Competition in the consumer drone market is heating up
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On July 8, according to the Wall Street Journal, France's Parrot, China's DJI and California's 3D Robotics have formed a three-way competition in the field of consumer drones, while also facing a new wave of competition from companies such as GoPro. Parrot, China’s DJI and California’s 3D Robotics are all vying to become the world’s leading consumer drone company, each seeking to capture a different part of the market and sidestep the decline of other consumer technology products such as PCs and cellphones. Parrot and its rivals are facing a new wave of competition. GoPro, the maker of action-sports cameras, plans to release a drone for aerial photography next year for less than $1,000. Helen Greiner, co-creator of the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner, is heading a company that plans to launch a $500 six-rotor drone that she says users can fly without training. To maintain its current leading position, Parrot is launching a series of diversified products aimed at different user groups, such as filmmakers, farmers and even grandparents shopping for gifts for their children before Christmas. “That’s our strategy — to be flexible and innovative,” said Henry Seydoux, founder and chief executive of Parrot. “There are a lot of things that can be innovated in drones.” Parrot's popular products include the $100 Rolling Spider, a camera-taking, wall-climbing quadcopter; the flagship Bebop drone, which costs $500, half the price of similar products from DJI and 3D Robotics; and the $25,000 eBee, a best-selling unmanned glider that can be used to monitor crop growth and map construction sites. Bilal Zuberi, a partner at Lux Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in drone companies, said: "Parrot's strategy (to diversify its products) risks spreading its business too thin, especially as it develops products such as headphones. It is a strong competitor, but it risks losing its current leading position if it does not stay focused." Competition is already intense among Parrot, DJI and 3D Robotics. The Phantom series of drones, which cost about $1,000, has made DJI the world's largest consumer drone maker by revenue. DJI's sales this year are expected to reach $1 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. Parrot did not provide a sales forecast for this year, but its sales in the past four quarters were about $100 million, just one-tenth of the above forecast. DJI recently raised $75 million in funding, bringing its valuation to $8 billion. Founded six years ago, 3D Robotics has become popular with its $1,000 drones and is also focusing on drone flight control systems, hoping to become a dominant platform for selling drone-related software and services. "People mistakenly think that Parrot's drones are toys," said Chris Anderson, CEO of 3D Robotics. "People will adjust that misconception and see Parrot as a very capable drone company." Drone companies also face potential obstacles such as regulatory bottlenecks. If a drone collides with a passenger plane or is used in a terrorist attack, drones may face serious problems such as public panic and limited development. As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity. |
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