Antigravity cuts drone price in half by ditching VR goggles for smartwatch control

Antigravity has significantly lowered the barrier to owning its A1 drone by swapping out expensive VR goggles for wearable controls. The new "Follow Me" kit drops the total cost to $799 in the US—half the price of the original $1,599 bundle—while maintaining the same 360-degree camera and autonomous flight capabilities.

A simpler control scheme#

Instead of strapping on a headset and immersing yourself in FPV flight, the redesigned kit relies on a smartwatch and ring to operate the drone. Users can launch the A1 directly from their hand by holding a button, then let it autonomously follow them while walking or riding a scooter. The watch's touchscreen displays a live preview of the drone's footage and offers basic controls—quick preset movements, plus sliders for manual forward/backward and up/down adjustments if needed. The ring serves as a secondary control button, allowing one-handed operation.

Arm gestures also work as a form of air control: wave left, right, up, down, toward, or away from you to nudge the drone's position while it records.

Strong potential, but rough edges remain#

Testing revealed promising autonomous tracking through suburban environments, and the drone proved durable through multiple crashes. The included full-coverage propeller guards added an extra layer of resilience. However, several limitations emerged during hands-on trials. The A1 doesn't yet handle all obstacles reliably—power lines, thin branches, and utility pole guy wires proved problematic.

Manual intervention was frequently necessary: the touchscreen felt sluggish, the drone resisted landing on hands without switching to manual mode, and tracking required manually locating yourself on screen before tapping to start recording. Altitude logic also occasionally misfired, refusing to follow once crossing a hilltop.

The drone's small size sometimes worked against it, drifting toward streets or neighbor properties when instructed to stay close behind the operator.

Pricing and upgrade options#

The new $799 kit includes the drone, watch, ring, and improved propeller guards. Existing A1 owners can purchase the watch-and-ring upgrade separately for $340, with propeller guards alone priced at $40. Early adopters of the original kit receive a 20 percent discount on accessories.

Antigravity's compact, foldable design appeals to users seeking a grab-and-go autonomous camera drone—positioning it as an accessible alternative to more specialized enterprise systems.