Airdog 2 – What is it?

When you think drones you probably think of DJI and maybe GoPro Karma but there are other cool drones out there with some being particularly interesting. The Airdog II is an upgrade to the original AIRDOG that raised $1.3 million in a Kickstarter project.

What separates the AirDogII from the rest – it`s a fully autonomous drone designed to be used with a GoPro camera and taken to the most extreme conditions. The Airdog II has the same old DNA of awesomeness from the original AirDog with some new tricks up its sleeves. Being a young dog it`s easy to teach new tricks right :D?

AirDogII is a drone for the adventurer. It Packs down for easy portability so you can take it with your for your every adventure. It works by tracking you wherever you go by following a small device that you attach to your arm for example. The drone keeps a safe distance while following you wherever you go. It is fully compatible with GoPro Hero cameras so you can use whatever camera you already have. The concept is really appealing because often times there isn`t anyone with you who are capable drone pilots and you don`t want an amateur handling your expensive drone. AirDog, however, is like a professional pilot who is always with you to record the best clips in every situation.

The original AirDog got a lot of positive feedback but not it`s time to introduce the updated and upgraded AirDogII

The biggest update is probably the 3D-Line mode. This should drastically reduce the risk of the AirDogII crashing with obstacles – you can set custom waypoints and altitude settings through the app to make sure you keep the drone safely away from any objects around you. This can be very useful in wake parks or other areas where you are confined in a relatively small space and know exactly where the obstacles are. The AirDog will still follow you but will also stay safe doing so. The altitude setting is great for kitesurfing because you can keep it high enough to prevent any collisions with thin kite lines.

The second big update is the improvement in video quality. You will be using your GoPro HERO4 or HERO5 so there`s no way to affect the image itself rather the smoothness of the footage. AirDogII has a 3-axis gimbal with magnetic encoders of the motors on board that will keep your videos butter-smooth and cinematic. The vibration dampening mounts have also been upgraded to reduce jittering. I can`t imagine a drone without a gimbal and the AirDog has that covered.

Another new feature includes HERO5 charging that initiates during takeoff. This means longer battery life for your GoPro camera but I assume a smaller battery life for the AirDog itself? We`ll have to wait and see for some hands on reviews to see how this impacts the flight times. Btw, the battery interface and electronics have also been improved.

Taking in some feedback from the users the AirDog team added Scenic Capture Modes – This should allow you to capture more of the scenery and I can only assume it either backs off a bit or points to camera more forwards keeping more scenery in front of you rather than keeping the object- you- in the center. There isn`t much info on that on airdog.com so I’m not completely sure what that feature actually does.
The pre-flight time has been reduced by simplifying the sensor check and improving the GPS signal wait-time on both the AirDog and the AirLeash (AirLeash being the tracker that you attach to yourself) An upgraded user interface should make your life peachier also with the new LCD screen that is now easy to use in direct sunlight.
Here`s a promo clip of the AirDogII that looks pretty impressive!

 

Check out www.airdog.com for more information.