EV maker BYD unveiled Lingyuan, a vehicle-mounted drone launching system developed in collaboration with DJI that is available for all of the companys vehicles, reports Chinese state media outlet Xinhua. The system is only available in China, like BYDs vehicles, and costs 16,000 yuan (or about $2,197).BYDs video below, reposted by YouTube channel ShanghaiEye, has some real science fiction vibes: the driver taps a button on their vehicles touch screen, and doors slide open on the top of the car, revealing a rising landing platform with a drone on it. The drone is shown lifting off while the EV is in motion in some shots, then following the car down the road.A CnEVPost story says the drones can take off and land at speeds up to 25 km/h and that they can return automatically as long as theyre within two kilometers of the vehicle. The story also says the drone can follow at up to 54 kilometers per hour. The hangar charges the drone when its docked. The Lingyuan purchase price includes a DJI drone reports dont seem to say which, but the video shows a DJI Air 3S as well as the roof-mounted drone hangar, and apps that work with the system, according to South China Morning Post. The apps include one for video editing (possibly one of DJIs existing apps) as well as one for AI recognition, whose function isnt specified by SCMP. Google-translated text from BYDs demo video revealing the system mentions AI Posture recognition, Lingyuan takes photos around the car. Its not clear whether BYD owners can install the system on a vehicle themselves.Screenshot: YouTubeBYD and DJI collaborated in developing a fully integrated system from the ground up, BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu said at a launch event in Chinese tech hub Shenzhen on Sunday, writes SCMP. The automaker also reportedly introduced a version of its Bao 8 SUV that comes pre-equipped with the Lingyuan system.Its not BYDs first venture into drone launchers. Its luxury brand, Yangwang, launched an off-road variant of its U8 SUV with one attached to its roof rails, but that looks much larger than the Lingyuan featured in BYDs video.Lingyuan sounds a lot like DJIs Dock 3 drone-in-a-box solution meant for use in tasks like power line inspections or emergency response. The Dock 3 was the first verson of the DJI Dock to let you launch the drones from a moving vehicle, but it costs quite a bit more than the Lingyuan system: it starts at $21,059, a price that doesnt include installation, for a bundle with a DJI Matrice 4D drone.See More: