GoPro Recalls Recently Launched Drones After Some Stop Working
GoPro only released its new $800 (no camera included) Karma drone two weeks ago, but the flying photo-taking device has already been recalled because some of them simply stopped working.
GoPro announced Tuesday that after receiving reports that several newly launched devices have lost power it will recall some 2,500 Karma drones.
So far, the company says it is unaware of any injuries related to the power issues, but out of an abundance of caution it will provide refunds to owners of the drones.
“Safety is our top priority,” GoPro Founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman said in a statement. “We are very sorry to have inconvenienced our customers and we are taking every step to make the return and refund process as easy as possible.”
The GoPro Karma, which sold for $799, was the company’s first entrant into the unmanned aircraft industry.
While GoPro says it is “working in close coordination with both the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Federal Aviation Administration,” it should be noted that drones are a new territory for regulators, much like the millions of hoverboards recalled last year.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the CPSC doesn’t regulate consumer drone recalls, but did instruct GoPro to move forward with the recall if it found it necessary.
As for the FAA, the agency did not return a request for comment to the WSJ, but it is in charge of operating drone operator registration.
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