(Image credit: Matt Kollat)

Antigravity is rolling out a major firmware update for its 360º drone, introducing a suite of new features designed to make flying safer, easier and more creative.

The update, known as U3, focuses on improving safety, simplifying controls and enhancing creative tools.

It marks one of the most significant upgrades to the Antigravity A1 to date, the world's first 360º drone, which, since then, received company in the form of DJI's Avata 360.

The latest update follows another rollout earlier this year, which introduced a virtual flight simulator in the Vision Goggles to help new users get to grips with its motion-based controls.

A smarter way through the air

The drone now has omnidirectional obstacle avoidance and can detect obstacles in every direction, including above and below, rather than just in front or beneath it as before.

It can also actively navigate around obstacles instead of simply stopping, making the flight smoother and more reliable.

Antigravity is also introducing voice control, allowing users to operate the drone using simple spoken commands.

Functions such as take-off, recording and return-to-home can now be triggered hands-free via the Vision goggles, reducing the need to interact with physical controls.

Flying starts to feel like a game

On the creative side, the update adds a third-person virtual cockpit view alongside the existing first-person perspective.

Users can switch between the two mid-flight, creating a more dynamic and game-like flying experience.

The company has also upgraded its Auto Edit feature, which now uses AI to generate more varied camera movements, including 360-degree motion and FPV-style shots.

It also introduces built-in sound effects and improved editing logic to produce more polished videos with minimal input.

Small tweaks that unlock bigger shots

Further updates include enhanced flight path tools with customisable path marker visuals, assigning different camera angles at each waypoint and combining these routes with the virtual cockpit mode for more cinematic footage.

A new timelapse feature is also included.

The firmware is expected to roll out in mid-April via the Antigravity app.

You can buy the A1 drone directly from Antigravity.