Hover Camera app: One of my favorite parts

Taking exceptional photos and videos is extremely easy with your flying camera, Hover Camera Passport.

The Hover Camera Passport has an accompanying app that gives you a fair number of controller layout options. You can fly with two virtual joysticks if you’re familiar with traditional controls; use the simplified layout if you just need to get the camera in position; or even turn on tilt mode and steer the drone around by tilting your phone in any direction. As with most smartphone-based controls, the Passport’s manual modes do feel a bit loose and imprecise — but we still appreciate the ability to switch up the control scheme.

It was simple and easy to understand even without the instructional screens. As someone who rarely reads instructions, that’s a huge plus from me. Plus, the Hover Camera Passport doesn’t require any bulky remote controls. That’s one less thing to charge, one less thing to keep track of, and one less thing to pack.

You can just look down at the app and fly, since the controls sit on top of a real-time video feed coming from the Passport. Whether the camera is recording or not, you can see what your Hover Camera sees at all times. It’s a little disorienting at first, but once you get used to it you can fly without ever having to look up.

The app itself performed admirably; it never once lagged on my Nexus 5x running Android Nougat, and I had the same results with a friend’s iPhone 5s running iOS 10.

The Hover Camera is now available at $599 with 8mins flight time.

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Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K: the drone at $460

The Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi, known for its smartphones and cheap accessories, has announced that it will be launching a version of its Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K on March 3rd.

With this drone will unveil this week in China, Xiaomi becomes a serious competitor of Parrot and DJI, whose drones are sold much more expensive with equal skills. The Xiaomi Mi Drone looks like a brother to the model of DJI.

According to reports, Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K has so far received more than 400 software optimization along with five major hardware upgrades to turn it into a worthy competitor to the more established brands (in the drone market) such as GoPro.

From a remote control that can be attached to a smartphone ( for example a Xiaomi model ), the drone can be controlled up to a maximum distance of 4 kilometers according to the company.

The forthcoming drone will have a built-in multi-security feature, real-time location tracking, seamless remote control using PCB array antenna, real-time calculation of the power required to return, and more. Also, there is a built-in mechanism for preventing the drone from accidentally flying into a no-fly zone.

The Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K is a quadcopter with a 5,100mAh battery that allows for just under half an hour of flight, so bringing an extra battery pack may be a good idea. Users can connect to the drone via an app or a controller, allowing them to follow what the drone is seeing in real time. In both versions of the Mi Drone, the camera has a 360-degree viewing angle thanks to a special base that can tilt and pan with ease.

Unlike the 1080p variant of the product, the Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K is based on the new-generation TDMA technology that not only boasts anti-jamming but also can transmit from a distance of up to 4km.

What makes the Mi Drone pretty cool is the automatic pathfinding that has been built in, allowing the little device to travel along a set trajectory, or pick a certain spot and hover there as long as the battery can handle it. It also boasts a single-button control for telling it to hover, land, take off, etc. So far most customers seem fairly pleased with it thanks to its ease of use and pilot-friendly controls.

Whether the 4K camera is enough of a draw to entice enthusiasts to buy the upgraded Mi Drone or the DJI killer remains to be seen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Yuneec Typhoon H let my girlfriend and me down!

OMG! What a nightmare. My Yuneec Typhoon H remote controller is dead on arrival. It ruined my mood for the flight of Yuneec Typhoon H.

I called Yuneec support and was requested to return it back for repair after spending $1300.

Repair, well, I don’t think anyone agrees to have a repaired unit after spending so much dollars. I learned from the forum that the repaired unit doesn’t work as well as the brand new one.

With my tons of phone calls to push for an exchange, they agreed to send me new one considering I’m the valued customer.

A week later, I received my new controller. I have to say that I’m a beginner. I had to call the support again and again to get it work. It took around 2 hours and many tries to bind the hex.

The support told that if it still didn’t work, I might need to have the remote controller sent back to them again. Again? I did want to kick the Typhoon H off at that time. I told the support, I needed a full refund if it didn’t work this time and I would tell my friends not to purchase anything from Yuneec.

The support seemed to sense something and became very patient after that. With his help, I get the remote controller bind to the hex. I thought the nightmare ended up there. I started to try my first flight after everything was set up. I took off the Typhoon H. It ascended to 10 meters high. I noticed the landing gear was in the live video. Shouldn’t the landing gear retract itself at this height? I tried with my remote controller but still failed to have the landing gear retract. I ascended the Typhoon H and thought the landing gear might retract. But nothing changed when it was 20 meters high.

I landed the Typhoon H and call the tech support. I operated with their instructions but it would start and one leg would get stuck. My patience worn thinner and thinner. I didn’t even want to fly it anymore.

Three days later, my girlfriend told me she would like to watch me flying the typhoon H. I thought it could still fly at least. So we took the drone to an open area. When I tried to fly the typhoon H, the new controller had lost the binding to the aircraft body again. I started to try to bind them again and it took us 30 minutes with trials. It worked finally. But what most ridiculous thing was it lost signal from the aircraft again when my girlfriend was ready to what me flying.

I started the procedure again and again but my trials went in vain. I called tech support and they were even not able to help. I was recommended to send my Typhoon H for test. Seriously?!!!

The Typhoon H just ruined my day! I could see how frustrated my girlfriend was.

Should I send it back to repair or full refund? It is like an endless nightmare and I’m tired of everything about Typhoon H.

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Indoor flights with Typhoon Q500 4K gps off

Some experienced pilot that’s able to properly control the Typhoon Q500 4K in Angle (Pilot) Mode, and they do not exceed any altitude/distance limits or fly in any ‘no fly zones’ in your area, they are willing to disable/turn off Typhoon Q500 GPS. So how?

WARNING: Smart Mode and Home Mode, along with their corresponding features, only work when GPS is active and the Q500 has a suitable GPS signal/lock. If you disable/turn off Typhoon Q500 GPS the drone can only be flown in Angle (Pilot) Mode. And if you cannot properly control the Q500 in Angle (Pilot) Mode the aircraft may crash or even ‘fly away’.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Yuneec drone Crash damage and ‘fly aways’ are NOT covered under warranty.We do not typically recommend disabling Typhoon Q500 4K GPS for any reason, especially if you’re a first-time or low-time pilot. However, if you’re an experienced, you could try.

And do NOT disable/turn off Typhoon Q500 4K GPS unless you accept ALL responsibility and liability for crashes or ‘fly aways’.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Every time you turn the Q500 on it will default to having Typhoon Q500 4K GPS active/on (even if you disabled GPS the last time is was powered on).

Step 1) While the ST10 and Q500 are powered on and linked (and the motors are NOT running), move the Proportional Control Rate Slider on the right side of the ST10 to the uppermost (rabbit) position.

Step 2) Move the right-hand stick all the way to the right and hold it there until step 3 is completed.

Step 3) Move the Flight Mode Selection Switch from Smart to Home and Home to Smart mode 4 times in 3 seconds.When GPS has been disabled successfully the Q500 will emit an audible indication and the Typhoon Q500 4K GPS status on the ST10 screen will show ‘Disabled’.

Also, the Main LED Status Indicator will flash purple and the Below Motor LED Status Indicators will flash three times per second then will stay off for one second.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Xiaomi Mi drone 4K: DJI killer?

The Chinese electronics brands Xiaomi unveiled its first drone last year in May. The Mi drone 1080p is available with a price tag of below $400. However, ever since, there has been no substantial update on the status of the 4K variant of the drone.

The company recently announced that the Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K will be listed on March 3 with a price of 2,999 yuan (~$436), whereas the battery for the same will be priced at 499 yuan (~$72), with the ambition to invite itself on a segment dominated by another Chinese company: DJI and its Phantom drone.

The Xiaomi Mi drone will be produced by FIMI Technology. To ensure its differentiation, it will bet on a price that should not exceed 4000 yuan, or about $436, where DJI proposes its drone equivalent Phantom 3 Standard from $499.

Xiaomi should therefore re-exploit its strategy already used for smartphones, offering mid / high-end products at very competitive rates by limiting its marketing expenses and playing viral marketing.

However, the product is located high enough to ensure a certain profitability despite the low margins generated, Xiaomi leaving the segment of drones entry-level that sees many new players is likely to saturate quickly.

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Any changes to the new GoPro Karma drone?

GoPro was forced to recall the unfortunately-named Karma in November 2016 after several reported cases of its battery disconnecting mid-flight. But now a modified version has arisen Phoenix-like from its ashes with a redesigned latch mechanism, which GoPro is confident will keep the battery firmly in place.

The GoPro Karma doesn’t exactly come with a particular camera. The various camera options are the Hero5, the Hero Session, or attach your own, and that’s what determines where you land on the $799-$1,099 scale. Each option will give you a different quality of video.

	Recording Resolution	Photography	Battery
Hero 5 Black	4k @ 30FPS 1440P @ 80 FPS 1080P @ 120 FPS	12MP	1220mAH
Hero 5 Session	4k @ 30 FPS 1440p @ 60 FPS 1080p @ 90 FPS	10MP	1000mAH

 

Not only do you get a drone, you get the Karma grip for ultra smooth video. This acts as a camera stabilizer so that when you’re on the move, you can grab smooth high quality footage instead of rough hand-held. The stabilizer fits inside the drone. The camera is connected to the stabilizer which is in turn connected to the drone.

Karma Grip Specs

Length	8″ (20.5cm)
Battery Life	105 Minutes
Weight	0.52lbs (0.24kg)

 

The GoPro Karma Drone comes with an easy flight system including a controller with a 5 inch screen that runs at 720p and lasts up to 4 hours. The simple controller with its few buttons allows new drone users the confidence to get great shots from the air.

Bring some passengers along with GoPro passenger app which allows you to fly your friends around! As you drive the Karma with the controller, your bros and gals with the app can tie in to the view and watch while you drive. In other words – show off your flight skills to your friends as they watch.

LCD Screen Size	5 inches
Resolution	1280×720 (720p)
Brightness	900 nits
Battery Life	240 Minutes
Radio Frequency	2.4Ghz
Weight	1.38lbs (0.625kg)

 

The drone has pretty good acceleration—which is kind of to say you should be careful.  I’ve never flown a drone of any kind that I wanted to blast off faster than it did, which would make controlling harder.  Anyway, it’s a speedster, clocking in at a max of 35 mph.  This is facilitated, up to a point, by its compact, elongated design and its petite build.

It would be nice if it had obstacle avoidance built in, a pretty standard feature that it’s mysteriously missing. I think the idea is that such a high-end video-creating drone will attract experienced pilots who won’t need it.

The review is based on the old GoPro Karma. Are there any changes to the Karma drone to improve it? I was really excited for the Karma drone during its first announcement, but things have changed drastically since then and I’m not sure if there is enough fight for this dog to stay in. Only time will tell.

 

 

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What it looks like when tigers are chasing a drone?

A recent video from CCTV+ shows an example of wild animals versus a drone. In this video, a pack of Siberian tigers chases the drone around while it’s recording them. Eventually, it takes just one swing of a paw to take it down, after quite an unusual game of cat and mouse. It proved that technology is no match for fierce mother nature.

As you can see in the video, these Siberian tigers are not only intimidating and huge, but they are also chubby. They live in captivity and they are well fed, so it’s no wonder they’re not in their best shape. The habitat staff uses the drone to make the big cats run around and chase it to get the necessary exercise.

As the drone flies above them, the tigers get alert and try to catch it. I suppose it wasn’t a part of the plan, but at one point they actually succeed in catching it. One of the tigers swipes at the drone with a paw, and it crushes down onto the ground.

After the drone was taken down, the exercise session broke down faster than the drone, which didn’t stay in one piece for very long anyhow. Small pieces and big chunks were torn off with brutal efficiency right up until the drone started smoking and startled the ambush.

What was left of the drone was later recovered using “a well-protected vehicle.”

Unfortunately, that’s not where this story ends. A little bit of digging reveals that this encounter between tiger and drone isn’t all playful. The “park” the footage comes from allegedly keeps their cats in “deplorable conditions” and sells tiger bone wine, even though the horrific practice was banned in 1993.

The video is undeniably captivating—and fortunately the tigers seem well-fed—but if you enjoy the chase, consider donating to a reputable big cat sanctuary.

( Source )

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Do you really need Mavic Pro propeller guards?

DJI launched new accessories for the Mavic Pro, one of which is a propeller guard. These aren’t the most exciting releases but they’re, as theverge said “practical gadgets.” The Mavic Pro propeller guards come with two variants. One is priced at $16 and the other one is $159.

No idea whether to buy the Mavic Pro propeller guards? Just check out the buyer’s comments from Amazon and DJI forums below.

# “I am a newbie and waiting for my Mavic Pro-I got the prop guards for use outside to be on the safe side until I become more skilled. I have no intention of flying inside yet.”

# “I bought Mavic Pro propeller guards from Amazon. They installed quickly and really do a nice job against walls and other such in-home obstacles. I recommend them. The Mavic is a bit clunkier with them on but overall flies great. I recommend turning off forward sensors not because the guards interfere with them, but because you can get sudden movements that aren’t fun to experience even with prop guards on!

But note that small objects (like posts less than 11 inches in width) can fit between the prop guards and then impact the props. You could run a string or strong tape across that opening to prevent that if you wanted but it probably would be in the camera field of view and would definitely interfere with the forward facing sensors.”

# “It works fine but is a bit of a pain to put on and it seems to leave some small marks on the Mavic Pro‘s arms when it is slid on.

This will not protect your props with any level of certainty. It will also not be a guarantee that the Mavic cannot cut you or things the Mavic collides into. It works best when it’s a straight level collision, in those cases the Mavic will just bounce off or stay up against the object. If the object you collide with has a complex shape then all bets are off because the Mavic can tilt at an angle and expose the impact zone to the spinning blades.”

# “These guards go on easy and really are study protection. I haven’t noticed any affect on the flying of my Mavic besides a slight shorting of flight time, that I haven’t noticed. You can fly right into a wall and the Mavic just bounces off. I feel so much safer flying my Mavic now.”

# “I got these prop guards, have used them once and removed them. Though they will certainly protect the props, they are heavy relative to the mass of the Mavic Pro and they seem to lower the aircraft’s wind tolerance. I was getting wind warnings when the tree tops were moving only slightly, conditions I had flown in previously and seen no warnings. Other than that they seem to be well made and fit tightly. Each guard is two pieces. On piece fits around the motor and over the arm. The other piece fits down on the first and is connected by two plastic clips. They appear to made of standard polystyrene and are therefore not likely to tolerate any significant impacts but that is pure speculation on my part.”

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Hover Camera Passport review

Chinese drone-maker Zero Zero Robotics announced its Hover Camera Passport drone and $25 million in funding from investors including IDG, GSR Ventures, ZhenFund and ZUIG.

Being like a drone camera, it offers three modes of photography: 720P, 1080P and 4K. And the Snapdragon 801 processor allows easy recording in 4K, 13MP photo or 720P images in real time. It can recognize a human face and then track it. Hover Camera Passport also supports 360° shooting, throw-and-fly, automatic hovering etc.

And its foldable design gives it a weight that is only at 242g, lighter than iPad Mini. And its foldable size of 18 * 13cm is just a little big as a passport.

But the key to this drone’s design is the safety. The carbon fiber enclosure design protects the propellers, a design move that could have prevented injuries caused by the sharp blades of whirring propellers.

“I want it to be portable, I want it to be safe, I want it to be user friendly,” said Zero Zero Robotics CEO M.Q. Wang, a former Twitter software engineer. “Our goal is to build personal robotics for anyone.”

While the company has really tried to balance efficiency and safety, the result isn’t fully satisfying. As shown above, an adult woman can put her finger through openings in the cover, and of course kids can, too. So for all parents out there: this is not a toy for your kids to play with alone. With such a seemingly safe design, it’s actually more likely that accidents will occur.

It’s something that realistically could compete with the more inexpensive drones from the two established market players, Phantom maker DJI and Yuneec. DJI so far has received at least $105 million in two rounds of venture funding, and Yuneec in August received $60 million in funding from Intel Capital.

Zero Zero Robotics was founded in 2014 and has about 80 employees, Wang said, but the company managed to remain largely unheard of until now.

The Hover Camera Passport is priced at $599. To step back for a second, consumers can buy a Parrot drone or DJI’s Phantom 3S starting. From $499. This new drone-in-a-grill has 10-minute flight, a controllable range of 20m and doesn’t support a remote control, working only through an app. So, is $599 cheap? There are a number of factors to consider.

“We wanted to make sure we solved a lot of hard engineering problems first,” Wang said.

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Trip in France with my first drone Mavic Pro

( Via Christian D )

I pretty much just received my Mavic Pro drone. This is actually the first drone that I ever had – I have never flown a drone before, so I have really taken a lot of time to practice how to get good, smooth and good looking shots. After playing with it for a couple of weeks, I decided to take it with me to my trip to Avoriaz in France.

To be honest, I’m quite proud of the result! This is the product of hours of shooting across multiple days around Avoriaz, and even longer time editing the video!

Avoriaz is a small city, lying deep into the french alps. Situated 1800 meters above sea level on a plateau of a cliff, you get the stunning views together with great skiing opportunity.

 

 

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3DR Solo Smart Aerial Drone

3DR Solo smart aerial drone is especially made for the aerial photography and videography to capture your moments in a frame.Drone has made aeronautical photography, cinematography and videography more available than any time in recent memory, be that as it may, getting proficient looking shots is still genuinely precarious. Unless you’ve had years of practice, it’s truly hard to fly a drone and control a camera in the meantime. A great deal of new drone has been turned out of art and there is a considerable measure of drone company out there. The 3DR Solo smart aerial drone comes in to evolve. This drone planned this particularly to shoot aeronautical video, and furnished it with a scope of independent flight moods that makes it simpler to catch those smooth, hot, professional looking cinematic shots.

First features:

The consumer drone with a brain, 3DR Solo smart aerial drone is powered by twin computers

Only drone to stream wireless HD video from GoPro direct to iOS/Android devices

Powerful Smart Shot technology makes capturing incredible cinematic footage easy and automatic

First with in-flight GoPro access: Start/stop recording and adjust camera settings from the ground (with Solo Gimbal)

Hardware features:

Revolutionary, intuitive video game-style controller

Solo Gimbal (sold separately) delivers smooth footage, GoPro power and control, HDMI video and intelligent camerawork

Future-proof accessory and gimbal bays make 3DR Solo smart aerial drone ready for tomorrow’s technology

The smart drone gets smarter: Concepts under development include LiDAR for super stable indoor flight; ballistic parachute system; flight rewind and more

Software features:

Full-featured app for iOS and Android puts total craft control at your fingertips

Unique safety features like pause and “safety net” mean you can fly with confidence

Take to the air in seconds with effortless pushbutton flight

Follow mode enables 3DR Solo smart aerial drone to automatically track and film a subject

Free software and feature updates ensure your Solo grows and adapts with advancements in technology

The 3D Robotics Solo is a propelled ramble that has a considerable measure of solid components. These incorporate tight mix with GoPro cameras, a superb remote control that makes smooth. A repeatable gimbal change a reality and various Smart Shot modes that can add some drama to your elevated video. The GPS availability and greatest range could be better. However, these issues aren’t generally a tremendous different to ease of use. And 3DR’s incredible self-governing flight modes make you disregard them in a rush.

Be that as it may, there are a few drawbacks to the Solo also. Its GPS sets aside long opportunity to bolt on and some time it can’t get a flag by anyway.

 

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Parrot Bebop 2 test

The Parrot Bebop 2 is a high-end drone with surprising capabilities! This drone is the main competitor of the DJI Phantom 3. We tested for you the different features of this drone!

Before being able to fly the drone it is first necessary to update the firmware. This is done simply by downloading the Freeflight application and updating the internal program. Once this step is done, it will be necessary to parameterize the magnetometer of the drone. Simply follow the instructions and orient the drone in the different positions indicated by the setting screen of the Freeflight 3 application.

Once this stage is completed you are on track to take off your Parrot Bebop 2! Once the drone is on the ground, a simple button will take off.

Piloting the Parrot Bebop 2

This drone is childlike simplicity, take-off and landing are assisted by the embedded electronics and the drone is particularly stable and pleasant to fly. The flight controls respond quickly and during our tests we did not feel latency between the controller and the drone movement, so it’s a very good point!

The Parrot Bebop 2 also has a very nice feature of automated looping! Indeed by pressing a simple button on the smartphone, the drone is able to realize a figure of 360 degrees which will impress your friends. This function is a bit “bluffing” because even if the figure appears complex all this maneuver is managed electronically, observers will be impressed even if you do not do much.

In flight, the drone is very aggressive but despite its record acceleration and its high speed it is extremely maneuverable and finally very nice to drive even for a beginner pilot. This drone will be suitable for all persons starting the piloting of quadcopters.

Parrot Bebop 2 Features

One of the exciting features of the Parrot Bebop 2 is of course the “route” functionality that will enable you to program a specific path that the drone will traverse! Indeed the drone Bebop 2 being equipped with a GPS chip, it is able to locate in the space and therefore to follow predefined paths! Moreover, thanks to the management interface, the programming of this route is extremely simplified. Simply click on the different points of stops on a map so that the drone starts to make the course. At each stopping point the orientation of the HD camera is also defined to record an aerial shot of the hair! A view of the route and the recorded points of sight you can go about your activities while being assured that the drone will carry out the task that you have recorded. It’s just the perfect feature to shoot you in action and to keep timeless memories!

Conclusion

The Parrot Bebop 2 isn’t going to match more capable drones on performance, features, or video quality. But if you are happy with a quadcopter that can comfortably tool around your backyard at a modest maximum altitude, the Bebop is worth a look. If you want a model that can fly further, higher, offers better video quality, and is absolutely steady in the air, consider instead one of the DJI Phantom 3 models.

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GoPro Karma vs Phantom 4: Duel of drones

The GoPro Karma was recalled last year due to sudden loss of power which would cause the drone to crash mid-flight. The re-release for the Karma drones fixed the issue by adding latches to keep the battery secure during flight.

Note that since we did not have the New GoPro Karma in our hands at the moment, we can only rely on what the manufacturer says about the old version, namely the technical data sheet.

Control and functionality

Let’s start with the item that we have … the least information. Indeed, for lack of test, difficult to get an idea on what is worth the GoPro Karma in flight. However, on paper, the Phantom 4 seems to us far better provided than its competitor.

The TapFly has two very interesting functions: the TapFly, which allows it to fly to a destination marked on the smartphone and tablet, and the ActiveTrack, which is the tracking mode. Without target beacon) of the Phantom 4.

These automatic modes require the presence of an obstacle detector at the front of the drone, which it is actually equipped with.

The GoPro Karma only has an “auto path” mode, which aims to optimize the shooting and avoid the hazards of manual driving by making the flight more fluid.

As for controlling, DJI and GoPro have taken quite different paths: when the first one is displaying on a smartphone (or a tablet), GoPro proposes a dedicated controller, with a large screen rather bright on the paper (900 nits ). The counterpart is that if this controller is damaged, you have no choice but to replace it.

Finally, GoPro allows, with its Passenger App, to share video in real time with other users (available on iOS and Android). The latter can, while you are piloting the drone, take care of the capture and the shooting.

Performance and autonomy

Regarding performance and autonomy, once again, the Phantom 4 seems to be still ahead of GoPro Karma. Whether it is the top speed (20 m / s, compared to 15 for the Karma), the range (3.5 km, versus 1 km for the GoPro drone) or the maximum altitude (6,000 meters, while the Karma only “4,500 meters”), the Phantom 4 data sheet surpasses that of the Karma drone.

From the point of view of autonomy, the observation is identical; DJI announces 28 minutes of flight, against 20 minutes for GoPro. The battery onboard the Phantom 4 (81.3 Wh against 75.4 Wh for Karma) is probably not unrelated to this difference of 8 minutes.

Compactness

The GoPro Karma is considerably heavier: counting the mass of the drone, the battery, the camera and the stabilizer, we arrive at 2,144 kg. The Phantom 4 is 300 grams less. Its width and length are also larger than those of the DJI drone (411 x 305 mm, compared to 229 x 229 mm for the Phantom 4).

On the other hand, it is less than 6 cm high and above all, its articulated structure allows it to take more compact dimensions, which allow it to fit in a backpack (delivered by GoPro). A real asset for Karma.

The quality of the shot

It is certainly in this area that the difference between the two drones is the most significant. The Phantom 4 has a dedicated camera, this is not the case with Karma, where you can adapt a GoPro Hero 4 (Black or Silver), a Hero 5 Session or a Hero 5 Black.

This choice makes the GoPro Karma very scalable, and from this point of view, GoPro was rather smart, rightly focusing on the quality of its pocket cameras.

In the case of the Phantom 4, a 9-element lens overhangs a 1/2-inch sensor that shares 12 million pixels, an aperture at f / 2.8 and a sensitivity that ranges from 100 to 3,200 ISO. GoPro is less hard on the subject: just know that the GoPro Hero 5 has a 6-element aspherical glass lens, which brings light to 12 million pixels as well.

In video, performance is similar, but GoPro reaches 30 fps in 4K, where the Phantom 4 is content with 25 fps. Both drones can shoot in Full HD at 120 fps.

In Conclusion

This comparison between these two drones highlights their different orientation: when GoPro Karma relies on the simplicity and the quality of the videos, trying to attract a large audience, Phantom 4 are oriented more towards the users more demanding, which will have uses more exotic than a “simple” shot.

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Whether we can benefit from the Xiaomi Mi drone?

Xiaomi unveiled its first drone on May 2016, the very well named Xiaomi Mi Drone. It is very similar to DJI Phantom.

Aesthetically speaking, the Xiaomi Mi Drone is in the form of a quadrocopter. It is therefore equipped with four arms with as many propellers and engines. The manufacturer also placed a removable camera underneath, framed by two imposing feet.

The Mi Drone weighs about 140 grams and the camera is mounted on a three-axis stabilization system. It also incorporates a 5,100 mAh battery and it will be able to hold no less than 27 minutes in flight. It is not bad and it is also equipped with all the usual sensors.

Moreover, it can even follow the user, or even return to its take-off point in case of loss of signal.

It will be sold with a remote control of course and the Mi drone 4K will offer a range of four kilometers according to the company. If the user wishes, he can attach a base and put his phone on it in order to have a video return.

The camera of the drone is equipped with a Sony sensor of 12 million pixels. Beware, however, because the device will be available in two versions: 1080p and 4K. In the first case, it should be limited to Full HD (1920 × 1080) with a frame rate of 60 frames per second, compared with 4K (3840 × 1250) at 30 frames per second in the second.

Ah, and he can shoot in RAW, otherwise.

But the best thing about the Xiaomi Mi Drone is its price. True to its habit, the manufacturer has indeed opted for a very aggressive price positioning and the device will be offered 2,499 yuan for the Full HD version and 2,999 yuan for the 4K version, which gives something like $380 and $460 by applying the conversion rates currently in force.

So of course, these tariffs do not take into account taxes possible. It remains to be seen whether we can benefit from it in America.

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The Matrice 200 will be going up against…

The DJI‘s latest aircraft Matrice 200, unveiled this weekend at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, isn’t designed for artistic pursuits. Instead it’s intended for professional environments—DJI hopes to see it utilized for structural inspections, mapping applications, search and rescue, and other applications where an unmanned aircraft can come in handy.

The Matrice 200 series’ folding body is easy to carry and easy to set up, with a weather- and water-resistant body, ideal for field operations. It offers DJI’s first upward-facing gimbal mount, opening up the undersides of bridges, towers and other structures to inspection. It is compatible with DJI’s powerful X4S and X5S cameras, as well as the high-powered Z30 zoom camera and the XT camera for thermal imaging. It has a forward-facing first-person view camera, allowing a pilot and a camera operator to monitor separate images on dual controllers. Its safety features include obstacle avoidance sensors facing forward, up and down.

The M200 series comes in three versions:

• M200: The standard Matrice 200 is equipped with one downward-facing gimbal mount.
• M210: The M210 opens up for multiple payload configurations – one single downward facing gimbal mount, two parallel downward-facing gimbal mounts or one upward-facing gimbal mount. The M210 features additional connectivity ports to support third party sensors and accessories. The M210 has the capability to support additional sensors in the future and additional payload can be mounted on top of the aircraft.
• M210 RTK: The M210 RTK is available with D-RTK modules for centimeter-precision navigation.

If you opt for the standard Matrice 200 configuration. It supports a number of removable cameras. They include the Zenmuse Z30, which features a 30x zoom lens and 1080p recording, the Zenmuse X4S, which has a 1-inch sensor and supports 4K, the Zenmuse X5S, a Micro Four Thirds shooter that also supports 4K, and the Zenmuse XT, a thermal camera developed in cooperation with Flir.

If you opt for the M210, which uses the same airframe. You can’t use an upward and downward camera simultaneously. If you do opt for the up-facing camera, you’ll need to install an external GPS receiver, as screwing a gimbal onto the top of the aircraft blocks the internal GPS.

A third configuration, the M210 RTK, is almost identical to the M210 in terms of features. It adds a system that allows for navigation with centimeter precision.

All configurations include redundant inertial measurement units (IMUs), barometers, compasses, and GPS systems. In addition to the forward-facing obstacle detection system, the aircraft also features downward obstacle avoidance and a top-mounted infrared sensor. The Matrice is rated IP43, so it can operate in light rain or misty conditions.

The Matrice 200 has sensors on its front, rear, and top that scan for obstacles and work to prevent collisions. It also has an ADS-B receiver built in. ADS-B is the system used by all manned aircraft, so the M200 will be able to detect when a passenger plane is entering its airspace well before the pilot or sensors can see the actual aircraft.

The M200 has two batteries, giving it 35 minutes of flight time. You can also hot swap the batteries, allowing you to quickly replace a depleted unit without turning the aircraft completely off.

The Matrice 200 will be going up against units like Yuneec’s Typhoon H520, SenseFly’s Albris, Freefly Alta 8, and Intel’s Falcon 8. DJI hasn’t released a price on this unit yet, but says it should be available to purchase in the second quarter of 2017.

 

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My two Yuneec Typhoon G crashed for no reason

I do not want to write negative reviews to be honest. I do understand that it do effect the way you make a decision. But this is the reason we need to write the truth here.

Every time I see the drone fly free in the sky, I dream of having my own drone and flying it proudly. I read a lot of reviews online and watched a lot of videos. The Yuneec Typhoon G came to my choice finally based on the strong recommendations from my one of friend who owned a Yuneec Typhoon H. He convinced me of purchasing the Yuneec Typhoon G as it is easy to start with and can fly with my Gopro 4.That’s great! I made the choice happily.

I unboxed the Yuneec Typhoon G carefully, checked the parts I received and I started my first flight after everything was great. I turned on the Typhoon G and remote controller. I was studying and tried to get to know more about this unit. Then I smelt something uncomfortable. I looked around but couldn’t find anything wrong. I then touched the Typhoon G accidently and was shocked. The Typhoon G was badly overheated and emitted a burning smell when I hadn’t even flown it at all. I turned it off and called the support immediately. I was recommended to send it back for test. I was not so happy about that but still looking forward to receiving it very soon with my friend’s comfort.

A week later, I heard from Yuneec support and they agreed to exchange a brand new Yuneec Typhoon G for me. I was so happy and thought that’s why my friend recommended Yuneec.

The exchanged unit worked great at first. I thought I got the hang of it and purchased a lot of accessories from Yuneec just to have my Gopro 4 fly with it. However, that was when the nightmare began.

With the live video feed, I could see that the gimbal shaking like crazy. I was afraid that it might be too loose that it just dropped off my GoPro 4. I landed it immediately and try to reinstall my GoPro. It worked better later after I reinstalled but the footage was still shaky. However, when it was about 100 meters away from me, I received a warning that the WIFI signal is weak. It lost the signal after that and the screen went to black. I landed it, checked all the connections and rebooted later. Everything worked correctly at first even the live HD video was not that clear. However, 7 minutes later, it started to float when I did nothing to it. Shouldn’t it hover there? I tried to stop it but my trials were in vain. It floated towards a tree, stroke to the tree and hanged there finally. My Gopro 4 got broken. The gimbal wasn’t able to hold it firmly and it just dropped off from the tree.

I was requested to send it to Yuneec support. However, I’m hesitating as I didn’t just want to fly it at all, I hope to do aerial photography.

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Parrot Bebop 2 vs Phantom 3 Standard:The choice may come down to…

The Phantom 3 Standard has a famous reputation for being an affordable all-rounder and quite frankly it is the best choice that can be made. The Parrot Bebop 2 on the other hand is most certainly a very well thought out machine. Both of them are fit for beginners, are lightweight and compact and deliver 25mins flight time according to the drone companies. Both drones can fly faster than the 15 m/s average (36 mph) and have the same flight features. So which one you’ll be purchasing?

Design&Remote Control

Coming to the more hardware oriented side of things is where the Parrot Bebop 2 really starts to shine like the little gem it really is!  The Bebop features a feather light (almost 400g) fully reinforced ABS molded quadcopter frame and finished off with a very light yet extremely durable EPP (expanded-polypropolene) foam body that protects the parrot p7 dual-core CPU and quad-core GPU with its internal 8GB flash memory built onto a magnesium shelf that essentially acts as a cooling plate that shields all software from electromagnetic interference!

The Parrot Bebop 2 has all of its function buttons layed out on an app which is a bit too crowded to concentrate on everything that’s going on. Some of the functions, like the Emergency button, is well marked and at the middle-top of the tablet on the app. All the other nice features that can be utilised when filming or just when flying for fun require going into different menu’s while flying which is not very user-friendly.

The Bebop 2 does become a very well tamed machine once the use of the Parrot skycontroller is incorperated and is definitely a neccessity if you plan on filming with the Bebop. It can be flown directly from the Parrot freeflight3 app (which is free) but is much harder to fly by use of the accelerometer on your tablet or smartphone. The one other issue with flying the Bebop from the App itself is that the drone will only fly as far as the WiFi connection will allow between the drone and the apple or android device.

The Phantom 3 Standard on the other hand, has a iconic white plastic body. It is a very good machine to learn on due it’s gimbal and camera being removable and of course the size of it. It’s a large drone but it is big enough to handle wind quite nicely. It’s GPS system works very well and has all the function buttons marked with nice icons in a very comfortable and easy to operate layout for the user.

The remote control reminds me of a scaled-down version of the one that shipped with the Phantom 2 Vision+. It’s streamlined, so there’s no need for a separate Wi-Fi extension module, and the AA batteries are replaced by an internal rechargeable battery. A micro USB port sits at the bottom to recharge. Four LED lights indicate the charge level, and a single power switch turns it on. A clamp sits on a metal rail to hold your smartphone—it’s big enough to hold an iPhone 6 Plus, but it can’t handle a tablet like the remote for other Phantom 3 models can.

Range

Parrot Bebop 2: 300m (2000m with skycontroller )

Phantom 3 Standard: 1000m

Camera

The Phantom 3 Standard records footage at 2.7K (1520p) resolution at 30fps or 24fps with a 40Mbps bit rate. The Standard tops out at 48fps when shooting at 1080p, but can shoot at 50fps or 60fps at 720p. All standard lower frame rates—24fps, 25fps, and 30fps—are supported for those resolutions.

Image quality is on par with the Phantom 3 Professional and Advanced. The 1/2.3-inch sensor captures 12-megapixel JPG or Raw DNG images at a 4:3 aspect ratio. Image quality is similar to a point-and-shoot camera with Raw support.

While the Parrot Bebop 2 boasts a 14-megapixel camera that can capture 1080p video. For capturing images and video, the Bebop 2 takes a different approach than most drones: it uses a fisheye lens attached to the nose instead of an external camera mounted on a gimbal. Instead of using a remote to manually pan and tilt a camera, you can shift your focus within the wide field of view generated by the fisheye, a trick accomplished through software.

The Bebop 2 has done a nice job improving the quality of video when you are panned straight down to the ground, a viewpoint that is unique to aerial filming and can produce some magical results over interesting terrain.

Unfortunately, the camera itself hasn’t been upgraded much. When you compare the blurry, compressed footage to what some pilots shot at identical locations with camera from Phantom 3 Standard, the Bebop is clearly far inferior.

( Video via Patrick Jourdheuille )

Price

the Parrot Bebop 2 is priced at $483 and $549 with FPV Bundle, while the Phantom 3 Standard is $499.

The last choice may come down to the camera and price.

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To anyone thinking the Phantom 3 Standard is substandard

The Phantom 3 Standard review is from Amazon.

THE GOOD: To anyone thinking the Phantom 3 Standard is substandard. I own one and love it. It is the perfect drone for a first-time pilot, and I know several experienced pilots who buy the Phantom 3 as backup drones. The main limitation of the Standard is that the range it can fly is about half of the higher up models, and it uses fewer GPS signals and has no downward looking visual “eye” like the Advanced and Pro, so it will drift more up down and sideways (but not a whole lot) and not land quite as accurately at the take off point automatically. I give mine a 15-foot radius for safety in landings and sometimes it will land 10-12 feet from take-off point on auto-land. Advanced and Pro stay within 2-6 feet usually. The controller is more limited with older technology. BUT the Phantom 3 standard flies just as fast, and as high, takes just as good video and pics and is just as much fun as the $1000 models for 1/3 the price. In the beginning, you always want to fly within line of sight (Standard’s limitations keeps you there) and legally you are ALWAYS supposed to fly line of sight.

THE BAD: DJI leads a new user to believe all the built-in guidance system will do everything for you from takeoff to landing. And it will, until it doesn’t. That will happen, not and if – it is a when… you have 3 sensitive components talking to each other (controller / drone / smartphone) using both Wi-Fi and radio, plus very sensitive onboard compass and GPS. This overly complicated plumbing will fail at some point and it can happen even a few feet away. At that point, you need to switch to manual control immediately – and hope you have time. I have had compass errors happen 3 feet off the ground in auto land and the dreaded “crazy flying meat slicer with 4 exposed blades” needed to be grabbed by the landing gear to stop it from hitting things as it got confused and would not respond to the controller. By the way: A pair of chef’s slice proof gloves is a great idea at take offs and landings, don’t ask how I know.

RULE NUMBER ONE: Always be prepared for the unexpected! Like flying a private plane the phrase “hours of calm punctuated with seconds of panic” applies here. Best advice for new pilots – learn to do everything manually first – especially landing – because at some point you will need that skill and need it FAST! Also never ignore the long boring preflight compass calibration. I do it every time I set up for flight. Not only does it recalibrate your compass – more importantly – it warns you if there are magnetic disturbances. If there are – my advice is pack it up and move elsewhere, or fly totally on manual control. Ignore any of those warning at your own risk. Compass or GPS warnings for a new pilot mean WAIT or RELOCATE.

SAFETY: Never forget how dangerous these drones are. 3 pounds with spinning blades plummeting from 400 feet is a deadly weapon. Don’t fly over people or roads. Warn folks near by to be aware of the drone. A drone, under the right set of circumstances with a simple malfunction could kill a pet or a human. It’s like owning a gun, be responsible or don’t own it. Never do like these YouTube folks and fly it miles away to see how far it can go or push the limits to see how fast you can swoop over a crowd of people. That is inviting disaster.

THE MIDDLING – should the worst happen with the Phantom 3 Standard, and you make a fatal flying error – more likely when a new pilot – then you are out only $400 or so max, instead of a grand, and actually less if you sell the remaining controller and battery etc. on eBay. Every piece of a DJI is worth money and easy to sell, so pick up the pieces if you can. If you can find your crashed drone DJI may fix it under warranty if it was the drone’s fault, but don’t count on it. DJI at this point in time has horrible support, if that changes, it would be wonderful. I would buy a 3rd party crash warranty over DJI’s coverage any day of the week, if that is important to you.

NICE PART: Battery lasts longest of all the DJI P3 models in the Standard version by 2 – 3 minutes because of fewer sensors. If you step up to a Phantom 3 Pro – batteries and case can come along (But not Phantom 4) and at $100 plus per battery, that is good news. Eventually you will want 3 or 4 batteries so you can fly an about hour with juice to spare for landings, trust me.

BOTTOM LINE: Most of the “Bad” I listed applies to any drone, from $49 to $5000. You can watch at least 3 videos on YouTube of folks crashing $3000 DJI Vision Drones on their very first flight, despite the Vision having much more tech and more sensors and collision avoidance. Sensors or not, if you tell it to go into a wall because you are disoriented and unfamiliar with the controls, it’s going to do what you say. This sad story happens every day. This is why I don’t encourage a new drone pilot to drop a grand or more on a first drone. Fly a while first and you will never get that disorientation that can cost you a fortune, as you will understand the principles and react instinctively to the inevitable unexpected situation. On the other hand, most any drone any cheaper or similarly priced as this is not a “real” drone, so you can’t take as many of the skills with you when you step up. Many drones in this price range have nothing better to step into. Once you learn to fly a DJI and get familiar with their software and controllers – you can fly their whole line pretty much. I haven’t yet mentioned the excellent camera that makes me often joke “for the price of a GoPro, I got a comparable camera with a stabilizing gimbal that flies.” Put all this together and that is why, in my opinion, this is the BEST DEAL in drones right now – by far.

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Hover Camera buy:Is $599 Too High

The Hover Camera is one of the more unique flying cameras we’ve ever seen, focusing on a durable and portable lightweight design, competitive price, and ease of use through an iPhone app.

Just like Lily and Zano, as the marketing message goes, it’s aiming for the selfie market. Like the others, it has attracted a fair bit of attention from the time it was first unveiled in April.

The official release unit is compact, foldable and weighs only 240 grams. It can recognize a human face and then track it. Hover Camera also supports 360° shooting, throw-and-fly, automatic hovering etc. The drone is priced at $599.

To step back for a second, consumers can buy a Parrot drone or DJI’s Phantom 3S starting. From $499. This new drone-in-a-grill has 10-minute flight, a controllable range of 20m and doesn’t support a remote control, working only through an app. So, is $599 cheap? There are a number of factors to consider.

There are three levels of consumer drone:

• Low-end “selfie drones”(under $400)

Example: Dobby

Features: Focusing on selfies, 4k video, flight time within 10 minutes, electronic image stabilization, limited flight range, controlled by smartphone.

• Consumer drones for aerial imaging (Above $650)

Example：DJI Mavic, DJI Phantom series

Features: Focusing on aerial photography, flight time around 27 minutes, three-axis gimbal, long transmission range, uses remote controller.

• Drones for professional photography (Above $1,500)

Example: DJI Inspire series

Features: Cinematic footage of higher quality, better camera, dual controllers.

There isn’t any mature product between $400-$650 yet. The Hover Camera is trying to wedge itself into this market segment. But, when you lay out its features, side-by-side with rivals, it’s simply too expensive as a “selfie drone.” And then ask yourself these questions:

1. Do we actually need a drone to take selfies?
2. Enclosing propellers with a cover, is that innovation or marketing?
3. Do you want to lower your technical expectations, yet still pay a high price for promised “safety?”

In summary, $599 for the Hover Camera is a bit rich for our blood. Drones with far more features, better cameras – stabilized ones – start $100 below that price point and get steadily better as they creep above it by another $100 or $200. The Hover Camera is cute, but it makes too many compromises and comes in at too high a price.

( Source )

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Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K: finally on sale from March 3 with many improvements!

Despite the Xiaomi Mi Drone was presented last May in two configurations, one can produce videos in 1080p and 4K in the other, only the first was actually marketed, while the second have simply gone missing.

But then, Xiaomi has announced that the Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K will be listed on March 3 with a price of 2,999 yuan (~$436), whereas the battery for the same will be priced at 499 yuan (~$72).

Of course, as always happens with Xiaomi products, these will not be available directly from us, but you can only buy them in China, on Xiaomi’s own online store, as well as a few other places such as Jingdong Mall and Suning, just to name a couple. Apparently, however, in addition to the best resolution video, the Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K will be released with better software optimization and five major hardware upgrades.

Compared to the old version, in fact, will be present two sets of independent movement of IMU and compass sensors to ensure a better accuracy in the flight data and, in case of failure, to restore stability and the flight safety.

Also the remote control system has been improved, so as to reduce the contact loss and giving the possibility of tracing the position in real time even in case of failure, when it is calculated in real time the power required to return to base. Even in case of lack of charge, then the user will be automatically notified the need to return, also calculating the routes so to avoid the no-fly zone.

The body of the Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K was made with a constructive process of 1.2 mm, has four lithium polymer batteries from 4.35V and 5100 mAh capacity for a total power of 77,52Wh and autonomy up to 26 minutes.

The photo sensor is a Sony backlit 12 megapixels, with a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels and support for RAW images. Compared to the previous version, Mi drone 4K is equipped with TDMA technology to transmit images with stronger signal and a transmission distance of less than 4 km, compared to 1 km of the old version 1080P.

The Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K, then, is equipped with a self-stabilizing head brushless 3-axis which incorporates a 3-axis gyroscope, a 3-axis accelerometer and a brushless motor to 3 axes, able to perform data acquisition and calculation of compensation up to 2000 times per second, giving the camera a level of stability and remarkable precision.

The feet landing of the drone, then, are foldable, combined with the light weight of the device, making it very well transportable.

 

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Yuneec Typhoon wifi problems reconfirm why Yuneec fails to challenge market leader DJI

Yuneec China has long been striving to offer a formidable challenge to DJI – the largest of all UAV drone manufacturers in the world. Unfortunately, Typhoon wifi problems, along with other issues with the hexacopter, have made pilots deeply disappointed and frustrated. Online forums like dronecompares or yuneecpilots are already swamped with tens of hundreds of complaints from users who say the Typhoon wifi problem is bigger than what Yuneec is willing to admit publicly.

The Typhoon wifi problem has a clear precursor in the way pilots struggle to get their drone airborne – it takes forever to establish the GPS connection and to get the Typhoon wifi going. As a result, the connection of the camera keeps snapping back and forth with the ground and the Typhoon wifi connection is lost intermittently. Pilots have submitted first-hand reports of Typhoon wifi problems where they experienced sudden loss of connection and the recording stopped without any notice.

Having set up waypoints, some pilots would take off and start recording aerial footage and then, all of a sudden, see the Typhoon wifi connection stop working. And they’re not a small number if online reviews are any indication. In comparison, DJI Phantom 4 signal loss instances are far less frequent – the internal wifi card of the DJI machine delivers a much more reliable performance, speaking volumes for DJI’s superior R&D.

One particular Yuneec user even went on to say that she struggled for 15 minutes to simply get the Typhoon wifi connection established – that’s the extent of Typhoon wifi problems. The drone’s owners have since made numerous complaints about the quality of the Typhoon wifi connection. For some, it is just impossible to connect using Typhoon wifi, because the wifi network on their drones simply doesn’t show up on their devices.

Yuneec Typhoon H vs DJI Phantom 4 benchmarking is not only about the Typhoon wifi performance. Even from a basic navigation and tracking point of view, Phantom 4 is a much more superior product. DJI Phantom 4 reviews are all praise for unique features like ActiveTrack and TapFly. Most importantly, inconsistent Typhoon wifi problem and issues with its GPS connection mean that its video downlink is also unreliable. In comparison, DJI offers its highly advanced and proprietary Lightbridge 2 video downlink technology.

Yuneec Typhoon H has a smaller operating range – about a kilometer – against a DJI Phantom 4 comparison, which can be safely controlled from over five kilometres away. One may think the Typhoon wifi problem is a function of how far the drone is from the ground. In fact, Typhoon wifi problems have been reported at a wide variety of ranges – from 30 feet to 500 feet. Considering the extent of Typhoon wifi problems, experts have concluded that DJI’s RC quadcopter is obviously a better machine than the more expensive Typhoon H.

One of the big promises made to the market when Yuneec announced its alliance with Intel was better navigation and safer flights. Unfortunately, the Yuneec Intel partnership has had no impact on the Typhoon wifi outage. Pilots are more frustrated than ever, and market analysts are just negative in their outlook.

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Safe Choices for Smart Drone Flight

The popularity of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), more commonly referred to as “drones,” means there are more vehicles sharing US airspace than ever before. It is of prime importance that drone operators make safe flying their priority.

Many drone manufacturers are making safety enhancements to their aircraft, but none more than the industry leader, DJI. DJI has led the charge in aircraft safety, particularly with their sophisticated obstacle avoidance systems. For example, the recently released DJI Phantom 4 Pro has a network of forward, rear, side and downward sensors to enhance safety. The aircraft rapidly calculates the relative speed and distance between the aircraft and objects which helps the operator avoid bumping into obstacles. This nimble aircraft is also able to fly in complex environments while avoiding obstacles in its path.

The Phantom 4 Pro boasts a ‘narrow sensing’ capability enabling the pilot to fly through small spaces with great confidence. Redundant IMU’s and compasses on the aircraft ensure that the data generated during flight is accurately processed. The outcome of these advanced capabilities is a reliable and safe aircraft.

Although DJI is doing everything technically possible to ensure flight safety, drone enthusiasts must also do their part. As Michael Huerta, Administrator of the FAA, previously cautioned at CES, “…safely integrating these new pilots into the national airspace system is one of the FAA’s top priorities in order to protect manned aircraft, to protect people on the ground and of course to protect innovation…”

The ‘Know Before You Fly’ education campaign founded by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) in partnership with the FAA, has recommendations for the safe and responsible operation of drones. The recommendations include advising enthusiasts to join a community-oriented flying club such as the AMA. Such organizations offer an opportunity to fly with more experienced pilots in a safe and friendly learning environment. Although there is a fee to join, the benefits far outweigh the cost. Further advice from the safety campaign includes advising drone pilots not to fly higher than 400ft (121.92m) to avoid presenting a hazard to manned aircraft.

In addition, pilots are advised to keep their aircraft in line of sight so that the drone is always visible. The campaign discourages flying the aircraft so far away that the pilot needs to rely on a smartphone or tablet for orientation. A final piece of sage advice is to avoid flying over unprotected people and to remain at least 25ft (7.62m) away from individuals and vulnerable property.

As Huerta explained at CES concerning new drone enthusiasts, “…there are rules and regulations they need to follow and it will also help them to become part of the safety culture that has been deeply embedded in traditional aviation for more than a century…”

Observing the rules from the FAA and ‘Know Before You Fly’ campaign together with using proven, safe aircraft will keep the skies a secure environment for all.

 

 

 

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Drone don’t need regulations?!

Regulation is a contentious issue in any industry and it’s a real juggling act between regulation that enables an industry to thrive or restrictions that will kill an industry even before it has had a chance to flourish.

Below are drone regulations Q&A with Sky-Futures Co-Founder and CEO, James Harrison.

Who’s setting the standards in today’s drone industry?

As the drone industry has matured, the industry sectors themselves have looked to the companies providing the professional services to set the standards. This is a much healthier and more beneficial route. It means that the well respected and safe operators can shape and drive the requirements based on their experience alongside their industry peers.

How can companies help set the standards in their industry?

By focussing on safe and fast adoption through transparent guidance, operators and end users collaborate to agree a standard within each industry sector clearly setting out its own standards and guidance for working which benefits the entire community.

The safety requirements for surveying a mine are different from working offshore on an oil platform, and this is reflected in the difference in the respective risk assessments, method statements and operating procedures. Overall, the more companies working safely and proving the return on investment for drone within each industry sector helps to speed adoption and awareness, the better it is for all businesses involved in the industry

What has Sky-Futures done to help the wider drone industry?

Sky-Futures has worked to establish: industry guidance; internal audited best practice for a drone company; verification for our inspection methodology and outputs; sector specific management and guidance; and training and certification. By doing this we’ve set out a best practice blueprint for companies who want to utilise drones for commercial industrial inspection.

What specific examples can you tell us about?

Lloyd’s Register is a global engineering, technical and business services organisation providing compliance, risk and technical consultancy services.  They have just published their guidance notes for inspections using unmanned aerial systems which were based on our best practice. We provided an inspection of a vessel in Singapore following significant planning with Lloyd’s Register and other industry end users. The results were shared freely with all parties and the benefits discussed and challenged openly. From our side, Steve Moir, our Engineering Manager worked to establish the KPIs for success and oversaw the trials. The goal was to further legitimise and speed up the adoption of drones in the O&G and maritime sectors. Lloyd’s Register published the guidance notes for interested parties to download from their website, so that anyone could access this information from a highly respected and trusted source.

We’ve also worked with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), to help create an ‘External Specialist Rating’ in the USA that accepts drone inspection as a methodology. Inspection companies using drone for maritime inspections now have a recognised path to follow to achieve ABS approval, and end clients can purchase services with confidence knowing that the inspection technique is approved.

Finally, we worked on industry guidance with Oil and Gas UK, BP, ConocoPhillips, Shell and service providers. The working group produced and agreed on the ‘Operational management standards and guidelines’, which is published by Oil and Gas UK.

What is your final message for those looking to regulate the industry?

Drones don’t need regulations; instead industry needs to set standards and guidance. We are at the beginning of the drone market, so the more professional companies that are involved driving standards and educating the end users, the faster the adoption.

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What Xiaomi Mi drone 4k interests you?

Xiaomi Mi drone was introduced on May 2016 with two variants, the 4K and the 1080p.Now the 1080P is available while the 4K will be on sale on March 3 this year.

Here are 7 cool features of the Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K.

Portability

The Mi Drone is extremely lightweight and modular. The complete drone can be disassembled to fit into a backpack. In fact, Xiaomi will itself offer a backpack for the Mi Drone at a $15.

Camera 

The Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K has an inbuilt camera that consists of 12 megapixels of resolution and a 12.4 megapixel Sony sensor. This ensures that the picture you capture will be of a very high quality. Moreover, the drone is capable of shooting in 4K; thus, providing videos with high resolutions. Though there are many more drones that offer better video resolutions, but the Xiaomi Mi drone 4K will certainly satisfy you with most of your video recording needs. The camera is mounted on motorized three-axis gimbals so that you get amazing images. Moreover, to make traveling easier with your quad, you can remove the cameras and fold the landing gear.

Flight time

With the Xiaomi, you’ll have a flight time of 27 min. However, you can deplete battery life at a much faster rate when using features such as automatic departure and return. Just like a phone, when you push it to a certain limit, you’re going to see battery life diminish. It comes with a 17.4V 5199 mAh rechargeable battery that takes about three and a half hours to charge. Just like most other quads, we recommend buying a backup or two.

Long Range FPV Video Feed

Xiaomi states that the 4K variant provides a control range of up to 2 kilometers with live video. With this, Xiaomi is gonna give all the drone manufacturers a run for their money!

What’s more, the controller of the Mi Drone comes with an attachment for a smartphone which can act as a viewfinder (aka FPV monitor) for your Mi Drone!

Safty

The Xiaomi Mi drone 4K has both GPS and GLONASS for location tracking and maneuvering of the drone. Hovering is a cakewalk due to the onboard location sensors, and it also means that the drone knows at each point where exactly it is flying.

One thing we don’t see on most of the drones, however, is the ability to create a geofence to limit the movement of your drone. If your drone strays beyond that geofence, then it will automatically return to its home base.

Running the drone on low battery triggers its return function, and you will be relieved to find it back safe and sound.

Smarter in-flight

Mi Drone 4K has an auto-pilot feature included along with the easy to use flight controls. It has automatic takeoff and is also capable of landing and returning to you with just a simple command from the handheld controls.

And when you want to capture the right moment, it circles around the object to give you the perfect shots. Flight planning too gets simplified thanks to Xiaomi’s great technology.

Price

Xiaomi has priced the the 4K variant at $460. The price is less than half the prices of the majority of professional drones out there.

 

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Will DJI Phantom 5 be your drone?

What are the typical time frames for versions with DJI? What are the rumors concerning Phantom 5?

We scoured the internet to find all of the rumors, leaks, and allegations that are surrounding the drone that has everybody at the edge of their seats.

Design

The shell of the DJI Phantom 5 will be available in two colors (white and black) this will give it a sporty look and a glossy finish to it. The motors are firmly attached and stand tall while the top of the drone is mounted by a quick release propeller. These are raised in particular, so that the stators can allow the props to get out of the way and so that the brakes can be applied at high speeds.

Another upgrade that you will immediately notice is that to the Gimbal as well as the camera that has been fitted. Why don’t the legs retract? With the legs out of the way you could have a gimbal that rotates 360 degrees, you could put on shorter focal length lenses or you could swap out that lens for one-half of a 360° camera. Maybe the other side of the 360° could snap onto the top of the drone? Anything can happen.

Camera 

The Phantom 5 will have a better camera. The Inspire 2 has a 5K capable camera. We would be surprised if the Phantom 5 doesn’t follow suit with upgraded video processing.

It is capable of taking high-quality images which can also be streamed to the controller live. It is ideal for those who want to use it for surveillance purposes or just for appreciating mother nature and clicking still images of birds, sunsets, etc. The high resolution of the camera ensures that the pictures do not get pixelated, thus allowing you to enjoy them full later on.

It’s also rumored that, the Phantom 5 comes with a removable camera which allows you to replace it, upgrade it or even swap it out with a 360 degree or thermal camera.

The Flight Time

The Phantom 5 will have a longer flight time. The Phantom 4 Pro can fly up to 30 minutes.

The Phantom 5 has been rumored to have a flight time that is up to 30 minutes long on a single charge, but some are saying it can even go up to 33 minutes. Others are claiming that it could even be 40 minutes on a single charge, which makes sense if the rumors of a never before seen battery are actually true.

Others are also saying that when the Phantom 5 is in Sports Mode you can get more than the average 30-minute claim, which doesn’t seem all that true considering Sports Mode usually drains the battery faster. However, these are all rumors, so there isn’t anything too solid yet.

Range

The Phantom 5 will have a longer range. The Phantom 4 Pro has a range of 7000 m. We expect the Phantom 5 to have a range of at least 8000 m, but potentially even up to 10,000 m.

The Features

The Phantom 5 will have front, rear and side cameras to help it avoid obstacles. The side cameras will give the Phantom 5 full 360-degree obstacle avoidance.Top and bottom obstacle avoidance.

It’s rumored to feature a second FPV camera. A second stationary lag-free camera could allow the pilot to fly the drone with an FPV headset while a second cameraman operates the camera and gimbal. The Inspire 2 has this feature so the Phantom could follow suit, but only if they also add retractable legs.

We may even be getting a waterproof drone. How awesome would it be to fly your Phantom at the beach and not have to worry about getting it wet? They might not make all Phantom 5s waterproof, but maybe we can hope for a dual release with a Phantom 5W model that can handle the elements and take off out of the water.

We may also have newer flight modes that are going to be paired with older ones, too. For example, Auto Takeoff and Auto Return, similar to Return to Home, may be coming into play here. We may also see GPS, which has supposedly improved drastically, reliant features, such as TapFly, ActiveTracking, and features that do not need GPS while in Sports Mode. In fact, Sports Mode is rumored to have replaced Flight Mode completely for the purpose of providing 10 additional minutes to flight time, but we can’t be too sure yet.

One of the more popular rumors is when the release date is. Some say that it will be in April, while others are thinking it’s going to be much closer to the holidays. We expect the Phantom 5 will not be around until the second half of the year as there is no need for improvement because the previous newly Phantom 4 Pro are awesome, so why keep going soon?

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Is Xiaomi Mi drone a bang?

The Xiaomi Mi Drone is a new drone released by one of China’s most popular consumer electronics brands. It’s a quadcopter drone with a three-axis gimbal and a 4K camera. There’s also a remote control that uses your Mi smartphone as a viewfinder.

It wouldn’t be unfair to say that Xiaomi has officially entered the drone industry with a bang with the Mi Drone!

Camera

The Xiaomi Mi Drone is available in two variants, the 4K and the 1080p. The 4K model has a 12.4 megapixel Sony sensor, with an Ambarella image processor and can shoot 4K (3,840 x 2,160-pixel resolution) at 30fps.

Both the variants have a detachable gimbal mount and provide corrections for up to 2000 vibrations/sec, which for the lack of a better word, is insane for how much they cost!

The camera is mounted on motorized three-axis gimbals so that you get amazing images. Moreover, to make traveling easier with your quad, you can remove the cameras and fold the landing gear.

Performance

The Xiaomi Mi drone positions itself using GPS and GLONASS. It also has a visual positioning system on the bottom designed to help it fly stabely over terrain at low altitudes (where it may not be able to get a satellite signal).

There are also the drone-standard features you would expect, including takeoff, landing, return to home, waypoint navigation, and orbit functionality.

Similar to the Phantom 4, the Mi drone allows for autonomous flying. Just like TapFly, you can control where your drone goes with the tap of a finger. Open up the map and point where you want it to go. Not only that, but you also tell it what to film from your phone.

Surrounded flight is among one of its most exciting features. From your phone you can tell the aircraft to fly in a circle around a selected object. It will continuously fly in a 360 motion focusing the camera on a subject. How cool is that? Imagine balling out on a yacht while your quadcopter capture the glory. One day!

One thing we don’t see on ordinary drones, however, is the ability to create a geofence to limit the movement of your drone. If your drone strays beyond that geofence, then it will automatically return to its home base.

Battery 

The drone has a 5,100 mAh rechargeable battery that takes about three and a half hours to charge. According to Xiaomi, you can expect to get 27 minutes of flight time on a single charge. However, you can deplete battery life at a much faster rate when using features such as automatic departure and return. Just like a phone, when you push it to a certain limit, you’re going to see battery life Just like most other quads, we recommend buying a backup or two.

Xiaomi Mi drone has priced the the 4K variant at $460 and the 1080p variant at $380. These prices are less than half the prices of the majority of professional drones out there.

 

 

 

 

 

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