GoPro’s Karma quad-copter ($799.99) is once again available for sale 3 months after it was recalled because units were literally falling out of the sky. Theverge.com is reporting the drone will once again be available at GoPro.com, Best Buy, B&H, and Amazon.
The drones were recalled just weeks after their October 2016 release. GoPro explained the source of the catastrophic failures was fault in the design of the latch that holds the drone’s battery in place. This flaw led to loose battery connections resulting in drones powering down mid-flight. The latch went through redesign and “extensive testing” and should be solved.
“We’re a little bit embarrassed that it was something as basic as a battery retention issue, but at the same time we’re relieved that we can show the world that we do understand drones, we do understand the technology, and that it was an unfortunate mechanical engineering slip-up that led to the recall of Karma.” -GoPro CEO Nick Woodman
GoPro took a major hit during the recall, laying off 15% of its workforce since November but Woodman maintains an optimistic front facing position about the future of the company:
“Our existing customers and new customers are really excited about Karma’s value proposition. The foundation has been laid for great things to come in the Karma line.”
GoPro published this video yesterday entitled “Meet Karma” but I think they meant reintroduce: