Drone specialist DJI has partnered with Chinese auto giant BYD to create Lingyuan (“Sprite Kite”), which puts a drone station on the top of a car.
At first glance, the idea looks a little goofy. Actually, it looks a little goofy at second glance, too. But trust us, this is for real. You can check it out in the video ad below:
As the footage shows, Lingyuan is essentially a roof-mounted drone system designed for integration with BYD vehicles. It enables autonomous drone take-offs, landings, and real-time filming, with the entire process controllable via the car’s central touchscreen display, which is where the drone’s livestream footage also appears.
But if you’re already imagining filming your next road trip with DJI’s camera drone capturing sweeping cinematic shots of your motor as it hurtles along a remote highway against the backdrop of a gorgeous setting sun, just keep in mind: You can only drive up to 33 mph (54 kph). Guess you could always speed up the video.
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If you go any faster, the drone will likely give up on you and possibly seek a new life elsewhere.
Furthermore, you’ll need to slow down to 15 mph (25 kph) whenever you want to deploy or land the aircraft. Again, faster than that could make things tricky for the drone as it attempts to land on a moving target.
BYD first unveiled the plan for a roof-mounted drone system in 2023, and now it’s available for all BYD models. The package includes a retractable landing pad, charging station, and video editing software. It also includes a drone, of course, though the specific model isn’t stated. Going by the ad, it’s DJI’s very capable Air 3S quadcopter.
Lingyuan is currently a China exclusive and costs 16,000 Chinese yuan (about $2,200). There’s no word yet on whether it’s coming to other countries.