New RTK kit, gimbal, battery pack for Sony Airpeak S1 drone

Sony Electronics has announced three new accessories to enhance the efficiency, productivity, and overall functionality of the Airpeak S1 professional filmmaking drone. The fresh additions include an RTK kit, a lightweight gimbal, and a bigger battery pack. It’s worth highlighting though that Sony’s announcement comes days after DJI unveiled the Inspire 3 full-frame 8K cinema drone with built-in RTK positioning technology.

Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) kit for Sony Airpeak S1 drone

With the new RTK system that comes with a base station, the Airpeak S1 can achieve precise, centimeter-level accuracy in positioning and navigation without lag. The drone can maintain a stable flight path and gather highly accurate data for geotagged images.

Sony hopes that with this RTK kit, the “Made in Japan” drone will find new users in industrial work environments too. The company explains in a statement:

Looking ahead, the networking port currently available with the RTK Kit for Airpeak S1 could open additional use cases, further enhancing the value of drones for a variety of industries. The geotagging feature has the ability to sync image and mapping data which is key for any user. Overall, the RTK Kit for Sony’s Airpeak S1 is an exciting development that promises to take the capabilities of drones for industrial applications to new heights.

The RTK system is priced at $4,000 with deliveries beginning June 9, 2023.

New PX1 Gremsy gimbal for Airpeak

The new PX1 Gremsy gimbal, designed specifically for the Airpeak S1, is 40% lighter than its predecessor T3. This reduction in weight is critical because it has the potential to improve the drone’s light time.

According to Sony, PX1 is particularly useful for industries that require superior image quality and accuracy, such as those involved in inspecting wind turbines or surveying urban developments. The gimbal is compatible with full-size mirrorless interchangeable lens Alpha cameras such as Sony’s A7R V, A7R IV, or the A7R IVA cameras, and it supports various lenses such as the Zeiss 35mm F2.8, the 24mm F2.8G, 40mm F2.5 G, or the 50 F2.5 G. When combined with the RTK Kit, via Hot Shoe Cable, it can record positioning more precisely.

Also priced at $4,000, the easy-to-use gimbal is expected to hit the shelves on May 19, 2023.

Enhanced LBP-HM1 drone battery

While Sony’s current $229 battery for the Airpeak S1 delivers 20 minutes of flight time without payload, the new LBP-HM1 battery will help the drone to stay airborne for up to 30 minutes. Combined with the recently announced LBP-H1 Battery Station, the new battery will pack will increase the productivity of the Sony drone considerably, especially for industrial applications such as inspections and surveying that require longer flights and less downtime.

This battery is priced at $400 and will be available for delivery starting June 23, 2023.

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