DJI Inspire 2 – bolted to the sky – DigitalTrends

When DJI released the original Inspire drone, it was an instant hit with filmmakers. Up until that point, if you wanted a drone that could carry a decent camera, you had to build it yourself — but then DJI came along, and suddenly anyone with $3,000 could get their hands on a pro-level 4K camera copter that was ready to fly straight out of the box.

Thing is, that was nearly three years ago. Drone technology has progressed in leaps and bounds since then, and nowadays you can get a 4K camera drone for under $500. But DJI isn’t one to be left behind. In late 2016, the company unveiled the second generation — and now that it’s out in the wild, we got our hands on one for an extended review.

Features and specs

A number of features make the Inspire 2 stand out from the rest of the pack, but generally speaking, it just has more stuff under the hood. We like to think that DJI calls it the Inspire 2 because it has two (or more) of everything.

Arguably the biggest inclusion is a dual battery setup, which gives the Inspire 2 a number of key benefits. Not only does it give the bird more flight time — it also protects it from battery malfunctions, and, more importantly, provides ample power for ancillary systems like cameras, stabilizers, sensors, and processors.

Speaking of cameras, not only does this drone rock a detachable and easily upgradable Zenmuse cam (ours came with the X5S), it also sports a forward-facing FPV camera, which allows the pilot to keep an eye on what’s ahead of the drone while simultaneously watching/controlling the Zenmuse camera.

It’s also equipped with dual inertial motion sensors, dual barometers, and dedicated processors for various subsystems — including the newly-added obstacle avoidance sensors. Hell, you can even fly it with two controllers. Together, these new additions serve to make the Inspire 2 far more reliable, stable, and safe to fly than any previous iteration.

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Build quality and design

In terms of form, the Inspire 2 isn’t really a huge departure from the original model. It sports the same prop configuration, the same retractable landing gear system, and more or less the same body style. There are, however, a few small design upgrades that make the Inspire 2 more versatile and capable than its predecessors — despite the fact that it doesn’t look much different.

The most notable and noticeable design change is undoubtedly the Inspire’s new forward-facing FPV camera and obstacle-avoidance system. Both systems live in a nose-mounted sensor bar, which contains a small optical lens and two laser rangefinders. Aesthetically, it’s a fairly minor change — but in terms of functionality, these systems provide a huge benefit. Obstacle avoidance gives the drone the ability to autonomously prevent crashes, while the FPV camera allows the pilot (or pilots) to keep track of the Inspire’s heading, regardless of where the Zenmuse X5S might be facing.

With more battery power and a bigger brain, the Inspire 2 is miles ahead of its predecessors

Build quality is, as we’ve come to expect from DJI, off the charts. Even for a DJI drone, the Inspire 2 is ridiculously well built. The props feature a new locking system that ensures they’ll never come loose during flight, while the prop arms are made of the same super-strong carbon-fiber tubing that previous generations have. If this drone crashes (which is unlikely), the only components that’d likely suffer serious damage are the props and the camera. This thing is basically a flying tank.

Overall, the design is a victory. Instead of a massive overhaul, DJI took a winning formula and made a few small improvements — which we appreciate. It’s like trading in your car for a new model year: same look and feel, but with a few extra bells and whistles that make the driving experience completely different.