Thoughts on new models?

[hrosee]

As everyone knows DJI has released a couple of new models recently with little changes.

I think the reason we are not seeing anything really new is because DJI has reached the limits of the processing power on the current phones and tablets. I am sure the software is very complicated and eats up all the cpu power available in most current devices. We see this as lag, crashes, and devices not being able to hold up in the heat.

I think the future will be in a dedicated monitor like the Pro+ has or CrysatlSky monitor with more cpu power or ??.

Another option would be to reorganize the software/firmware so some of the things that the "client app(phone or tablet)" are performing are moved into the firmware in the Quad. This has been a problem in other applications like software defined radios. The client simply can't handle anymore tasks due to lack of resources so they move some of the functions into the radio firmware to balance things out. . This assumes the processor in the quad's firmware can handle more.

Anyway, I think DJI has reached the limits of the current devices we use. I am sure they have be working on the next generation but I just can see them adding a lot more to the current Apps.

I was thinking this might make for interesting discussion.

Your thoughts?

 

[macoman]

Not really... Look at their Enterprise class drone the M200... More powerful in every level than a phantom and yet it's still managed by traditional controller with smartphone.

 

[hrosee]

Not really... Look at their Enterprise class drone the M200... More powerful in every level than a phantom and yet it's still managed by traditional controller with smartphone.

That's in a different class. I was talking to the current Phantoms. I am sure the M200 has a bunch more horsepower.

 

[macoman]

That's in a different class. I was talking to the current Phantoms. I am sure the M200 has a bunch more horsepower.

But they are still DJI product and the enterprise class drone surpassed the reaching power of the phantom which is related to your thoughts about it. Look at this way... The enterprise class drone that they are producing now are probably the future phantoms. Yes they may not look the same, but they may add features from it.

 

[hrosee]

But they are still DJI product and the enterprise class drone surpassed the reaching power of the phantom which is related to your thoughts about it. Look at this way... The enterprise class drone that they are producing now are probably the future phantoms. Yes they may not look the same, but they may add features from it.

So are you saying the drones you are referring to, such as the M200, have the same processor in the drone as the current Phantoms? I was basically trying to make the point that the current Phantom hardware and software may not be able to go any further than it is today.

I don't think we can expect a lot more functions to be added to the current Phantoms or Mavic's. I just don't think there are enough resources to handle anything major.

I agree that the new Phantoms, if there call them that, will need faster processor. That was my point in my OP.

Do you feel they can push the current platform I am addressing much more than they have?

 

[John Locke]

I don't think the CPU bandwidth is that much of a limit for new ideas and features. A year from now you'll look back and see how silly this notion is, IMO. It's the imagination that is the limit, along with LAWYERS! That's my opinion. Sure the CPU gets a workout, but that can be mitigated with good ideas, limited only by your imagination. After all, Mavic has 24 CPU's with a distributed workload. Nothing keeps this from being scaled up to off-load the device software as the OP suggests.

Today H.264 is the primary power monger for the app, using most of the device battery, and creating most the heat. The 720 resolution link, now 1080 on Inspire and future phantoms, will use up even more bandwidth from the A10 CPU in iPads. The latest Android CPUs will have similar advances (clock rate, core count). CPU's and device technology will continue to grow, but the video decoding is the primary hog. App features in comparison though are trivial in power and performance requirements, so there's plenty of opportunity to add features that can make a difference, while still executing the h.264 decoding work. Have you seen Inspire two? It's got TWO video streams coming down to the device, one for each of the two cameras. So that implies that Phantom has more available bandwidth that you think.

One feature I see coming someday is to provide pilots with real-time (or close to it) AGL data that's relatively accurate to the craft's location, useful in hill, mountain and valley locations. This could be done by using Google's MSL map data, the GPS location of the craft, the take-off point MSL data (google maps), and the craft's ALP (above launch point) data. Using these datapoints and some simply math, the app could speak "YOUR CALCULATED AGL IS CURRENTLY 253 FEET". I would like a button to turn this announcement on and off, as well as a way to adjust the frequency it would announce "CALCULATED AGL". This software feature in GO5 would require a cellular internet connection of course, but it would be easy to add to an app and add no extra weight on the craft. It's just software. When flying miles away (like I do often) in the mountains, this kind of data would be very useful to maintain an AGL less than 400', even if the accuracy was +- 50 accuracy. It's not the answer to everything, but it's a step in the right direction, and with common sense it would help the average pilot fly safer.

There are many s/w features in the Inspire app that could be ported to Phantom if they choose to, but that would degrade the value of Inspire. Inspire uses the same iPad devices, so that proves there's no limit to really nice app improvements, if they wanted to.

Putting 2X zoom in the P4P is doable, that's drone firmware, but they choose not do so far. That feature is included on P4 and Mavic, but not P4P, go figure. Vivid color setting, offered in P3P and P4, removed from P4P, that could easily be included, but no joy.

The biggest application improvement would be to stop playing big brother, and that's easy for DJI to do if they wanted to. That improvement absolutely doesn't take more CPU bandwidth to get off my back. I'd pay another $100 to get to get off my back with more liberal software, letting me choose when to return home, and letting me decide when it's safe to fly. These new trends from DJI is really depressing, turning my DJI fanboy background into a harsh cynical critic of DJI. Nobody trusts DJI anymore it seems, including the Army.

 

[With The Birds]

I’m not sure the feature set/ performance limitations are restricted by the app and user device. It is likley more DJI’s key tech providers (intel/Movidius, Texas Instruments, camera supplier etc) and their own advancement that is the principal constraint.

 

[FatherXmas]

The new multi-core processors are getting faster, smaller and have lots more horse power. That plus the advances in battery technology makes the potential for future drones tremendous.