Phantom 4 Pro - Side Object Avoidance Sensors?

[Scott7161]

Have you guys tried using the side infa-red object avoidance sensors on the Phantom 4 Pro? I think it's only active in beginner mode.

 

[Texas Jackie]

It is active in beginner mode and Tripod mode. Messed with it a bit in the yard but thats all so far.


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[Scott7161]

It is active in beginner mode and Tripod mode. Messed with it a bit in the yard but thats all so far.


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Thanks - does it seem like it's as good as the front and rear sensors?

 

[Traveler]

I don't recall the craft acting on the detection, but in the beginner mode it did activate on me (standing to the left). Proof it is working, but that's about all I can currently offer. See screenshot.

 

[Darryl J Hall Sr]

Why is the side avoidance only active in the beginner mode and not active all the time. Can you change a setting so it is always on.


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[Traveler]

No, at present it is only on in tripod mode and beginner mode.
Maybe they will activate in future FW.

 

[PunaPhantom]

I love the tripod mode... where all movements are silky smooth and the side sensors work... so gliding up a mountain stream with the jungle on both sides is now no longer such a daunting task... YET, sometimes this really hinders me... i.e.. when the space to fly through narrows too much the sensors kick in and will not let me jog left or right... there is a way to limit their sensitivity, but for the love of me I cannot find this information in the manual or on line... Anyone out there know how to do this and how much it limits the sensors?
Mahalo...

 

[smiller]

The side IR sensors work quite well when enabled (you can tell when they're activated because additional object avoidance indicators appear on the sides of the display), at least as well as the visual sensors. I'm not sure why at this point at least DJI has them limited to beginner and tripod modes but I don't think that makes them 'useless' as many have decried, in fact they are very nice to have when shooting in closer quarters in tripod mode, or indoors, etc. But if things get too tight then any OA system is going to get in the way, if you're working that close then about all you can do is be careful and/or use prop guards.

 

[$gambino$]

I love the tripod mode... where all movements are silky smooth and the side sensors work... so gliding up a mountain stream with the jungle on both sides is now no longer such a daunting task... YET, sometimes this really hinders me... i.e.. when the space to fly through narrows too much the sensors kick in and will not let me jog left or right... there is a way to limit their sensitivity, but for the love of me I cannot find this information in the manual or on line... Anyone out there know how to do this and how much it limits the sensors?
Mahalo...

Hello....it is called narrow sensing. U can find this in remote Settings in dji go 4 app. Set it to either c1 or c2 to try it out

 

[PunaPhantom]

Hello....it is called narrow sensing. U can find this in remote Settings in dji go 4 app. Set it to either c1 or c2 to try it out

Yep I see icon the ap - currently set C2 to it - I believe it says (HOLD) so i gotta hold button in to go narrow... wish there were some more info from DJI on it... ALSO

Another question... And I am by no means a neophyte... but I find the whole RTH instructions quite confusing...

The ads and literature on the P4P indicate that RTH will back track along the route she took to go in... therefore avoiding any unforeseen obstacles - as, if she can fly in without hitting anything, she should be able to reverse back on the same course...

so, when does she do this, in what circumstances... and why do I have to set a RTH altitude.
I am obviously missing something here - am I having a senior moment???

 

[sideburn]

Another question... And I am by no means a neophyte... but I find the whole RTH instructions quite confusing...

The ads and literature on the P4P indicate that RTH will back track along the route she took to go in... therefore avoiding any unforeseen obstacles - as, if she can fly in without hitting anything, she should be able to reverse back on the same course...

so, when does she do this, in what circumstances... and why do I have to set a RTH altitude.
I am obviously missing something here - am I having a senior moment???

I think it only happens when failsafe RTH is executed (loss of remote). That said, it would seem the "Smart RTH" should have the option to do this even if it is the longer route between going high and straight vs. retracing.

 

[$gambino$]

Yep when u lose controller link it will smart rth if u have that setting on...if not it will go to predetermined rth altitude and make a bee line home....so u want to set your rth height and set it higher then anything around u. This way if u activate rth it will avoid most things (trees, buildings) it will ascend then go home like i sd. Always cgeck that setting as part of your preflight check and make sure your tablet or phone notifys u when "home point has been recorded" . Then its safe to take off and rth should be good as long as your craft maintains gps signal

 

[F3honda4me]

If there is a loss of signal, the drone will retrace its steps for up to about 30-60 seconds, before doing a normal beeline RTH. So it's important to set RTH height no matter what.

As to the sensors, I flew through the woods the other day along the ground, the side sensors worked great. I had it in tripod mode the whole time. I also set "loss of signal" to hover instead of RTH. Very important if you are flying around with something above you.

 

[tribar]

If there is a loss of signal, the drone will retrace its steps for up to about 30-60 seconds, before doing a normal beeline RTH. So it's important to set RTH height no matter what.

As to the sensors, I flew through the woods the other day along the ground, the side sensors worked great. I had it in tripod mode the whole time. I also set "loss of signal" to hover instead of RTH. Very important if you are flying around with something above you.

Actually it constantly records the last 300 meters of the flight (not 30-60 seconds).

 

[dwallersv]

I'm guessing the reason for limiting the IR obstacle avoidance to Tripod and Beginner modes is speed.

The camera-based sensors detect obstacles by analyzing parallax changes in objects in view. This is a much more precise means of detection, and also gives some distance information for the obstacle(s).

IR, on the other hand, is far more crude, and really doesn't give much distance or approach speed information. Its more binary: Everything's fine, and then state flips from something's too close. There's no precision to detection of how far, and how fast an obstacle is approaching.

 

[smiller]

I'm guessing the reason for limiting the IR obstacle avoidance to Tripod and Beginner modes is speed.

The camera-based sensors detect obstacles by analyzing parallax changes in objects in view. This is a much more precise means of detection, and also gives some distance information for the obstacle(s).

IR, on the other hand, is far more crude, and really doesn't give much distance or approach speed information. Its more binary: Everything's fine, and then state flips from something's too close. There's no precision to detection of how far, and how fast an obstacle is approaching.

In my testing I've found the IR sensors seem anything but digital, in fact quite linear and proportional to distance. But I do agree that overall ramnge is probably the issue, i.e. DJI has already limited speed when OA is activated and they don't want to limit it further to suit the IR sensors, nor would the user most likely.

 

[PunaPhantom]

I'm guessing the reason for limiting the IR obstacle avoidance to Tripod and Beginner modes is speed.

The camera-based sensors detect obstacles by analyzing parallax changes in objects in view. This is a much more precise means of detection, and also gives some distance information for the obstacle(s).

IR, on the other hand, is far more crude, and really doesn't give much distance or approach speed information. Its more binary: Everything's fine, and then state flips from something's too close. There's no precision to detection of how far, and how fast an obstacle is approaching.

Yeah... this can be seen when it is avoiding a side obstacle... all fine, all fine, all fine, then a radical move left or right... to avoid something (or was I pushing it trying to see how close I could get sideways - I cant remember)

 

[PunaPhantom]

Hello....it is called narrow sensing. U can find this in remote Settings in dji go 4 app. Set it to either c1 or c2 to try it out

Hello....it is called narrow sensing. U can find this in remote Settings in dji go 4 app. Set it to either c1 or c2 to try it out

Mahalo $gambino$... very rude of me not to thank you last time...

 

[PunaPhantom]

Yep when u lose controller link it will smart rth if u have that setting on...if not it will go to predetermined rth altitude and make a bee line home....so u want to set your rth height and set it higher then anything around u. This way if u activate rth it will avoid most things (trees, buildings) it will ascend then go home like i sd. Always cgeck that setting as part of your preflight check and make sure your tablet or phone notifys u when "home point has been recorded" . Then its safe to take off and rth should be good as long as your craft maintains gps signal

Mahalo again $gambino$ - After an unfortunate accident under the canopy in a forest with my P3 4K one week after getting her, I have become very conscientious of the RTH setting... ... I wish there was a more comprehensive set of instructions for the RTH actions. So... are you saying Smart RTH will retrace her flight path in reverse?

 

[PunaPhantom]

If there is a loss of signal, the drone will retrace its steps for up to about 30-60 seconds, before doing a normal beeline RTH. So it's important to set RTH height no matter what.

As to the sensors, I flew through the woods the other day along the ground, the side sensors worked great. I had it in tripod mode the whole time. I also set "loss of signal" to hover instead of RTH. Very important if you are flying around with something above you.

Mahalo... Very good advice brah... my "accident" (total neophyte error) was I still had a 40m RTH when under the canopy of the jungle a low battery sent her soaring up into the branches with the resultant fall ........ (But where do you find this information?)