As you can probably tell from this video, I like the X-Star Premium from Autel Robotics. To be sure, apart from the color, it closely resembles a lot of other small aerial video quads on the market today – but the color itself is a visible marker of what's happening under the hood.
The designers have obviously put a lot of thought into the details, with the goal of creating an intuitive, pilot-friendly system... And, to be frank, it's good that they did: big players like DJI and Yuneec are increasingly coming to dominate the market, so for anyone to break in at this late date, they're going to have to put in a little more effort in order to compete – and I believe that Autel has delivered.
I wrote a 3,800-word review of the X-Star in the issue of Drones magazine on newsstands now, so I'll let you read my in depth coverage there, if you want to know more.
Since the drone itself was released, the company has made a unique offer to support the professional development of the industry. If you're an X-Star owner, and you take (and pass) your Part 107 Remote Pilot in Command test, they will reimburse your testing fees, up to $150. Take them up on that offer – it's not one you're likely to see again any time soon.
Finally, Autel is located just up the road from us in Bothell, Washington – a suburb of Seattle – so I'm hoping that we'll have the opportunity to visit them in their native environment at some point, to see what they've got in the pipeline. Stay tuned for that...
Also, let me know what you think of my digital alter-ego, Max Hexrotor. I'm certainly dating myself with that cultural reference, but I'm dying to know what you think! Also, enormous thanks go out to Seattle filmmaker and effects artist Wing Flannigan for all of his hard work bringing Max to life. Love it or hate it, you certainly have to agree that Wing captured the rhythms of the original Max Headroom perfectly!
-Lucidity
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