A Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with 4K image capture is introduced to DJI's quadcopter line with the Inspire 1 PRO featuring the Zenmuse X5 camera and gimbal system along with a 15mm f/1.7 lens. Forgoing the fixed landing gear design found on many earlier quadcopters, the Inspire 1 features a retractable arm system whereby the underside of each prop motor has a foot to act as a landing pod when the arms are lowered. In-flight, the arms lift up to provide the camera an unobstructed 360-degree view. A 3-axis gimbal keeps shots steady and the camera pointed the same direction as the quadcopter banks and turns. The camera records internally to microSDHC/SDXC memory cards and can also beam a live 720p feed to a mobile device running the DJI GO app or a monitor or FPV glasses with an HDMI input. One transmitter (radio controller) is included and a second can be added so that one operator can pilot and another can pan and tilt the camera.

As with many other multi-rotor systems, the Inspire 1 relies on a GPS-based stabilization system that - thanks to spatial awareness - is able to hold a position even when experiencing wind interference, can compensate for overzealous pilot inputs to help avoid stalling, automatically brings the aircraft home in the event of signal loss or at the press of a button, and makes possible a number of semi-automated flight modes that can be enabled through the app. There is also an "indoor" mode which relies on Vision Position technology - combining optical flow with ultrasonics - to provide stability indoors or in other contexts where GPS is unavailable (Note: certain features will be unavailable in indoor mode).