Whether the Typhoon H Realsense worths the price?

The Typhoon H Realsense was launched at CES 2016 and one of Yuneec’s key selling points was the Intel Realsense module that the latest – and most expensive so far – Yuneec Typhoon was supposed to carry.

Yuneec China launched the Typhoon H and retailed it – after months of delay –for about US$1,299, about twice as much as the Typhoon Q500 4K. Is the Typhoon H Realsense worth this price? Many experts and pilots don’t think so.

Typhoon H Realsense uses a similar Intel Realsense module to those used in bikers’ helmets, simulated computer gaming and a range of other fields. How effective it’d be on an aerial drone that’s following subjects to capture QHD footage?While the expectations were high, the Typhoon H Realsense has so far not been met with similar level of praise as that displayed in almost every DJI Phantom 4 review. Rather, the DJI RC quadcopter has a market-leading Obstacle Avoidance System (OAS).

A Typhoon H Realsense, against DJI Phantom 4 comparison, demonstrates a couple of major difference, the key being that the DJI system is more stable in varied conditions.

Quite naturally, the comparisons with the DJI Phantom 4 flooded on-line forums like DroneCompares or myfirstdrone.com. Compared to Typhoon H Realsense, Phantom 4 reviews have been largely positive, with its multi-camera-based OAS is known to avoid obstacles without failing from a longer distance.

One important thing to remember is that the Typhoon H Realsense does not include the collision avoidance feature that was on display when the drone was launched at the CES 2016. For starters, the drone in the demonstration was aided by a Vicon infrared system that is far from standard.

DJI Phantom 4 vs Yuneec Typhoon H reviews have been overwhelmingly sided in favour of DJI.

Pilots are calling Typhoon H Realsense drone’s safety mechanism, at its best, ‘basic’.

While the Typhoon H Realsense does work better at low-light conditions, a lot of people have complained about problems encountered when the sunlight is too bright or the breeze is too strong. Experts agree that the likelihood of flying a UAV during daytime is much higher than flying it at night.  On the contrary, the DJI drones is equipped with its own obstacle avoidance system that can sense objects from a much longer distance, and take evasive action without failing.

Under standard flying conditions, the Typhoon H Realsense and the Phantom 4 from DJI report an operating time of 22 minutes and 28 minutes respectively. However, the heavier bodyweight of the Typhoon H Realsense, due to its almost inconvenient size thanks to the six rotors, almost always contributes to the faster drain-out of the battery, and its inability to fly longer or higher.

 

 

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Hover Camera vs DJI Mavic

Unfamiliar to most costumers, the Chinese start-up company Zero Zero Robotics has stirred the drone industry with the Hover Camera, a drone with a compact and unusual design.

We all know that the media loves drama. Wanting to see an up and comer like Zero Zero Robotics topple an industry giant like DJI has lead media outlets to use phrases like “crushing DJI”even though that might be the farthest thing from the truth.

Zero Zero Robotics’s original idea was a selfie drone but what it actually came out with it more like a “tracking drone.” It’s a rather abrupt shift from one concept to another and possibly dangers as consumers prefer to stick with what they know.

Launched with first-class advertising and web design, the company even advertised on TV, which is an even more powerful platform. Yet, the moments following the launch weren’t in as high of a spirit.

DJI’s impressive Mavic Pro may not have had the impactful launch of the Hover Camera. But while Zero Zero Robotics has $25M in venture capital from investor, it seemingly has little more than this following their lackluster launch.

Market

Last year has seen a number of portable drones being launched, including Dobby, Yuneec Breeze, GoPro Karma, DJI’s Mavic Pro, Tencent’s Ying, etc. Looking at how it’s positioned in its market, the Hover Camera competes directly with Dobby and not so much with DJI.

A successful launch needs more than a good concept; marketing, distribution, manufacturing capacity, and especially timing is crucial for success.

Based on this, the Hover Camera looks weak as a competitor. Dobby beat it to their launch, while the Mavic Pro performs significantly better for serious aerial photography.

Product

What sets Hover Camera apart from the other drones is its unique design. The foldable Hover Camera drone weighs just half a pound, and is about the size of a book when in flying mode. When folded up, it’s basically the size of a VCR tape. But uniqueness doesn’t guarantee the survival of Zero Zero Robotics, and it doesn’t mean they can challenge their giant competitors.

Price

The Hover Camera Passport is currently available for $599.99 with the extra battery pack running $44.99.

The $599 price tag is apt enough for the specs, camera quality and other features. However, just $150 more and you can get the more powerful and feature-packed DJI Mavic Pro. It costs $999 which will ship within one week.

Performance

The Hover Camera can reach a maximum speed of 17 mph (8 m/s) and a maximum altitude of 6,562 ft (2,000 m), with a maximum hovering time of 10 minutes with no wind. Users can control the drone from up to 65 ft (20 m) in temperatures ranging between 41˚F and 95˚F (5 – 35˚C), on Wi-Fi frequencies of 2.4 and 5 GHz.

It has similar features to the Mavic Pro, however rather than coming with a remote, it is simply thrown into the air and it will follow you around taking photos and videos.

Compare to it,a new compact remote controller has been designed for the Mavic Pro, and it features an LCD screen with essential data, dedicated buttons (e.g. Return-to-Home, Intelligent Flight pause), and a OcuSync video link system that provides live view at 1080p resolution.

Hover Camera uses its front camera to lock onto a person (using face detection technology), and has a feature called ‘Orbit’ to film yourself autonomously as the drone circles around you, while a “360 Spin” feature allows you to shoot panoramic 360-degree videos, capturing footage of you in your chosen environment.

The drone is controlled via an app on iPhone 5s running iOS 8 or higher, or on an Android phone using wifi. The 13-megapixel still camera on the front also has the ability to shoot 4k video.

The Hover Camera has four propellers which are guarded by a caged enclosure made up of Carbon Fiber, so the propellers won’t get damaged during an accident.

However, although lighter and cheaper than its competitor, it can only stay connected via WiFi if within 60 feet from you and only has about ten minutes of battery life (without wind).

The Hover Camera has no GPS navigation systems while in the Mavic Pro is a new FlightAutonomy system, which uses 5 cameras, GPS and GLONASS navigation, 2 ultrasonic rangefinders, redundant sensors, and 24 computing cores to serve as the drone’s “brain and nervous system.” Using FlightAutonomy, the Mavic Pro can follow positions and routes while avoiding obstacles at 22mph (36kph), allowing you to create advanced flights with minimal input and flying skills.

Conclusion

Unlike other companies in the selfie drone market, Zero Zero Robotics did not crowd fund the launch of the Hover Camera. Still, it faces intense competition from players like DJI and Xiaomi and the company has a tough road ahead. To say the least.

 

 

 

 

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Short battery life, cost dominates early buzz on Yuneec Breeze Social drone

Early looks at the Yuneec Breeze drone see comments center on the market potential for an aerial “selfie stick” that can be deployed on a whim – and so far say that the space remains wide open to other UAV drone manufacturers as the cost and battery life of the Yuneec Breeze don’t cut it.

The beetle-shaped drone weighing about a pound comes in at a penny of $419, putting it on a direct comparison with the more durable and battle-tested DJI Phantom 3 Standard. While the DJI vs Yuneec comparison for these particular models is a bit of chalk and cheese on features as the DJI drone is far ahead, the price point is relevant.

And that brings up a review of the Yuneec Breeze, which only travels close to the ground with an app-activated smartphone controller. The reason is that the Yuneec Breeze is easily blown off course by mild wind gusts as it goes to the outer edges of its 80-meter range. This makes the avowed aim of quick and easy selfies awkward because almost a perfect day is needed to get the optimum video or photo feeds.

There is however a feature for an indoor positioning sensor that could provide some fun around the dinner table, provided the battery doesn’t die and the drone drops into the soup.

The Yuneec Breeze package does not include a formal carrying case, another drawback for portability from event to event, instead providing a fairly flimsy plastic shell, lacking protective foam, that if thrown into a backpack or accidentally dropped would quickly suffer damage.

But it is the battery listed as holding a 12-minute charge, though early users suggest it is closer to 10 minutes, that disappoints. The battery of the Yuneec Breeze does have a functional slide-in mechanism into the drone body, but getting to sync and takeoff point can eat up some of that time. That means all of the action with photography needs to be planned out in advance and quickly executed because the chances of the battery ebbing early is a real threat.

A slew of kits from other low-end UAV drone manufacturers provide battery life of as long as 25 minutes and allow users to customize accessories, including preferred battery chargers, and some in the market for as low as $99. And the battery of the Yuneec Breeze also raises some of the recurring R&D flaws found with the bulky and much more expensive Yuneec Q500 4K, centered on connectivity and design.

In the case of the Yuneec Q500, the initial 4K camera was far behind the DJI Phantom 4 – and it seems this is also the case for the Yuneec Breeze. Reports say that users should take the 4K feed promise with a bit of salt and instead use 1080P to get a more stable and ready-to-use video because of the patchy connection via an app-to-smartphone WiFi and limited range.

These flaws in the Yuneec Breeze may show up as users attempt to review the feeds for upload to social media sites Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Instagram or WhatsApp. But it is another flaw related to connection problems and flyaways that concerns users most with the latest offering.

That prospect was highlighted in a review of the Yuneec Breeze by writer Jefferson Graham in USA Today after the initial flight went smoothly.

“But then, when I went home – remember this is a first impression – I tried again and user error came in,” Jefferson said.

“I clicked the ‘launch’ button on the app, and as you can see in the accompanying cell phone video clip shot by my very amused son, the Breeze took off a walloping 40-50 feet above my backyard deck. This was way, way higher than expected, or desired. I kept clicking on the app to bring it back down to earth, and there was initially no response. After a few agonizing minutes, it finally did what it was supposed to do and landed atop an outside plant.”

A selfie stick wouldn’t do that.

 

 

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DJI Phantom 3 has cost advantages over Yuneec Q500 in roof inspections

The Yuneec Q500 has had many problems, not the least of which is that it is not the most affordable option for some jobs.

It could be that Drone Girl has too much time on her hands. Or maybe she is better than the rest of us at thinking about the known unknowns-, like whether our roofs have holes and need repair.

Either way, she has done a public service by alerting us on the most cost-efficient way to inspect roof tops. Not to mention, she has now helped many a person avoid a trip up a rickety ladder and a possible dangerous tumble off of a garage roof.

Through her work, Drone Girl confirms what many might not know, that an RC quadcopter or hexacopter to inspect your roof doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. She did a comparison of DJI Phantom vs various models from other UAV drone manufacturers to arrive at her conclusions.

The figures speak clearly. A Yuneec Q500 will set you back $699 to buzz above the shingles on your roof and beam back pictures of any trouble spots. But in DJI Phantom 3 comparison, she finds that one of the most popular drones ever will do the same job but cheaper.

“This drone (DJI Phantom 3) is incredibly wallet friendly,” Drone Girl tells us. “The video streams through your smartphone or tablet, which you can use to get real-time video.”

By “wallet friendly” Drone Girl means $499, hundreds of dollars less than the Yuneec Q500.

And just to show we are not making light of using a drone to see what is on your roof, we leave you with some insight from Drone Girl on the matter.

“Roof inspections can get fancy,” Drone Girl tells us. “You could add a thermal camera (particularly if you have solar panels on your roof). If you had a huge roof and needed to fly the exact same route every time, you might want to use Skycatch, which could even generate a map for you.”

“But for most roof inspectors, all you want is a relatively small drone that is stable, easy to fly, can get close to the roof, is safe, and offers both a live video feed and generates high qualities images or video that can be saved.”

Indeed, food for thought.

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Hardware or software in Yuneec Typhoon H not a match to the DJI Phantom 4

In any DJI Phantom 4 vs Yuneec Typhoon H comparison, the Yuneec Typhoon H UAV has consistently lagged behind the DJI RC quadcopter models on a number of important features – the areas of gap include both hardware and software.

At first glance, a DJI Phantom 4 comparison against the Yuneec Typhoon H makes them look like similar drones with comparable features. DJI, the largest UAV drone manufacturer in the world, demonstrates its advanced technological excellence and human capital on a regular basis.

The demonstration of the superior R&D at DJI includes the DJI Go app, an all-in-one mobile platform to control all aspects of a DJI Phantom 4 from a smart device. All this investment has helped DJI secure more than 500 patents worldwide.

The Yuneec Typhoon H – the first Yuneec drone to be launched since the Yuneec Intel partnership was announced in 2015 – doesn’t have an answer to this level of innovation underway at DJI.

Unlike the Yuneec Typhoon H, the DJI Phantom 4 is bolstered by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that allows the DJI RC quadcopter to remain stable and stationary while waiting for pilot commands. The Phantom 4 has a dual IMU system.

On the other hand, the Yuneec Typhoon H is incapable of detecting non-gravitational acceleration for the three axes of the drone. Nor does the Yuneec Typhoon H measure orientation and rotation within a 3D spinning wheel. The Yuneec Typhoon H simply depends on its sonar detectors and GPS to track and navigate. The IMU collects flight data to improve flight safety and ensure robust systems – these are areas where the Yuneec Typhoon H clearly lags behind.

While reviewing the Yuneec Typhoon H, experts have taken into consideration both the software aspects and the hardware specs. For any drone, the software that supports the bird is just as important as the hardware that makes it possible for the drones to fly. Compared to the Yuneec Typhoon H, DJI’s Phantom 4 is supported by best-in-class software that has features like ActiveTrack and TapFly. ActiveTrack offers visual tracking and features that allow a pilot to control the drone by tapping on a tablet or smart device.

Lightbridge 2 is yet another proprietary technology that features in the DJI drones but not found in any Yuneec Typhoon H. A Yuneec drone offers video downlink that is often inconsistent and unreliable. On the other hand, DJI Lightbridge 2 technology delivers fast, smooth, and reliable live streaming. Lightbridge 2 actually enables the Phantom 4 to stream from a range longer than all other comparable drones in the market.

The Yuneec Typhoon H, the flagship Yuneec drone, launched with an Intel RealSense module as its flagship flight safety and collision avoidance feature.

The DJI Phantom 4 includes a much more reliable state-of-the-art optical avoidance system with forward-facing sensors and cameras. It is a tested and trusted feature that has so far performed better than the Typhoon H RealSense technology featured in a Yuneec Typhoon H.

 

 

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Getting a Yuneec Q500 4K GPS lock might take a while

Yuneec Q500 reviews caution on flying without GPS despite issues.

Using GPS to fly a Yuneec Q500 means waiting for a satellite lock and that can take quite a while and also fail, as a strong signal remains elusive in many parts of the world because of the limited satellite coverage available.

For owners of a Yuneec Q500 this frustrating process can drain precious battery time and raise questions mid-flight about the status of a connection. Some Yuneec Q500 pilots might even consider flying without GPS assistance, despite suggestions to the contrary.

DJI vs Yuneec comparisons suggest these issues, common on the Yuneec Q500 4K and almost every type of Yuneec drone, are a rarity in every single RC quadcopter model manufactured by DJI, the market leader. That, at least, is what Jim Fisher says in a review of the Yuneec Q500 in PCMag.

The Yuneec Q500 4K“won’t take off until it achieves a GPS lock,” Fisher says.

“You can manually override this requirement if you want to fly without the aid of GPS, but I don’t recommend it. Indoor flight is certainly possible, but there’s no positioning system like you’ll find with the DJI Phantom 3 Professional … so you’ll have to take great care. Even a minor bump indoors can destroy a propeller.”

While a propeller might seem like minor and easily replaceable part of the Yuneec Q500 4K and any other drone but at US$15 each from Yuneec that can quickly add up if the issues are recurrent. And experience suggests that the issues are frequent with the Yuneec Q500.

And, as Fisher notes, the loss of a satellite lock can happen when the Yuneec Q500 is in mid-air.

“During my first run I had some thick trees between me and the Q500, which caused it to lose signal more quickly than I expected. The Q500 didn’t automatically return to home at that point, and the signal was too weak for the manual Home function to work. I was able to walk closer to the unit and regain control, but it was a scary moment in the air.”

He added the second time out was not a charm.

“The craft lost GPS lock momentarily and started to fly erratically,” he said of a test flight with the Yuneec Q500 4K, adding that the Yuneec drone “does wobble a bit in the air, which is somewhat disconcerting when compared with the absolute stillness of the Phantom 3 Professional.”

And finally, he said that even with the GPS issues he stayed with the system because of concerns on stability if it was disabled.

“I did all of my flying with the GPS enabled. If you’ve got a lot of experience flying remote control aircrafts without GPS assistance, you can disable it. When it’s turned off the Q500 4K can fly fast—nearly 60mph—and it can perform steep banks and turning maneuvers. But it’s also unstable in the air, and drifts down when moving forward. I don’t recommend it unless you’re a pro.”

 

 

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