Skip to main content

Say hello to VIDIUS, the world’s smallest first-person-view camera drone

When the UAV company Axis debuted its minuscule Aerius drone last April, drone enthusiasts the world over couldn’t believe a tiny drone could pack such an entertaining punch. Slightly larger than a quarter and the epitome of cute, Axis packed the Aerius with technical specifications akin to its larger brethren, allowing the drone to stand toe to toe with its competition. Well just this week, Axis upped the ante yet again by officially unveiling the world’s smallest first-person-view (FPV) quadcopter dubbed the VIDIUS.

Measuring in at just 1.7 inches wide and standing just under an inch tall, the VIDIUS is a modern marvel of design and engineering. Though larger than the previously mentioned Aerius (Axis did have to make room for a camera, after all), it’s still one of the smallest drones you’ll find anywhere. For instance, the included controller, which isn’t all that big, absolutely dwarfs the VIDIUS when set side-by-side. Due in large part to its diminutive size, owners need not register the VIDIUS with the FAA before flying.

Feature wise, Axis once again cut no corners. Not only does the onboard camera boast the capacity to stream and record video in 420p, but it also allows pilots to snap stunning photos in-flight as well. Its built-in 3.7V, 150 mAh battery packs enough power to keep the little guy flying for roughly 7 minutes and requires just 20 minutes to fully charge via a USB cable once depleted. Axis also includes three pre-programmed speed settings, allowing users extra control over the amount of flight sensitivity they desire.

vidius comparison
Vidius (black) is just slightly larger than the minuscule Aerius (orange)

Aside from its built-in camera and competitive specifications, Axis’ inclusion of Aerius-like aerial maneuvers is sure to make this one wildly fun drone. Utilizing its pre-programmed “Trick Mode” algorithm, the VIDIUS can also perform a range of automated rolls and flips with just a few simple flicks of the controller’s joystick. Furthermore, its 6-axis gyro stabilization keeps the VIDIUS center and stable throughout flight — even while pulling off the most hair-raising of tricks.

During flight, the VIDIUS carries a maximum distance of roughly 100 feet from the pilot, which assures the tiny drone won’t just wander off, never to be seen again. If flying at night is any user’s particular cup of tea, it also features bright LED lights which help locate the quadcopter in the dark while. If for any reason the VIDIUS does get away from the pilot and suffers a crash, Axis includes an extra set of blades to help get it back in the air as quickly as possible.

Available next month on January 29, Axis currently allows preorders of the VIDIUS for $75 ($20 off its regular retail price). Packed to the brim with impressive features and specifications, Axis’ VIDIUS looks poised to take the drone industry by storm and, once again, score one for the little guys.

Editors' Recommendations

It’s part drone, part plane, and headed to the skies in 2025
autoflight prosperity i

At nine-thirty in the evening, one otherwise nondescript day in November 1954, a Belgian man named Roelants was riding his bicycle in the village of Dudzele, West Flanders. As he passed a dairy, he witnessed a bright light rapidly descend from the sky. As he cycled closer, the light -- which he now realized was some kind of flying object -- rose vertically into the sky and then, suddenly, transitioned to a horizontal flight mode and took off at high speed like a jet plane. The entire incident, which played out in seconds, was entirely silent.

Roelants’ story -- one of many, many similar reports described over the years -- contained lots of the hallmarks of the unidentified flying saucer sighting. These much speculated-upon vehicles were usually assumed to be otherworldly for the primary reason that, put simply, real terrestrial aircraft don’t fly that way.

Read more
World’s first QD-OLED TVs will be expensive, but not insane
Sony 2022 A95K 4K QD-OLED TV.

It's not a stretch to say that the most exciting announcement to come out of CES 2022 was the debut of QD-OLED display technology. We already knew that QD-OLED displays (a variation on OLED technology that incorporates quantum dots) could theoretically be a game-changer, thanks to better brightness, contrast, and wider color range. But until the show, we hadn't seen it in the flesh.

Now that we have, we're more convinced than ever that it will offer the very best picture quality you can get in a home TV. But in the back of our minds was the fear that, as with any new display technology, QD-OLED models would be priced stratospherically high. Turns out, those prices might not be so bad after all.

Read more
NASA’s Mars drone nails its first flight of 2022
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter.

Following several delays due to dust storms, NASA’s record-setting Ingenuity Mars helicopter has finally taken its first flight of 2022.

The 4-pound, 19-inch-tall rotorcraft flew at an altitude of 33 feet (10 meters) for almost 100 seconds and covered a distance of about 203 feet (62 meters) during its latest flight, the team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is overseeing the current Mars mission, confirmed on Tuesday.

Read more