Engadget Logo Engadget Japanese version military-like helicopter type drone "Ghost-Eye" actual machine review

Although I sincerely hope that a peaceful world without war will be realized, for some reason I feel a mysterious charm to military things. GeForce has pre-sold a helicopter-type drone "Ghost-Eye" with a simple form with a military reconnaissance drone as a motif on crowdfunding "Makuake" (finished at the time of article publication).

It will be sold to the general public for 19,800 yen including tax, so even if you did not invest, please consider purchasing by referring to the reviews.

Helicopter drone with the motif of "FLIR Black Hornet PRS"

Ghost-Eye is a helicopter drone with the motif of "FLIR Black Hornet PRS", an aerial personal reconnaissance system for infantry. The main body size is 232 x 42 x 70 mm, and the weight is 80 g. It can be equipped with a 580mAh battery and can fly for up to about 13 minutes (charging time is about 50 minutes).

Ghost-Eye size is 232 x 42 x 70 mm

Stable and automatic hovering with various sensors while using a single rotor helicopter

A 1080p camera is mounted on the front of the main unit. Video can be recorded in 1920 x 1080 dots (MP4 format), and still images can be recorded in 1920 x 1080 dots (JPG format).

The sensors are equipped with a barometric pressure sensor that controls altitude, a gyro sensor that controls tilt, and an image sensor that detects image shift and controls position, and is said to be stable and automatic hovering despite being a single rotor helicopter.

A 1080p camera is mounted on the front of the main unit

The back of the main unit

Right side of the main body

Top surface of the main body

An image sensor that detects image deviation and controls the position is mounted on the bottom of the main unit.

The actual weight of the main body is 79.7g. Since it is less than 100g, it is not subject to registration of unmanned aerial vehicles.

The flight Li-Po battery can be removed by sliding it forward. A microUSB terminal is prepared and direct charging is possible.

A package that can hold everything like a spy tool

The package includes Ghost-Eye body, 2.4GHz 4ch transmitter, Li-Po battery for flight, tools (plus screwdriver / hex wrench), spare parts (rotor blade / tail blade), USB charging cable, smartphone holder, instruction manual. A book is included. You can enjoy flying as soon as you charge the battery and put the battery in the transmitter.

The package itself doubles as a case for carrying the product

It ’s more like a spy tool than a military one.

From the upper left, a special case, strap, Ghost-Eye body, USB charging cable, rotor blade x 2, tail blade, Phillips screwdriver, hexagon wrench, smartphone holder, 2.4GHz 4ch transmitter, instruction manual.The Li-Po battery for flight is already attached to the main body

The operating range of the 2.4GHz 4ch transmitter is 80 to 100m.

The controller is a 2.4GHz 4ch transmitter. The radio wave range of the transmitter is 80 to 100 m, and the Wi-Fi radio wave range when transmitting video to a smartphone is 50 to 100 m. Both mode 1 with the throttle stick on the right side and mode 2 with the throttle stick on the left side are supported. An automatic takeoff / landing switch is also available. For beginners of drones and radio-controlled helicopters, Mode 2 is recommended because it can be operated from front to back and left and right with the stick on the right side.

2.4GHz 4ch transmitter supports mode 1 and mode 2

4 AA batteries used in 2.4GHz 4ch transmitter are sold separately

If you install the application "LIVE CAM CAM", you can fly while watching the camera image of Ghost-Eye.

Stable hovering, helicopter drone suitable for beginners

Well, it is an impression that I actually skipped Ghost-Eye, but I think that hovering is relatively stable. This time, I tried Ghost-Eye at the indoor drone airfield, but I don't feel any anxiety even if I approach the aircraft and turn around without operating the controller while hovering. However, it doesn't stand still as much as DJI's full-scale drone, so when you fly it for the first time indoors, we recommend that you try it in a place with a certain amount of space.

Hovering is stable enough to take such a picture at close range

In terms of maneuverability, the flight speed itself is not that fast. However, as you can see in the video below, it has the speed to feel exhilarating even in a place as large as a gymnasium. Also, even if you move forward at full speed, you do not need to adjust the altitude. I felt it was a helicopter drone suitable for beginners.

Aircraft with excessive image quality are prohibited. In terms of specifications, movies can be recorded in 1920 x 1080 dots (MP4 format) and still images can be recorded in 1920 x 1080 dots (JPG format), but the resolution is not as high as that. However, since you can easily take aerial images, I think it can be used as a cut to add an accent to your home video.

I put a picture-in-picture video taken with Ghost-Eye into a video taken with an action camera.If the size is small, you don't have to worry about the low resolution.

The low resolution is noticeable for still images, but I think that it is a practical level if it is displayed on a display of about 8 inches.

This time, the test flight and shooting of Ghost-Eye was done at "Drone Practice Square Ageo".

The biggest attraction of this product is the design that is reminiscent of Black Hornet.

To be honest, the image quality of the camera is not enough for a drone for shooting, but the hovering is stable and it is easy to maneuver. The biggest attraction of this product is the design that is reminiscent of the Black Hornet. If you find this design appealing, decorate it, touch it, fly it, and shoot it.