The Best Drone Accessories and Gadgets:
Drones are becoming more and more popular and accessible in recent years, thanks to the advances in technology and the decrease in prices.
According to a report by [Businesswire], the global drone market is expected to grow from $22 5 billion in 2020 to $42.8 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 13.8%. The report also estimates that there will be about 63 3 million consumer drones in use by 2025, up from 20 5 million in 2018
With such a huge and growing market, there is also a huge and growing demand for drone accessories and gadgets
These are products that can enhance or complement your drone in various ways, such as improving its performance, increasing its functionality, or adding some flair and fun to it. There are hundreds of drone accessories and gadgets available on the market, but some of them stand out for their quality, features, design, or value
Here are some of the best drone accessories and gadgets that you can buy right now. We have categorized them into four main types: cameras, lights, speakers, and sensors
Cameras
Cameras are one of the most popular and useful drone accessories that you can buy. They allow you to capture stunning aerial photos and videos that you can share with your friends or family or use for professional purposes
There are many types of cameras that you can attach to your drone depending on your needs and preferences Some of them are:
Action cameras:
These are small and lightweight cameras that are designed for capturing fast-paced activities and sports They usually have wide-angle lenses, high-resolution sensors, image stabilization features, and waterproof cases.
They are ideal for capturing dynamic and immersive footage from your drone Some examples of action cameras are GoPro Hero 9 Black, DJI Osmo Action, and Insta360 One X2.
360 cameras:
These are cameras that can capture a full 360-degree view of the surroundings. They usually have two or more lenses, high-resolution sensors, image stitching features, and stabilization features.
They are ideal for capturing panoramic and spherical footage from your drone Some examples of 360 cameras are Insta360 One R, GoPro Max, and Ricoh Theta Z1
Zoom cameras:
These are cameras that can zoom in and out of the scene without losing quality or detail They usually have optical zoom lenses, high-resolution sensors, autofocus features, and stabilization features
They are ideal for capturing distant or close-up footage from your drone Some examples of zoom cameras are DJI Zenmuse Z3, Parrot Anafi Thermal, and PowerVision PowerEye.
Top pick
Our top pick for the best drone camera is the GoPro Hero 9 Black. This is a powerful and versatile action camera that can capture stunning 5K video and 20MP photos from your drone. It has a front display and a rear touch screen for easy control and framing
It also has a removable lens cover that lets you swap between different lens mods, such as the Max Lens Mod that gives you a wider field of view and better stabilization It also has a HyperSmooth 3 0 feature that smooths out any bumps or shakes in your footage
It also has a TimeWarp 3.0 feature that lets you speed up or slow down your footage with a tap. It also has a LiveBurst feature that lets you capture 1 5 seconds of video before and after you press the shutter It also has a voice control feature that lets you control the camera with your voice commands.
It also has a live streaming feature that lets you stream your footage to Facebook, YouTube, or other platforms. It also has a waterproof case that lets you submerge the camera up to 33 feet (10 meters)
It also has a wireless connection feature that lets you transfer your footage to your phone or cloud via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
The GoPro Hero 9 Black is compatible with most drones that have a standard camera mount or a gimbal stabilizer You can also use the GoPro app on your phone to control the camera settings and preview the footage. You can also use the GoPro Quik app on your phone to edit and share your footage with music, filters, stickers, and more
The GoPro Hero 9 Black costs $399 99 on the official website, but you can also find it cheaper on other online platforms or stores. It comes with a rechargeable battery, a curved adhesive mount, a mounting buckle, a USB-C cable, and a carrying case
You can also buy additional accessories such as lens mods, media mods, light mods, batteries, chargers, mounts, cases, and more
The GoPro Hero 9 Black has received mostly positive reviews from customers who praised its image quality, performance, features, design, and durability.
Some of the negative reviews mentioned its battery life, overheating issues, software bugs, and customer service
Lights
Lights are another useful drone accessory that you can buy. They allow you to illuminate dark areas or create colorful effects with your drone
They can also help you improve your drone’s visibility and safety in low-light conditions There are many types of lights that you can attach to your drone depending on your needs and preferences
Some of them are:
LED lights:
These are small and bright lights that emit light in different colors and patterns. They usually have low power consumption, long lifespan, and easy installation They are ideal for adding some flair and fun to your drone flights
Some examples of LED lights are Lume Cube Air, PGYTECH LED Propeller Guard, and Firehouse Technology ARC V Drone Strobe Light
Spotlights:
These are powerful and focused lights that emit light in a narrow beam They usually have high power consumption, short lifespan, and difficult installation They are ideal for illuminating specific areas or objects with your drone.
Some examples of spotlights are Lume Cube Drone Lighting Kit, FoxFury Rugo Drone Light System, and Freewell Bright Day Filter Pack
Flashlights:
These are portable and handheld lights that emit light in a wide beam They usually have medium power consumption, medium lifespan, and easy installation.
They are ideal for adding some extra light to your drone flights or using them as backup lights in case of emergency.
Some examples of flashlights are Anker Bolder LC90 LED Flashlight,GearLight S1000 LED Tactical Flashlight, and Streamlight 88061 ProTac 1L-1AA Dual Fuel Professional Tactical Light Top pick
Our top pick for the best drone light is the Lume Cube Air This is a compact and lightweight LED light that can attach to your drone with a magnetic mount
It can produce up to 400 lumens of brightness and has four brightness levels and four flash modes It also has a color temperature of 5600K and a CRI of 90+, which means it can produce natural and accurate colors.
It also has a Bluetooth feature that lets you control the light settings and effects with your phone via the Lume-X app It also has a waterproof case that lets you submerge the light up to 30 feet (10 meters).
It also has a rechargeable battery that can last up to 2 5 hours on low mode or 40 minutes on high mode
The Lume Cube Air is compatible with most drones that have a flat surface or a standard camera mount. You can also use the Lume Cube app on your phone to sync the light with your drone camera and adjust the exposure and white balance
You can also use the Lume Cube Air as a standalone light for photography, videography, or emergency purposes.
The Lume Cube Air costs $69 95 on the official website, but you can also find it cheaper on other online platforms or stores. It comes with a magnetic mount, a diffuser, a lanyard, a micro USB cable, and a carrying case
You can also buy additional accessories such as filters, gels, modifiers, mounts, cases, and more.
The Lume Cube Air has received mostly positive reviews from customers who praised its brightness, quality, features, design, and versatility
Some of the negative reviews mentioned its battery life, app issues, magnet strength, and customer service
Speakers
Speakers are another fun and handy drone accessory that you can buy. They allow you to play sound or music from your drone or communicate with other people or devices with your drone
They can also help you attract attention or create ambiance with your drone
There are many types of speakers that you can attach to your drone depending on your needs and preferences Some of them are:
Bluetooth speakers:
These are wireless speakers that connect to your phone or other devices via Bluetooth They usually have medium sound quality, medium battery life, and easy installation They are ideal for playing music or sound effects from your drone.
Some examples of Bluetooth speakers are JBL Clip 3 Portable Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Speaker, Bose SoundLink Micro Portable Outdoor Speaker, and Anker Soundcore Mini Super-Portable Bluetooth Speaker.
Megaphone speakers:
These are loud speakers that amplify your voice or other sounds via a microphone or an audio input They usually have high sound quality, low battery life, and difficult installation They are ideal for communicating or broadcasting messages from your drone.
Some examples of megaphone speakers are DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Speaker Module, PGYTECH Mavic Air 2 Speaker Kit, and Drone Amplified AGS Pro
FM transmitters:
These are devices that transmit audio signals via FM radio waves to any nearby FM radio receiver. They usually have low sound quality, low battery life, and easy installation. They are ideal for creating prank calls or radio shows from your drone
Some examples of FM transmitters are Nulaxy Wireless In-Car Bluetooth FM Transmitter Radio Adapter Car Kit,VicTsing (Upgraded Version) Bluetooth FM Transmitter, and IMDEN Bluetooth
5 0 FM Transmitter for Car
Top pick
Our top pick for the best drone speaker is the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Speaker Module. This is a powerful and clear speaker that can attach to your DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drone It can produce up to 100 decibels of sound and has a range of up to 200 meters. It also has a built-in microphone and an audio input that lets you record or play custom sounds from your drone It also has a DJI Pilot app that lets you control the speaker settings and functions with your phone or tablet.
The DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Speaker Module is compatible with the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drone, which is a professional-grade drone that has advanced features such as obstacle avoidance, thermal imaging, zoom camera, and flight autonomy.
You can also use the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Speaker Module as a standalone speaker for other purposes.
The DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Speaker Module costs $199 on the official website, but you can also find it cheaper on other online platforms or stores It comes with a speaker module, a mounting bracket, a screwdriver, and screws.
You can also buy additional accessories such as batteries, chargers, propellers, cases, and more
The DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Speaker Module has received mostly positive reviews from customers who praised its sound quality, volume, range, design, and functionality
Some of the negative reviews mentioned its battery life, weight, compatibility, and price
Sensors
Sensors are another smart and useful drone accessory that you can buy. They allow you to collect data or information from the environment or your drone with your drone They can also help you improve your drone’s performance, safety, or functionality in different situations. There are many types of sensors that you can attach to your drone depending on your needs and preferences
Some of them are:
GPS sensors:
These are devices that use satellite signals to determine your drone’s location, speed, altitude, and direction They usually have high accuracy, high battery life, and easy installation They are ideal for tracking or navigating your drone in various scenarios
Some examples of GPS sensors are DJI Naza-M V2 Flight Controller with GPS/Compass Module, Matek Systems M8Q-5883 Ublox SAM-M8Q GPS & QMC5883L Compass Module for RC Drone FPV Racing, and Holybro Pixhawk 4 Mini Autopilot Flight Controller with PM06 V2 Power Management Board & GPS
Lidar sensors:
These are devices that use laser pulses to measure the distance and shape of objects or surfaces They usually have high resolution, low battery life, and difficult installation They are ideal for mapping or scanning the environment with your drone.
Some examples of lidar sensors are Livox Mid-40/Mid-100 Lidar Sensor for RC Drone FPV Racing Robot Car Plane Boat Helicopter UAV UAS VTOL Multirotor Hexacopter Mapping Surveying Agriculture Lidar Scanner Rangefinder Distance Sensor Module, Benewake TFmini Plus Lidar Range Finder Sensor Module Single-Point Micro Ranging Module for Arduino
Pixhawk Drone FPV RC, and Garmin Lidar Lite v3HP High Performance Optical Distance Measurement Sensor.
Thermal sensors:
These are devices that use infrared radiation to measure the temperature of objects or surfaces. They usually have low resolution, low battery life, and easy installation They are ideal for detecting heat sources or anomalies with your drone.
Some examples of thermal sensors are FLIR Vue Pro R 640 Thermal Imaging Camera, Seek Thermal CompactXR – Outdoor Thermal Imaging Camera for Android MicroUSB, and DJI
Zenmuse XT2 Thermal Camera.
Gas sensors:
These are devices that use chemical reactions to measure the concentration of gases or vapors in the air They usually have low accuracy, low battery life, and difficult installation They are ideal for monitoring or detecting air quality or pollution with your drone
Some examples of gas sensors are DFRobot Gravity: Analog CO2 Gas Sensor For Arduino,
MQ-7 Carbon Monoxide Sensor Module for Arduino UNO Mega2560 Nano Raspberry Pi 3 2B
B+ Smart Car Robot DIY, and Adafruit MiCS5524 CO, Alcohol and VOC Gas Sensor Breakout
Top pick
Our top pick for the best drone sensor is the Livox Mid-40/Mid-100 Lidar Sensor This is a high-performance and cost-effective lidar sensor that can attach to your drone with a mounting bracket
It can produce up to 100,000 points per second and has a range of up to 260 meters It also has a field of view of 38.4 degrees and a resolution of 0.1 degrees. It also has a non-repetitive scanning pattern that ensures high-density and uniform point clouds
It also has a Livox SDK that lets you integrate the sensor with your drone software and applications.
The Livox Mid-40/Mid-100 Lidar Sensor is compatible with most drones that have a payload capacity of at least 350 grams and a power supply of at least 12 volts You can also use the Livox Viewer software on your computer to visualize and process the data from the sensor.
You can also use the Livox Mid-40/Mid-100 Lidar Sensor for other purposes such as robotics, autonomous driving, mapping, surveying, agriculture, and more.
The Livox Mid-40/Mid-100 Lidar Sensor costs $599/$1499 on the official website, but you can also find it cheaper on other online platforms or stores
It comes with a lidar sensor, a mounting bracket, a power cable, and a communication cable You can also buy additional accessories such as batteries, chargers, cases, and more. The Livox Mid-40/Mid-100 Lidar Sensor has received mostly positive reviews from customers who praised its performance, quality, features, design, and value. Some of the negative reviews mentioned its availability, compatibility, documentation, and customer service
Conclusion
In this blog, we have reviewed some of the coolest and most useful add-ons and enhancements for your drone, such as cameras, lights, speakers, and sensors We have also provided some tips on how to choose the best drone accessories for your needs and budget We hope you have enjoyed reading this blog and learned something new about drone accessories and gadgets