George Matus is the teenage founder of Teal, a recent drone startup. Having worked with drones since the age of 11, his childhood obsession has led him to waive the college application process in favor of pursuing his dream of bringing the fastest and most versatile possible craft to market.
So how does the Teal drone compare to the competition? According to the claims made by the creator(s), The 730g craft will be able to take off towards 70 mph, and was able to reach speeds of 85 mph in testing. Priced at $1299, it costs similar to a drone from DJI’s arsenal. However, the Phantom 4 can only reach a top speed of 45 mph, primarily due to its intended use for steady camera work. The Teal drone is a different beast entirely, focused on bringing competitive speeds to the competitive drone racing scene. The team also makes a bold claim of their product being able to withstand winds up to 40 mph, as well as water-resistant to be flown in rain or snow.
There are multiple other features included out of the box. A couple applications that are included immediately are the “follow-me” mode, which can follow people, cars, or other specified objects, and users will be able to race any other Teal pilot on set courses using image recognition software developed by Neurala. The craft includes a built-in camera with a 13MP wide field view that supports 4k video recording and 3-axis electronic stabilization. The videos and photos it takes can be stored straight to a microSD card, or to its built-in 16GB storage. Expected battery usage will result in a 10 minute flight time while taking 30 minutes to recharge.
Product pre-orders are up now, costing $1299 for the product with an additional $20 for shipping. Delivery of the Teal drone is expected for the end of the year, in time for the holidays. Trepidation before committing to the product is expected, as this is Teal’s first commercial product, but their demonstrations do inspire some confidence. There are currently no reviews, but I will be revisiting this device later when more people get their hands on it.
It’s an exciting time as commercial projects make their way to the burgeoning racing scene. Products that make their way into the competitive scene are fantastic for both publicity and competition. The more public drone racing becomes, the more people we can expect to become interested in it. The more competition there is in the market, the more available the sport becomes for these potentially new pilots.
Check out this video of how the Teal drone handles in wind.
Also, check out the original story here, and Teal’s sitehere