Insta360’s Antigravity A1 Aims to be the Drone That Sees Everything, Captures 8K 360-Degree Footage

Flying a drone means making split second decisions about where to point the camera. You’re either chasing a perfect shot or cursing yourself later for missing it. Insta360’s Antigravity A1 changes the game entirely. This is the world’s first 8K 360-degree drone, a device that captures everything around it in one go and lets you decide what matters most after you land.

Two fisheye lenses, one on top and one below, give the A1 its superpower: a full 360-degree view stitched together into 8K video. Unlike traditional drones where the camera’s field of view limits what you can capture, this setup records everything – sky, ground, horizon and all the chaos in between. You don’t need to be a pro pilot to nail a shot because the A1 grabs it all. In post production you can reframe footage to focus on a speeding car, a distant mountain or even the pilot waving below, all from the same clip. Insta360’s years of refining 360-degree cameras like the X5 pay off here. Their stitching algorithms make the drone itself disappear from the footage, like an invisible selfie stick, leaving only the world you’re flying through.

Weighing in at under 249g the A1 slips below the drone licensing threshold in many countries making it a hassle free companion for travelers and creators. It’s lightweight design doesn’t sacrifice speed or agility though. The drone comes in a three piece kit: the A1 itself, OLED goggles for first person view and a motion controller that’s half joystick, half Wii remote. This controller lets you point and steer with a trigger, a system called Freemotion that feels like aiming in a video game. You can move the drone in one direction while looking elsewhere, a freedom rare in drones.

Flying with the goggles is where the A1’s magic really happens. The 360-degree feed streams directly to your eyes, so you can turn your head to look around without the drone moving. Most first-person-view drones lock your perspective to the camera’s direction, but the A1 lets you glance around like you’re floating in the air. The goggles also have an external screen, a nice touch that lets friends watch your flight in real-time, turning a solo hobby into a shared experience. The controller is point-and-click simple and pairs with this immersive display to make flying less about technical skill and more about being in the moment.

Editing the A1’s footage is just as fun as flying it. Insta360’s software, built on years of 360-degree video expertise, lets you reframe clips with keyframes to lock onto subjects or create cinematic shots. A 10-second clip can become a tracking shot of a runner, a wide-angle view of a cityscape, or a close-up of a bird in flight, all without needing multiple cameras.

Safety and accessibility are built into the A1’s design. A payload detection system prevents the drone from flying if it’s carrying something it shouldn’t, a nod to responsible use that could help with regulations. At under 249 grams, it’s small enough to throw in a backpack, yet tough enough to handle wet conditions and near-misses, as seen in testing at the German racetrack. Insta360 also launched a co-creation program, where early adopters can test pre-production units ahead of its 2026 launch and share feedback that will shape the final product. Some testers might even win part of a $20,000 prize pool for their ideas.