Yearly review on drone and VR/AR: which industry is heavily bubbled?

2016 was a hard year for many drone companies: Zano and Lily failed to bring out products, GoPro is having problem re-launch its Karma. 3D Robotics decided to quit the competition of consumer drones and turn to industrial drones. Other companies, including Zerotech, Yuneec and Parrot, reduced their work force. Media begin to hold doubts on the industry—is it heavily bubbled? It’s already March of 2017, what will drone companies do this year? How will the industry perform?

Influence of capital

VR and AR industry had very similar experience like drone industry from 2015 to 2016. Once so promising, VR/AR suddenly entered winter in later half of 2016. HTC Vive has got really good sales numbers, but HTC’s financial quarter report shows the income fell by 64% year on year. Facebook shut down over 200 experience stores. Just like Recode once pointed out, VR age is still far away.

The reshuffle of drone market could be a result of globally decreased investment. According to KPMG, venture investment has plummeted compared to 2015.  Hot money were thrown into drone, VR and AR in 2015, stirring intense completions.

According to Market Watch, the investment for drone market has dropped drastically in late 2016. VR and AR are having shrinking investment. Large proportion of these companies are start-ups. When investment stops pumping in, the supply chain, would be endangered. Drone start-ups will fall into deep financial crisis.

Facing similar difficulties, the environment of drone market is quite different from that of VR/AR.

Is drone market heavily bubbled?

What kind of AR/VR products do we want? In what scenario do we need them for? These are questions we are still trying to figure out. But drones are quite different, they have simple appearance and clear features: they are convenient, reliable and intelligent aircrafts.

In my point of view, VR /AR industry is based ‘future demands’, which are not very urgent today. But Intelligent aircrafts are already improving efficiency of various industries: military, agriculture, security control, search and rescue, television and filming etc. The demand for UAVs has been expanding steadily since 2013. IDC Report of 2016 pointed out that DJI’s market share in China dropped for a while. This aroused doubt that drone industry has peaked. In fact, the reasons behind could be much more complex.

Foldable Mavic Pro was a blast to drone industry. It has sparked unexpected enthusiasm, even DJI was surprised by flooding orders of Mavic Pro, so it has been out of stock for quite a while. Fool.com estimates that DJI’s revenue in 2016 may hit $10 billion, increasing ten times of what was anticipated. For now it’s hard to tell how big drone industry is, but Mavic Pro at least proved that consumer drones are truly needed.

So drone market didn’t reach saturation. 2016 witnessed a very unique drone market influenced by capital.

Supply chain

UAV and AR/VR products are very different in terms of production. When a drone company is short of fund, it might be faced with huge pressures from its supply chain.

There are various VR/AR products on market now, many of which are low-end products. These products do not need highly advanced technologies and cost little. Even high-end product like panorama camera is not very difficult to handle—at least not dangerous. So short of fund is not that precarious for VR/AR companies.

Drones are quite different. If a drone crashes during flight, it could lead to serious consequence. Thus, consumers are expecting high-quality drones. Which means the process of R&D and production must be highly strict.

With lower costs, VR/AR products are sold at lower prices than UAVs, which means mass production is easier. The price of drones is less flexible with high costs. When the comments of a drone are not positive, it’s really hard to sell. This in return puts lots of pressure on supply chain.

The threshold for drone market is actually really high. Only mature companies are able to control supply chain and manage their products. In 2015, DJI sold its Phantom 3 Professional at $1259, while 3D Robotics sold its solo drone at $1700. Chris Anderson, CEO of 3D Robotics commented that ‘no one but DJI won this brutal price war’. By early 2016, the stock of solo drone has reached 60,000, draining up the cash of 3D Robotics. Soon 3DR quit consumer drone market silently.

Will DJI remain the unicorn?

Drone technologies are more mature than that of AR/VR, and have been used for quite a few years. As the profit rate decreases, it would be harder and harder for others to keep up with DJI. With inferior technologies, these drones are less attractive to consumers, which in return affect R&D input. The gap between DJI and new drone companies will be widened.

Taking Xiaomi Drone for example. As a smartphone giant, Xiaomi has huge advantages on supply chain. So many were very optimistic about it entering drone industry. However, the result was not satisfying. It turned out that Xiaomi Drone has similar features and functions of Phantom 3, which was released in 2015. Public started to realize Xiaomi is lagged far behind of DJI in terms of technology.

Other portable drones like Dobby and Breeze have unsatisfying features: short video transmission range, short flight time and low-quality footage. By the end of 2016, both companies had to lay off. But Mavic Pro showed the market how DJI managed to miniaturize a drone without compromising its performance. Media around world gave it positive reviews, TIME magazine even named Mavic Pro as one of the ‘Best Inventions of 2016’. Its success once again proved DJI has far advanced technologies than the rest.

With lower profit rate, drone companies are more vulnerable than AR/VR companies are. When the investors are throwing in less money, the R&D and production of new drones will be severely influenced, which would eventually lay bad influence the sales of new products.

What will drone market like in 2017?

In conclusion, 2016 marked the reshuffle of drone market. The market remain stable, but has changed a lot since two years ago. In 2014, DJI was only slightly ahead than others. When it came to 2016, other companies were left way behind.

As many companies have been driven out of drone market, those who have survived mainly choose to develop industrial drones (just like 3D Robotics did). Can they find their places in the market of industrial applications? Is industrial drone market an ‘asylum’ for these companies? We will have to wait and see.

When the investment slows down, companies that are weak in R&D and supply chain would be ruled out. The reshuffle of drone market is not necessarily bad: it makes room for strong competitors in terms of market share, talent and capital.

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Could the 3DR Solo survive after crashed into the ocean?

The 3DR Solo drone received fair reviews from users as it survived different situations during times when it had a face-to-face collision with another object such as trees, bushes, and poles. There was even one instance when it crashed into a tree and only resulted to three broken blades. It is interesting that it sustained no other further damage.

However, in this video you will see the 3DR Solo definitely has no chance of surviving if it crashes into the ocean. The drone is pretty lightweight but it is still meant to sink and the water will then corrode all important components of the drone making it eventually meet its demise right away.

But one pointed out that you should learned how to salvage any part of it. First order of business is to immediately rinse everything in tap water. Open up everything that is openable and blast the whole thing with fresh water. You have to do this within minutes because the salt water starts corroding everything almost immediately. Then, while everything is opened up you get it dry as quickly as possible. Big hot, dry air. I used a hair dryer once and the sun and trade winds another time. Then you have to make sure the water is completely displaced in every little teeny crevice. This is where using the right product made a difference in how much was salvageable. I used a product called Corrosion x. it’s also good for spraying on your parts in advance of them going in the ocean. It’s its messy, yes, its smelly, but I managed to save two motors, some of the gimbal, the main board and many parts from the GoPro. (lens and some boards, etc.) What immediately dies is the battery and all the parts that might get shorted out.

Another pilot viewed, ” If you had maybe flushed everything off good with fresh water, or alcohol before you put it in the bag of rice you might have gotten lucky. I dropped mine in a fresh water reservoir (well as fresh as water can be from runoff off a cow pasture) and literally hosed my GoPro off, inside and out, with my garden hose. The SD card survived as well as the GoPro. 3DR SOLO/ … well that seems to be a different story. I had in rice for 3 weeks and tested it and found some intermittent connection issues. I took it completely apart and cleaned every connection I could find with DeoxIT, although I did forget to completely remove the WiFi card and Pix from their boards. I noticed corrosion already forming on the WiFi card screws and on the Gimbal motor balancer. Now I’m finding that I have to be within 6 ft in order to connect to SOLO so I’m pretty sure I have a WiFi problem. I plan on taking it apart once more time before I have a burial service for mine. Not sure if I really want to buy another one.”

As these pilots shared, you couldn’t expect anything to come out well in the event of an ocean crash, but you could be confident that you will come out with more useable parts if it happens again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I lost my 3DR Solo camera

(Video via The Basic Pilot )

The video showed how a pilot crashed his 3DR Solo drone and lost the camera. It made many people smile and presented quite an interesting approach to how gadgets are loved but also meant a serious thing for hobbyists.

3DR Solo drone may not as responsive as it used to be. As we posted before, the drone was being flown and without any warning, it just crashed. Apparently, all of a sudden, all controls were non-responsive.

There were also reports of the 3DR Solo doing the exact same thing. Apparently, this issue is related to loss of GPS signal. Since the Solo is one of the first drones introduced in the market, it is not as advanced and safe as the ones being used currently. It was even suggested for its manufacturer to have it equipped with sensor modules which takes over in cases that loss of GPS signal happens.

As for the owner, maybe get a DJI Phantom or Mavic Pro at least they are still supported.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Highly Competitive Consumer Drone Market

Consumer drone technology has gained incredible popularity in the past year. Drone companies are fighting tooth and nail to create unique, intuitive and innovative drone technology that not only stand out in the market, but also more affordable. However, some have succeeded while others have been held back, whether it’s funding, lackluster sales or insufficient R&D capabilities to innovate. The ruthlessness of the competition has shown its form this past year as a surprising number of drone companies or tech companies entering the drone arena have experienced different downfalls.

Just last month, drone startup Lily Robotics announced it was shutting down. Despite its 34 million USD in pre-orders, the startup was unable to secure financing to unlock its manufacturing line. “We have been racing against a clock of ever-diminishing funds,” founders of Lily drone stated.

Forbes reported how Lily’s demise is [just] the latest high-profile blunder in the difficult drone industry. “Late last year, GoPro, which had been promising a flagship drone for more than a year, had to recall its quad-copter, Karma.”

The recall was mainly a result of battery malfunctions that had its drones losing power mid flight. Soon after, the decision to cut about 200 jobs in an attempt to reduce operating expenses was announced. CNN Money noted that this came “just weeks after GoPro posted a significant sales decline and larger-than-expected net loss for the the third quarter [of 2016].”

Layoffs have darkened even Parrot’s story, which has a more extended history of building drones. Earlier this year, the company announced that it would be laying off a third of its employees (290 employees), in its drone division. Parrot’s struggle comes hand in hand with its attempt to gain consumer market share that is currently dominated by DJI.

The Verge analyzed why companies may be crumbling under the market pressure, “It’s hard to sustain growth with expensive electronics that get purchased once for niche industries and upgraded rarely over the next two or three years.” This is especially so for companies that only hold single digit market shares, like Parrot and 3D Robotics.

3D Robotics has in fact now redirected its focus to developing software for other drone makers, like Site Scan, an aerial analytics platform. The restructuring has come after 3DR experienced less than satisfactory demand of its Solo drone.

The former chief revenue officer of 3D Robotics himself stated, “It’s just going to be inherently more difficult for a Silicon Valley based, software-focused company to compete against a vertically integrated powerhouse manufacturing company in China.” 3DR CEO puts it simply, “Drones are really really hard to do well and you can’t just buy the parts.”

The challenge for most companies competing in the consumer drone market is getting such complex products out on the shelves at a competitive price and with quick turnaround, which Chinese manufactures like DJI or Yuneec are able to do. Though consumers are interested in diverse styles of drones, consumers look for something that has all three – easy to use, safe in the air and at an affordable price point. It will be interesting to keep an eye on what’s to come as more start-ups and players emerge from the Chinese market.

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What makes Parrot to cut a third of its drone staff

French drone maker Parrot recently said it would be laying off a third of employees, or about 290 people, in its drone division. The news was announced as part of its most recent quarterly earnings report, and it underscores Parrot’s broader struggles to succeed in the consumer drone market largely dominated by Chinese firm DJI. In its fourth-quarter earnings results, Parrot said it generated sales of about $90 million, coming in below its roughly $106 million target. It now plans to place a larger emphasis on the commercial drone market, including markets like mapping and agriculture.

Parrot’s story is playing out across the drone market, as once fast-growing firms constrict under market pressure and less-than-stellar sales. About 50 percent of all drone sales in North America belong to DJI, while Parrot, Yuneec, 3D Robotics and others hold just single-digit market share percentages. 3D Robotics, like Parrot today, announced lay offs back in March alongside a renewed focus on commercial operations.

GoPro, the most recent and high-profile industry entrant, arrived on the scene with its Karma drone back in September. Unfortunately, the device was prone to mid-flight power failure, causing some Karma units to fall from the sky. GoPro recalled the device and is now working to relaunch it some time later this year. The action camera company has also been forced through layoffs, having cut its staff by 7 percent in January of last year and then another 15 percent, or about 200 employees, in November.

Action cameras, much like consumer drones, have helped balloon small businesses into big-name brands. But it now appears that, with sales falling, it’s hard to sustain growth with expensive electronics that get purchased once for niche industries and upgraded rarely over the next two or three years. So for now — as Parrot’s layoffs make evident — the cool off in the drone industry remains underway.

( Via Theverge )

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