Autopilot Beta Test

[lake_flyer]

Tried if finally yesterday night, after a full week of rain and heavy winds. It was still quite windy but good enough.

Too bad I don't have an iPhone anymore. The RC doesn't have a strong enough GPS reception so Orbit, Follow and Focus, around device/RC were not at all doable, safely. It was way off all the time, even after it finally established a (sort of) GPS lock. I also noticed my iPad Mini2 didn't charge from the Tx, as soon as I closed Autopilot and opened DJI Pilot, charging started again.

Going to test POI today.

Well, I don't really know what I did right, but this time my RC was tracked pretty well by the app. Follow me and Focus mode was a blast.
POI worked also good and very logical and simple. It took a while to realize that when I choose current aircraft position the camera will focus on the spot at that alitude. So if your below that altitude the camera starts to point up. Which is exactly how it should be.

There was only a little lag sometimes in follow me but I blame that on the shortcomings of the GPS receiver in the RC. But I was amazed how easy the craft followed me at the set height, distance (haven't messed with offset yet) and kept me and my remote in the frame.

The info on the flight dashboard is definitely difficult to read in bright sunlight. And it takes a while to get used to the layout. I would love a more simplyfied HUD kind of display that you can toggle on or off, with only the basic telemetry and settings information with bright and BIG characters.

We'll get a few days of wonderful flying weather so I will be testing a whole lot more definitely.

I really like it so far and I will happily pay for a license once it hit the store.

 

[dronie]

Invites away, enjoy.

Could we please get an invite too? We will provide timely and valuable feedback in return.
kontakt at dronie .dk

 

[Eric Rose]

Nice sunny windless day in the Berkshires today. Focus, Hover, and Orbit all simple, straightforward to position aircraft. For me, the easiest way to specify where you want the drone to go or start is to go choose POI for the location of the center in orbit, the location for hover, and points A&B in Zip Line, before engaging. Just tap location, bring up the map, and move the relevant icon to where you want it to go.
For Zip Line, it took me awhile to figure out that if I want the drone to travel the full distance between points A and B, I need to enter 100% for the position. 50% takes it half the distance, etc. The initial setting on opening is just 5%, which is almost just a hover at Point A. Altitude is proportional to the % of position of the difference between altitude of Point A and Point B. So if the altitude for point A is 100 Feet and point B 200 feet and % position is 50, the altitude will be 150ft when the drone reaches the midpoint between A and B.
Where I have trouble with all modes is putting the gimbal in Manual. I can control pitch with the RC rotary dial, but I cannot make the gimbal control yaw. I have C! on the bottom of the RC to toggle to yaw when pushed in DHI app, but the toggling is ineffective in the Autologic app. For the I1, this is a key control for manual control of the gimbal. I have C2 set to reset yaw to center, and this function also doesn't work in Autologic.
So my issues:
1) Flight school should better explain controls for Zip Line, esp. the percentage of position.
2)Choice of position from the map does not need to be done while a mode is engaged, which is the way I read Flight School. It's easier to use the map, in my opinion, before you are engaged. Particularly for the novice, going to the map after you're engaged can pressure you to do something stupid and wastes battery while you're figuring it out.
3)Yaw control for the I1 when in manual just doesn't work.
Am I missing some other way to control yaw? (I have the settings toggled to activate yaw, so it's not that).

 

[Hangar]

in the last 30 seconds or so that the inspire seems to speed up and make the last leg of the circle somewhat faster than the beginning.

The answers to why this happens, and may other questions are on the FAQ:
http://autoflightlogic.com/beta/autopilotdji/support

It took a while to realize that when I choose current aircraft position the camera will focus on the spot at that alitude. So if your below that altitude the camera starts to point up. Which is exactly how it should be.

Yes

The info on the flight dashboard is definitely difficult to read in bright sunlight. And it takes a while to get used to the layout. I would love a more simplyfied HUD kind of display that you can toggle on or off, with only the basic telemetry and settings information with bright and BIG characters.

We have significant updates to the interface coming in the next build, which is in internal testing right now. Should be out soon.

1) Flight school should better explain controls for Zip Line, esp. the percentage of position.
2)Choice of position from the map does not need to be done while a mode is engaged, which is the way I read Flight School. It's easier to use the map, in my opinion, before you are engaged. Particularly for the novice, going to the map after you're engaged can pressure you to do something stupid and wastes battery while you're figuring it out.

New interface coming that addresses both of these points.

3)Yaw control for the I1 when in manual just doesn't work.
Am I missing some other way to control yaw? (I have the settings toggled to activate yaw, so it's not that).

I don't think the mapped controls will work while not in the DJI Pilot app. The manual gimbal control option was added for people with slave remotes.

 

[Hangar]

Build 25 is now out.

 

[James Munro]

Build 25 is now out.

Loving the new interface. Much nicer. Well done.

 

[damoncooper]

Better UI for sure. One possible suggestion to help ease of use: the original DJI iPad Ground Station app had a pretty decent interface for specifying waypoints.

Once selected on the map (which had prominence in the UI), a "properties" panel of sorts was available that let you specific height, speed etc for a map point.

It might help ease of use to make the UI more map centric.

Just a thought.

 

[Richard Hurst]

New UI much improved! Great sunrise flight using it this morning

 

[damoncooper]

Did the latest app fix the issue where it wouldn't work with latest DJI Beta FW?

I suspect not as I filed a DJI Beta bug on this and it just got closed with a note it would be fixed in a new Beta FW drop, but just checking.

 

[Richard Hurst]

Had an issue this morning where it said my firmware wasn't up to date so App wouldn't work. I am in the correct firmware. Got home and tried again and it worked fine. Strange?

 

[Rustysilverwings]

**** **** ****!!! I'm out.. I updated beta firmware for the I1, and like 30m later I read it wont work... I'm out of the beta test with the I1. I still have the P3P

 

[Rustysilverwings]

Autoflight, for those of us who thought we were to continue upgrading to the newest FW, can you release your FW with a higher version number so we can reload in replacement of the last DJI FW 1.02.02.22? That would get us back in the Beta with you folks.
Thanks,
WTC

 

[damoncooper]

Autoflight, for those of us who thought we were to continue upgrading to the newest FW, can you release your FW with a higher version number so we can reload in replacement of the last DJI FW 1.02.02.22? That would get us back in the Beta with you folks.
Thanks,
WTC

I don't believe that's something they can do. If you are in both Betas either stick with the first DJI Beta FW drop or if you have already updated, wait for the next one which I understand should have a fix.

 

[Kilrah]

It's not "their FW", they just distribute what DJI gave them.

Either DJI messed something by mistake and they will have to fix and re-release a new FW, or they deliberately made a change and Autoflight might have to follow it and release an update.

 

[Rustysilverwings]

Follow Mode video on YouTube; DJI Inspire 1 with Autopilot chasing 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster.

 

[2nd2non]

Follow Mode video on YouTube; DJI Inspire 1 with Autopilot chasing 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster.

Too cool. I just don't have the guts to try this in my neighborhood unless I have someone else driving

 

[damoncooper]

Follow Mode video on YouTube; DJI Inspire 1 with Autopilot chasing 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster.

Almost lost the aircraft at about 2:30. Watch the height around trees!

 

[Jetwash]

Follow Mode video on YouTube; DJI Inspire 1 with Autopilot chasing 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster.

Great Video! I was scared for a second at the end with those trees. lol

 

[Hangar]

I don't believe that's something they can do. If you are in both Betas either stick with the first DJI Beta FW drop or if you have already updated, wait for the next one which I understand should have a fix.

That is correct. DJI is distributing newer beta firmware for their beta test, and the latest version of the SDK does not support it yet. Trust us, we will update Autopilot as soon as it is available.

 

[wcough]

Love the new update 2.5 ,,,, much easier to manage. Unable to test temporarily until update on f/w. Wish I could roll back f/w via dji app... But either way looks more user friendly


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