On the afternoon of December 10, the new product drone launch event of Jiangyu Intelligent was grandly held at Beijing W Hotel, attracting nearly 200 media outlets. Jiangyu Intelligent CEO Chen Sida introduced two drones to us—the Spider X and the Hornet S.
Dream Takes Flight
When talking about why he started making drones, Chen Sida said his dream originated in the second grade of elementary school when an aeromodelling team came to his hometown to perform, which greatly impressed him and other kids who flew paper planes, planting the seed of a flying dream in his heart. Later, Chen Sida founded a model shop of his own in 2001, grew it into China's largest aeromodelling shop by 2005, and even opened China’s largest online model store—Niumo.com—in 2009. Regarding drones, Chen Sida stated that the team’s accumulation over the past decade and technological expertise are their absolute advantages.
Chen Sida also believes that the current price of drones is still too high for ordinary people. In 2007, when Chen Sida participated in "Win in China," he told judges such as Xiong Xiaoge, Shi Yuzhu, and Yu Minhong that his dream was to make a plane that every Chinese person could afford. Now, Chen Sida has fulfilled his promise. At the launch event, the Hornet S had a Taobao crowdfunding price of 999 yuan, truly making it affordable for the average Chinese person.
About the Products
The Spider X can be said to be made for the outdoors, and broadly speaking, it has three main features:
1. Foldable. So far, the biggest pain point of drones on the market is their large size and inconvenience to carry. The Spider X is ultimately designed to be foldable, fitting into a backpack, which is especially convenient for outdoor sports enthusiasts. The four arms and propellers of the Spider X have been completely redesigned, and when folded, its size is only 278mm * 185mm, about the size of an iPad. To save even more space, the lateral shock-absorbing gimbal can be placed horizontally inside the body.
2. Watch Control. To make it easier to carry, the Spider X replaces the traditional remote control with a smartwatch. The built-in light source, barometer, and GPS system in the smartwatch can accurately calculate the distance between the watch and the aircraft, achieving an auto-follow effect. By setting the distance between the aircraft and the watch in “Follow Me” mode in advance, you can achieve seamless aerial photography.
3. Solar Charging. The Spider X is equipped with solar panels, which can generate electricity even when the battery is depleted, allowing the aircraft to fly without obstruction. In addition, the Spider X also has a 5V3A reverse charging function, which can charge your GPS, walkie-talkie, mobile phone, or even some survival tools when you’re short on power outdoors.
In designing the Spider X, Jiangyu Intelligent thoroughly revamped every detail and overcame many technical hurdles, making drones no longer exclusive to professional players but suitable for every outdoor sports enthusiast.
The Hornet S is an innovative and revolutionary product. It adopts a multifunctional, multitasking modular design that is highly integrated, compact, and very portable. It also effectively combines beginner mode, aerial photography mode, and furious mode, allowing you to switch modes as needed.
The Hornet S also has a very sleek aerodynamic appearance and can be adapted to different mission scenarios. Its beginner mode allows anyone to get familiar with it within three minutes. The flight control system has automatic correction and adjustment functions, so even if you don’t operate it properly at first, it’s not easy to crash.
It’s worth mentioning that the Hornet S is the first drone designed according to aerodynamics. Its flight speed can reach 120 kilometers per hour, and it can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds, making it the supercar of drones and satisfying your ultimate pursuit of speed. The Hornet S also has low-voltage protection and loss-of-control protection, so even when flying through complex environments, the risk of crashing is very low.
Future Development
Speaking of the industry’s current state, Chen Sida revealed that 90% of companies in the market currently copy others’ products just to gain short-term profits, without focusing on the products themselves. In comparison, the two drones launched by Jiangyu Intelligent use a lot of independently developed technologies, which can be said to be truly product-focused and worthy of both investors and consumers.
Chen Sida believes that in the future, drone development will go in two directions: one toward the professional level and the other toward the consumer market. In the future, drones will not just be planes—they will be any high-tech products that can achieve unmanned control, with the final form of development heading toward AI and closely integrating with the internet.
Nowadays, drones have become one of the hottest topics in the tech world, with capital pouring in. It has been called the next investment hotspot after smartphones, which has also given rise to numerous drone startups. But to stand out, one must have solid technical strength. The two new products launched by Jiangyu Drones at this event are impressive, showing that Jiangyu Intelligent is definitely no ordinary player.