Insta360 takes to the skies as leaked images of a new drone surface online

The wonderful world of consumer drones has come on leaps and bounds in recent years. These days, there's something for just about everyone, whether you fancy a cheap and cheerful bit of fun, or a pro-spec piece of kit for serious work.

The one thing which is missing right now is a product from Insta360. That's the brand behind some of the best action cameras on the market, including the incredible 360° action cam – the Insta360 X5.

Now, it looks as though the brand is set to pivot into the world of drones for the first time, with a fresh set of leaks and rumours pointing to that device. There are a couple of key things noted, so we'll go through them here.

First up is a Tweet which showcases some of the patents the brand has gained in this space. The first showcases a modular design, which appears to allow users to remove the prop guards for easier transport and repairs.

Far more interesting, though, is the design for the cameras themselves. That shows two fisheye lenses in use, which combine to offer a full 360° field-of-view. Those are also said to be optimised for stitching, and with minimal overlap.

The other leaked imagery – still on Twitter, but this time from a different account – shows how the brand manages to keep its device invisible within the images. That's thanks to a design with arms positioned in the blind spot of the cameras, with motors tilted outwards and down by up to 20­° to assist.

It's a really clever piece of design which should allow users to capture fantastic shots in the signature Insta360 style, without having to compromise with stray pieces of the device in the frame. With the drone expected in the not-too-distant future, we'll be keeping a close eye on further developments over the coming weeks.