FCC listing confirms the existence of DJI’s Avata FPV CineWhoop-style drone

An allegedly-leaked rendering of the DJI Avata CineWhoop-style FPV drone.

It’s been rumored for a while now that DJI is working on a CineWhoop-style drone called the DJI Avata. While some images of the drone have been released, we now have our first confirmation the drone is real and getting somewhat closer to a release.

As reported by DroneDJ, the DJI Avata has shown up in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) database, signaling it’s passed the extensive testing wireless-capable devices must go through in order to be released in the United States. The entry shows the DJI Avata branding on the battery compartment and details about its battery, including its 2,420mAh capacity – an additional 420mAh compared to DJI’s FPV drone, which has a flight time of roughly 20 minutes. It’s difficult to know just how much additional flight time this could translate too, however, without knowing the weight, efficiency of the motors and other details that may impact battery life.

For the unfamiliar, a CineWhoop is a style of drone designed to offer safe and stable flying in a compact form factor. The exact design of a CineWhoop drone can vary depending on the manufacturer, but they typically consist of four 5–12cm (2–5”) propellers, each of which is surrounded by a duct. These ducts not only serve to provide more lift and stability than your typical drone, but also help protect the propellers should the drone bump into an object or subject. CineWhoop drones typically come with a GoPro-style mount that can be used with GoPro HERO cameras or third-party cameras with GoPro attachment points.

An illustration from the FCC listing showcasing a label for the battery of the DJI Avata drone.

Unlike other options on the market, however, it’s likely the DJI Avata will eschew the GoPro mount in favor of a built-in camera. Based on the images leaked so far, the DJI Avata is likely to have bottom-facing obstacle-avoidance sensors and a single-axis gimbal upon which the camera will be mounted. DroneDJ and leakers have suggested the image quality will be comparable to DJI’s Mini 3 Pro drone, but we’ll have to wait and see whether or not these reports are true upon the impending launch.

As for the launch itself, there’s no information – rumored or otherwise – on when we can expect to see the DJI Avata launched. However, a report from DealsDrone, a usually-reliable leaker of DJI information, says the drone’s release has been delayed amidst a factory expansion and relocation.

Alongside the DJI Avata entry into the FCC’s database are entries for a new set of FPV goggles and an O3 Air unit, both of which will be used to view the FPV footage streamed from the DJI Avata.