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As the holidays approach, for the first time, there will be a huge selection of safe drones that have all the fun of toys but also offer more serious STEM potential. Sure, there have been plenty of toys before, and a few outliers, but — writing as a drone expert who has long advocated for drones for kids — I know this year is different.

For what? Two things have changed the game more than anything – and the most obvious is the recent arrival of DJI Neo.

Small, child-safe drones are nothing new, but drones that are safe AND have more than novelty value are unusual.

DJI is the largest drone brand – the only one with its own own storeslike Apple – but it sticks entirely to photography and video style drones. They once lent some of their technology to a STEM drone called ‘Ryzé Tello” as part of a deal with Intel, but it still wasn’t a DJI drone and this one was launched in 2018.

This new “Neo” is lightweight – so it can’t do much damage – and (relatively) cheap, but it is equipped with a 4K camera and, especially for children, propeller guards. It’s also capable of flying without a remote control, using AI to track the subject, so (if you don’t want to learn too much about drones) you don’t have to. But oddly enough, that’s not the end of the story…

…what makes the Neo so special is that DJI has looked at most of the things people do with drones and provided a route to get there, including the exciting, high-speed world of FPV – First Person View.

It’s not only a lot of fun, but there are several STEM paths that come from it. My friends in the enthusiast community have built many FPV drones and learned a lot about working with technology and engineering. I don’t build as many anymore (I don’t have time anymore), but I can still use a soldering iron and know more than I ever imagined about how electric motors are controlled, and simply about amps and watt hours – information that might even be useful if I were designing a car!

If you want to get an idea, I really enjoyed listening to this interview with pro FPV pilot Steven Clarey in The Photography & Video Show podcast. This shows that there is professional work at the end of an exciting learning experience.

It is also a rather sociable and outgoing animal, which is not to be disdained these days. If children decide to fly FPV, it is wise to fly with an “observer” – a friend or family member to observe the wider sky while keeping their eyes “in the pilot’s seat” – virtually, c ‘that is to say – using the glasses.

Oh, and it looks like it might get even better in the coming days, because in our drone rumors you’ll find some suggestions that cheaper glasses are on the way.

I said there were two things that had changed – not just the arrival of the Neo. This is true because (in addition to a major refresh of the best drones for kids), there is also a much more serious rival this year in the field of cheaper photographic drones.

In the past, if we’re honest, some pretty serious compromises were made to get foldable outdoor drones that looked “kind of like the ones photographers had” and, oddly, some of the cheaper ones weren’t even available on the market. safe low weight categories.

This year, the Potensic Atom line is fully in place – offering two 4K camera drones, weighing just under 8oz / 250g. This weight has been chosen by most aviation authorities because it is relatively safe and there are much lower restrictions on needing to register to fly at this weight, but it is also heavy enough to cope to the shaking of a certain wind.

Thus, for anyone old enough to have a telephone, the Potensic Atom and cheaper Atom SE (which doesn’t include a mechanical camera gimbal, so slightly less stable video) are worth a look. The app is sophisticated, with features like programmable routes, so it’s aimed at older kids, but – especially if you’re looking for a non-DJI option – it’s worth a look.