DJI Polygon No-fly Zone Launched in Mainland China

Safety has always been a priority for drones flying in the sky. Recently, DJI launched its Polygon No-fly Zone in mainland China. This new regulation is more suitable in real flight, and generally speaking, not much stricter from the previous version.

Reason of Launching New P-NFZ

Not long ago, an irrational drone pilot flied his drone up above an airport in Hangzhou, China. The video showing a manned jet flying extremely near to his drone caused deep concerns not only among drone users but also the general public in China. This led to vast discussion on UAV regulations online and television, even drew the government’s attention.

In answer to public concerns, DJI issued an announcement where several measures would be taken to address UAV safety issues. And Poly No-fly Zone is one of them.

Previous version of no-fly zone was simply a circle centering an airport, without considering the fact that planes have already descended to 500m high before entering NFZ. That was how the offended drone user got those footages. Now with the new P-NFZ launched by DJI is more specific and reasonable, aiming to stop accidents like this from happening again.

The first version of NFZ

What’s new of the P-NFZ

Though the new P-NFZ is a bit more complicated compared to the old one, with a new restricted fly zone added to the new version, it’s not hard to understand through detailed explanation.

Above is the new P-NFZ diagram.

• No-fly Zone: R1 area in the diagram, which is the overlapping part of two circles using two ends of the runway as centers, with a radius of 5 km.
• 30m Restricted Fly Zone: R2 area of the overlap (excluding R1)of circles with the same centers but a 7 km radius.
• 60m Restricted Fly Zone: two trapezoids (excluding R1 and R2) with a 15% slope extending from the two ends of the runway.
• 120m Restricted Fly Zone: a circle using the midpoint of the runway at 10km radius, excluding all the three areas above.

Different restricted heights of 30m, 60m and 120m form a huge funnel-like cover protecting airports and airplanes flying in and out. Drone flight is still permitted once you are out of the zone.

Sector-by-sector Flight Height Restriction

1. When a drone is approaching the P-NFZ, a warning prompts out and warn the user the risk of flying in this area.
2. If a drone is flying higher than the maximum restriction, it will automatically slows down and hovers until the user descends it to a permitted flight height to get in.
3. If a drone flies lower than the restriction, its maximum flight height after entering the zone will be restricted.
4. If a drone has entered the P-NFZ without GPS signal, it will automatically descend to the restricted height after regaining one.

Comment

So judge by the current regulations, this new P-NFZ is less strict than people previously thought. Apart from the 4.5 km no-fly zone (R1) surrounding the runway, the rest of the zone is still available for flying, though within limited heights.

Comparison of the P-NFZ in Shenzhen Bao’an Airport

As shown above, the new P-NFZ covers almost the same area as the old one, except two stripes stretching from the runways. Though it does bigger than the previous NFZ, to be specific, drones are only banned in the central red areas, with only restrictions in the rest of the zone. In other words, the total areas expended, but the no fly zone area remains almost unchanged.

Indeed, the new regulation puts strengthen the restriction on flight heights, which will inevitably affect drone users in some places, especially those who want to do high altitude aerial photography. But it’s worthwhile for bringing down the risk of drones interfering manned airplanes and protecting passengers’ safety. The P-NFZ is undoubtedly a good news to passengers as well as the entire civil aviation system in China.

After all, once a drone is dragged into an airplane’s engine, the affected engine is highly likely to break down, causing serious consequence. In this aspect, stricter regulation is acceptable.

What DJI can do as an enterprise is limited. It can lay down some regulations, but users’ cooperation is what matters most. Flight safety should always be prioritized in drone users’ mind.

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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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Yuneec Breeze is for the selfies generation

A new “flying camera” Yuneec Breeze 4K from Yuneec is proper for the selfies generation and affordable to mass market.

It’s aimed primarily at social media users who want to easily capture aerial photos or videos of their exploits then share them quickly with their circle of real (and virtual) mates.

To that end, the Yuneec Breeze 4K is small and lightweight (385g), making it easy to carry around with you, and doesn’t have a dedicated controller. This isn’t some acrobatic wonder, or a drone you’re going to send half a mile away – it’s designed for close, simple, largely automated (it has GPS and optical sensors to keep it steady) flight, and it’s all controlled by a smartphone app.

Like I said, this isn’t designed to be a fun flying machine, just an affordable, easy-to-use aerial camera platform. The app control extends to about 100m, and gives you a live feed from the drone’s front-mounted camera, all the better to frame those majestic selfies.

But while the lack of a dedicated controller might limit your ability for fine-tuned control, the Yuneec Breeze 4K can be piloted directly using touchscreen controls, as well as made to fly in a variety of special modes – there’s auto take-off and landing, return-to-home, plus modes that’ll have the drone circle your position, training the camera on you at all times, or focus on a point-of-interest.

The battery gives you about 12 minutes of air-time per charge, during which you can capture footage at up to 4K quality or 13MP stills. And the app (which is available for Android and iOS from launch) then allows you to share photos directly via Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more.

Relatively, yes. Now the Yuneec Breeze 4K is $380, making it a lot less stressful on the wallet than the more “advanced” drones we’re used to seeing . Compared to other Yuneec series and many rival quadcopters,the Breeze 4K drone is real cheap.

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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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Yuneec Typhoon H520 overview

Yuneec is announcing a new drone Typhoon H520, a six-rotor drone for commercial applications. It looks very much like the Typhoon H drone (but is bright orange for high visibility), building off the six-rotor platform (that is capable of flying under emergency situations with just five rotors) while incorporating commercial-grade cameras and applications for high-end commercial use. 

Like the Typhoon H, Yuneec Typhoon H520 has a 360-degree, 3-axis gimbal with retractable landing gear, forward obstacle detection, dual operator support, and a the large ST16 remote with an integrated 7-inch tablet. Camera options include the CGO-ET dual thermal RGB camera, CGO-CI seven-element inspection-ready camera and CGO-3+ which is the same bundled with the Typhoon H.

It also packs more powerful motors and propellers to deliver a higher top speed, and the CGO-ET is another option. It’s a dual-lens model, with one lens capturing infrared and the other recoding residual light. You can set which temperature ranges it detects, making it an ideal choice for search-and-rescue, building inspection, firefighting, and law enforcement use.

Finally there’s the CGO-CI, a traditional 4K video camera with a standard-angle 50mm field of view. It features an all-glass lens for improved video and image quality, and makes it possible for the drone to be further way from objects while still capturing them in exquisite detail. Cinematographers will appreciate the tighter field of view, as it produces a very different aerial shot than the ultra-wide cameras typically used with drones.

We’ll update the pricing and availability as Yuneec sets.

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DJI CES 2017: Which product interests you most?

DJI, the world leader in drone industry, introduced five distinct products in LAS VEGAS on Jan. 4, 2017.Below are all new products from DJI.

Handheld: Osmo Mobile Silver & Zenmuse M1

 

The Osmo Mobile turns a smartphone into a smart motion camera, giving creators the tool to effortlessly create cinematic videos. The new Osmo Mobile Silver was created with lifestyle in mind and shares the same high-quality build and ergonomic design found in the rest of the Osmo family. Using the DJI GO app, users can track their subject automatically, create motion timelapses, take dramatic long exposures, make 9-shot panoramas, and livestream their story to social media.

Further enhancements have been added to the Osmo Mobile Silver to make every moment you shoot look smooth, professional and ready to share. A new Beautify mode uses automatic identification and intelligent processing technologies inside the DJI GO app, allowing users to do minor touch ups and give their videos that perfect, professional sheen. The Osmo Mobile Silver will also work with FiLMiC Pro, a professional filmmaking mobile app that gives creators more flexibility and creative freedom with their handheld device.

With the goal to make products scalable and to provide a way for existing Osmo customers to capture cinematic videos with their smartphones, the Zenmuse M1 gimbal will be made available as an add-on accessory. Similar to the Zenmuse X5 and X5R gimbals, the Zenmuse M1 allows owners of the original Osmo stabilizer to mount a smartphone and take full advantage of their existing Osmo handle.

Energy efficiency and high-capacity batteries give the Osmo Mobile Silver a maximum run time of 4.5 hours. The Osmo Mobile Silver is compatible with a range of smartphones, from 2.3 inches to 3.3 inches (58.6 mm – 84.8 mm) in width. The U.S. retail price of the Osmo Mobile Silver is $299 and the Zenmuse M1 gimbal is $169 (without the Osmo handle). Both products will start shipping in the second half of January.

Aerial:Phantom 4 CNY Edition

To celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, DJI is putting out a special limited edition of the Phantom 4 with designs from renowned illustrator Martin Sati. This reddish Phantom 4 Chinese New Year edition has a phoenix at the very center of its body, symbolizing good fortune and happiness. The drone will sell for $1,199 and will exclusively be found at Apple Stores, DJI Flagship Stores (except Korea), DJI Online Store, and Tmall DJI Store. It is expected to be delivered on Jan 23.

App: Ground Station Pro

Ground Station Pro (or GS Pro) is an iPad app designed for professional operators to plan and control autonomous flights for DJI aircraft. Through the app’s concise, easy to use interface, complex flight missions can be planned with just a few taps. GS Pro was designed to improve workflow and dramatically increase efficiency in a wide range of industries, especially those in aerial mapping, architecture, precision agriculture and electrical inspections.

The 3D Map Area function allows the aircraft to generate efficient flight paths after the operator has set their required flight zone and camera parameters. The aircraft will then follow this route throughout its mission. The image data captured during these flights can be input into 3D reconstruction software to generate 3D maps, while the mission itself can be saved for re-use.

The Tap and Go Waypoint feature allows for up to 99 waypoints per mission and each waypoint can have up to 15 consecutive actions, including aircraft rotation, gimbal pitch, start/stop recording, photo capture, and hover. A Virtual Fence increases safety and ease of use by locking the aircraft’s height and speed within a designated area. As the aircraft approaches the virtual fence, it will brake and hover to ensure it stays within the flight area.

Compatible with most DJI aerial platforms and Zenmuse cameras, the DJI GS Pro will serve as a powerful and convenient tool for many industries and give critical missions added accuracy and reliability. The GS Pro iPad app is free and available for download at the App Store.

Display: CrystalSky Monitor

Created for outdoor aerial imaging, the CrystalSky monitor features an ultra-bright screen that is clearly visible in sunlight. It is designed from the ground up to work seamlessly with the DJI GO app, giving camera operators total control.

A maximum 2000 cd/m² of brightness means the CrystalSky monitor is more than four times as bright as typical mobile devices. On-screen details are clear and sharp, and colors are vibrant, giving the quality needed to fine-tune image composition. Optimized video decoding is used to provide smooth, real-time video with minimal latency. The monitor supports H.264 and H.265 video decoding, allowing it to play back files at up to 30 fps and 60 fps respectively.

The CrystalSky monitor’s HDMI port allows up to 4K video to be output to FPV goggles and other display devices. The monitor’s storage can be extended, or footage recorded on a Micro SD Card can be played back directly on the monitor. It can also be used for footage backups. The embedded DJI GO app provides full access to all DJI GO features including aircraft parameter adjustment, camera control, footage management, and playback.

A two-cell 4920 mAh external battery gives the CrystalSky monitor a longer operating time than comparable mobile devices. It supports quick charge, and controls its discharge rate well even in low temperatures. The external battery has been designed for more extreme temperatures. CrystalSky is able to operate in as low as -4°F (-20°C) and, with its internal cooling system, functions normally in temperatures as high as 104°F (40°C).

The CrystalSky monitor will come in two sizes with 7.85″ and 5.5″ screens, and can achieve a maximum operation time of 4-5 hours and 5-6 hours respectively. Pricing and availability of the CrystalSky monitor will be announced at a later date.

 

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