Infrared sensor limitations

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Just started going over the manual, and noticed that they now confirm that the side-mounted IR sensors are limited to Beginner and Tripod modes.

"The 3D Infrared Sensing System is only active in Beginner mode and Tripod Mode. Fly with caution."

Disappointing.
 
So that's why Colin Smith had his P4P+ in Beginner Mode during his YouTube review Part II.

Sounds like it's designed for "close up" precision flying, or within VLOS, rather than at 4 miles away while flying at 30mph!
 
I posted a response to this on another thread.

Unfortunately DJI did not add into the sensor technology an on off switch based on speed. So Beginner mode and Tripod mode are the controllers for speed. It takes massive processor power to monitor front/back/sides/bottom while a drone is in motion and then provide the corrective action. If a drone is moving at a fast speed there is zero way a processor can make sense of obstacles in front, sides, back at the same time.... The drone would be bouncing all over the sky out of control. This probably also explains why there is no top sensor as it just becomes an overwhelming mess of data to decode.

I was curious as to how DJI was going to handle having sensors all around in flight and to me the Tripod mode makes sense. They have also come up with a good plan for the forward and backward sensors when in motion at a good speed. Whichever sensor is facing the position of travel becomes the dominate sensor. If you slow down, then the opposite sensor slowly becomes active in conjunction with the sensor of travel, but does not have as great a sensing distance as the sensor of travel.

I would guess that when the Phantom 5 is released we will see the speed slightly increase for the sensors.
 
The good news is that you can still sneak up from 90° at the sides and handcatch the P4P, without having it run away from you, unless you are in Beginner mode! :D
 
Unfortunately DJI did not add into the sensor technology an on off switch based on speed. So Beginner mode and Tripod mode are the controllers for speed. It takes massive processor power to monitor front/back/sides/bottom while a drone is in motion and then provide the corrective action.
.

Yup. If you look at what Tesla has implemented for its autonomous driving mode, it is basically an Nvidia supercomputer. The side-looking problem is the hardest to solve, to be sure - much less time to react vs forward or back. It will help with Tripod mode for close-quarters work, so that is still a plus. I was just hoping it would work in P-mode especially...
 
Wow never thought of hand catches. Yikes!


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Much safer and easier than landing on uneven ground or in dusty areas, where the props kick up dirt and dust all over the aircraft, the camera, lens, and gimbal! Only time I don't hand catch is if I have to ditch land the aircraft, and I am not there to hand catch it! :eek:
 
Oh I agree. I love hand catching. I feel it's safer especially in places dusty and sandy. I even prefer to hand catch on the wind. Didn't think about all the collision detection interrupting that!


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If you watch Colin Smith's P4P Review II on YouTube, you'll see it running away from him, when he approaches it from any side in Beginner Mode. :cool:
 
So is the improved sensors really a big deal if your not flying in beginner mode or down low a lot? Is the camera maybe the reason to pick it over the P4 or not?


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So is the improved sensors really a big deal if your not flying in beginner mode or down low a lot? Is the camera maybe the reason to pick it over the P4 or not?
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There are threads here that go into a lot of detail on the camera improvements, but the bullet points are:
• 1" sensor: 3.5 times larger than P4 sensor. Larger sensor provides higher dynamic range and line resolution.
• Variable aperture from f2.8 to f11. P4 has fixed aperture at 2.8. Variable aperture allows for more creative freedom (DOF) and reduces need for lots of ND filters.
• Mechanical shutter, P4 has electronic shutter only. This helps with controlling photo/video exposure and eliminates the rolling shutter judder that you see when panning.

It's a big upgrade over the P4 camera, and in a similar league as the X4S camera that is used on the Inspire 2.
 
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Oh I agree. I love hand catching. I feel it's safer especially in places dusty and sandy. I even prefer to hand catch on the wind. Didn't think about all the collision detection interrupting that!


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Attitude mode disables the sensors anyways right? Simply switch to Atti once you get close enough to hand catch, then guide your bird the rest of the way in... Easy peasy! :)
 
Attitude mode disables the sensors anyways right? Simply switch to Atti once you get close enough to hand catch, then guide your bird the rest of the way in... Easy peasy! :)
There's been videos that show how to hand catch the P4P safely in GPS mode. It's not difficult. You just sneak up on it from the side, and grab it swiftly before it has time to back away from you. I'd never want to catch in ATTI, especially in wind.

I always let the bird hover on its own a few seconds, then with my fingers OFF of the sticks, walk over the grab it. I never fly it to me, that's asking for trouble IMO. Once I have firm control of a landing gear leg with my right hand, I hold the craft in place and proceed to shut down the motors with my left hand on the left stick. That's my routine, I'm sure others have theirs.
 
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