Sony launches Airpeak drone business to support ‘video creators’

Sony wants a bigger share of the drone market. Today, the Japanese giant unveiled a project called Airpeak, which “will support the creativity of video creators wherever possible,” according to a cryptic press release. This gives the impression that Sony wants to take on consumer-focused drone makers like DJI, Parrot, and Skydio. Which makes a lot of sense, given Sony’s expertise in the compact and full-frame mirrorless camera markets. If you’re a vlogger or freelance filmmaker who already uses Sony hardware, you might be tempted by a drone with similar technology. If nothing else, it would be easier to correct the colors and combine the images.

In the press release, however, Sony notes how drones have led to “workflow efficiency and energy savings in the industrial sector.” He adds, “Sony has assigned the ‘Airpeak’ brand to reflect its aspiration to contribute to the further evolution and creation of unprecedented value through its imaging and sensing technology as well as technologies. 3R (reality, real time and remote) in the drone area. So is it a consumer or business game? We hope this is the first. The company already has Aerosense – a business-driven drone collaboration with ZMP – which specializes in surveying, capturing live events, and creating maps from drone images.