’t make a vertical transition or fly backwards with the motion controller, so you have to use a catch to land. There is also a lack of precision, especially in the interior. In fact, we found that without GPS lock inside, the Avata was sometimes impossible with the motion controller.
If you have experience, the FPV 2 Controller is a superior option. You can activate the manual mode to navigate faster, fly low on the ground and jag in the middle trees or roofs. Inside, you can fly exactly in the middle rooms, objects and people, just like you might have seen in some of these cool FPV cinewhoop videos.
The manual mode also opens flips, dives, climbs, hairpin turns, reels and other tricks. Just keep in mind that there are no sensor guarantees. Although the Avata drone is sturdy, it is not unbreakable and could really hurt someone at 60 miles per HOUR. It is also more unstable, so flying requires serious abillity. However, it’s a lot of fun, because the speed and the lack of guarantees provide a real adrenaline rush that you won’t get from other drones.
Video quality
Most cinewhoop FPV drones use external cameras like the GoPro Hero Bones (or just regular, stripped-down GoPros), but the Avata has a built-in one. It uses the same 1/1.7 inch sensor as the new Action 3 camera with 64% more area than the FPV.
Like Action 3, it has normal, wide and ultra-wide options with a field of view of up to 155 degrees. And in addition to the built-in gimbal and Rocksteady smoothing, it has the HorizonView option to keep things horizontal, even if the drone is strongly tilted.