GoPro has confirmed plans to move beyond the action camera arena and break into the drone market next year, Digital Spy reports.

Company CEO Nick Woodman announced the move at the Code Conference, putting GoPro in direct competition with DJI, Parrot and other drone manufacturers.

"It seemed natural to us that we're in the GoPro enabling business and drones are the ultimate GoPro accessory…that was all the rationale we needed to say okay," Drone Guru quotes him as saying.

"It's core enough to our business to make sense to make our own."

Entering the drone space is a logical move for the action-camera pioneer, given that many of its cameras can be combined with unmanned aircraft to shoot aerial footage.

GoPro previously confirmed that it has ambitions to break into virtual reality by acquiring virtual-reality software firm Kolor.