EHang Ghost 2.0
By Matt Stultz / May 2, 2016
Smartphones are at the center of how we interact with technology today. The Ehang Ghost 2.0 takes advantage of our familiarity by making yours its controller. This isn’t a new concept, but Ehang’s inclusion of the G-Box takes it to a whole new level.
Instead of directly connecting a smartphone to the drone, Ehang uses the G-Box as a man-in-the-middle device. The device greatly increases the communication range over the phone’s Bluetooth or Wi-Fi signal. We had some initial difficulties getting the G-Box connected during our testing, but once established, it seemed to work well. But, you’re still stuck flying without sticks.
When purchasing a Ghost 2.0, you have a few choices for your camera — from none to a built-in 4K unit. The unit we tested had a multi-axis gimbal with a GoPro mount. Our aerial footage showed some video stability issues that we think might have to do with gimbal problems, but this does not seem to be the usual case as we have seen stable Ghost 2.0 video from others.
The Ghost 2 is trying to skew the trends in the camera drone world with its upside-down mounted propellers and smartphone control, but it might need a few more tweaks to help its standing in the pack.
Specs | |
Ghost 2.0 | ehang.com |
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Price as Tested: | $799 |
Includes: | Drone, G-Box, battery, charger, two sets of propellers, propeller guards, toolkit |
Range: | 2000 feet |
Battery Life: | 14 minutes |
Drone Size: | 16" diagonal (without propellers) |
Controller Type: | Smartphone or tablet (not included) with a range extension box |
Carrying Case Included: | No |
Camera Type: | GoPro or optional built-in camera |
Camera Resolution: | Varies on selection |