US company debuts "world's smallest" FPV drone

The Axis Vidius is the “world’s smallest FPV drone,” according to US-based Axis Drones. The dimensions of the diminutive drone are 4.3x4.3x2.5cm. It is capable of streaming a live first-person view, can capture 420-pixel images and has five to seven minutes of flight time after a 20-minute charge for its 150mAh battery. This thing won’t win any flight durability contests, but it only costs $75 and it’s kind of cute. Miniature China drones have already gotten some attention on Amazon, with at least one model becoming a best-seller on the site. Those drones are not equipped with cameras, though. At least not yet.

Perhaps one of the biggest draws of this compact quadcopter is that it doesn’t need to be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, which Axis points out on the product page. This means it must weigh less than .55 pounds, the threshold for needing to register or risk facing civil penalties of $27,500, criminal penalties of $250,000 and/or three years imprisonment, an extreme yet possible scenario. These guidelines only apply to US consumers, of course, but the US is a big market that affects manufacturers. Axis is a US company, as well, so it makes sense that it would highlight the fact that the Vidius doesn’t need to be registered.

While some media outlets have already called this the smallest camera-equipped drone in the world, that’s technically not true. China manufacturers have already made smaller ones. This camera drone from IMG Electronics is 3x3cm. It has a 130mAh battery that takes 30 minutes to charge and allows for 4 minutes of flying. Those specifications are not quite as good as what the Vidius offers, but bulk purchasers can get this drone for about $15 per unit with a 100-unit MOQ.