Future Drone Laws Against Inspire

ben1257sb · Mar 14, 2015

As you all know, DJI can shut down a craft if the firmware is not updated. SO they have control over whether the craft can fly or not.

What are the implications if the US government creates laws that would ban or create restrictions on inspire type drones?

Do you think DJI would bend over to the law and shut down all the crafts remotely? Is that even legal? Is that even constitutional?

sdjackaerial · Mar 15, 2015

I didn't know DJI had the ability to shut down a craft. I guess I don't believe it.
"Buy our product and then you can't use it?" Uh--ok--refund me. Naw, dude.

ben1257sb · Mar 15, 2015

If you don't update the firmware, the inspire will not operate. So DJI has the ability to remotely make the craft unable to fly.

So yes, this is true. DJI can turn your inspire off if they want.

sdjackaerial · Mar 15, 2015

wouldn't an easy fix be to not connect your tablet to WIFI when using it (shouldn't anyway)? It'd never know it needed a firmware update then.
EDIT: Also, I didn't run the most current update till two days ago, finally. It ran fine before I did it.

ben1257sb · Mar 15, 2015

It will give you a series of warnings. After the 3rd I believe the entire system shuts down until you update firmware.

PetePerrim · Mar 15, 2015

That sucks if you live in the U.S

Kilrah · Mar 15, 2015

The day they do this they'd be pretty much dead as a company within days... so I wouldn't worry too much. If they did that it would be because of a really major shitstorm where even if you could still technically fly you wouldn't want to because you'd now you'd end up in jail straight away...

Meta4 · Mar 15, 2015

ben1257sb said:
What are the implications if the US government creates laws that would ban or create restrictions on inspire type drones?

The US government allows its citizens to have 300 million guns and you think they might feel a need to ban personal camera drones?
How likely is that? Is there really any reason to think it would ever happen?
You may as well wonder what happens to your Inspire when the Martians take over.

Kilrah · Mar 15, 2015

It's all a question of how many people side for/against it.
Guns have been there forever, AND there's a huge and strong group that will do anything it takes to maintain things how they are.

Drones are the exact opposite situation, they're a new thing, and as people are afraid of new things as a first reaction they will just say NOPE. The few people who try to push them forward hit a big mass of either indifference or refusal for whom we've always been doing without so it's not like we need them now, especially if there's anything close to a tiny fraction of a remote possibility they could be used against them or hurt them in any way.

pops52 · Mar 15, 2015

Drones are not part of our constitution. I could see the possibility.

Meta4 · Mar 15, 2015

I don't get it. Drones are here. They've been around a couple of years now.
Why does anyone think that someday the government will want to remove them?
Wouldn't they have done it earlier if (for some bizarre reason) they wanted to?
Has the government given any clue that it is even a remote possibility?
Has the government ever shown any interest in banning and confiscating anything else?
It's not going to happen.
I can only think it's extreme paranoia to imagine such a scenario and I find it really weird that people living in the "Land of the Free" can even consider it..

damoncooper · Mar 15, 2015

ben1257sb said:
It will give you a series of warnings. After the 3rd I believe the entire system shuts down until you update firmware.

Reference please?

I've been flying about 8 times with update warnings, no issues.

Mazz · Mar 15, 2015

I flew my quad with old firmware for a long time and no issues. I have also kept files of every update incase I need to go backwards. It may not be possible now to use it but of something bad happened with an update I could get into it to downgrade.

Harry Nicholson · Mar 15, 2015

Mazz said:
I flew my quad with old firmware for a long time and no issues. I have also kept files of every update incase I need to go backwards. It may not be possible now to use it but of something bad happened with an update I could get into it to downgrade.

Great idea to store all firmware files

chip chipman · Mar 15, 2015

Mazz said:
I flew my quad with old firmware for a long time and no issues. I have also kept files of every update incase I need to go backwards. It may not be possible now to use it but of something bad happened with an update I could get into it to downgrade.

Hi, I recently tried to update to the newest firmware on the inspire and encountered a problem. I tried the AC first with no luck soRC and that worked. But they now won't Interact due to different firmware. So now I need to reinstall old RC version and am wondering if you might share that file-.6 version with me.
Thanks,
Chip

Mark Mahoney · Mar 15, 2015

ben1257sb said:
If you don't update the firmware, the inspire will not operate. So DJI has the ability to remotely make the craft unable to fly.

So yes, this is true. DJI can turn your inspire off if they want.

I may be misunderstanding the updated firmware but I was under the understanding that after "X" (3?) warnings, the drone shuts down because of software written. I don't think DJI can remotely shut your drone down at the drop of a hat, I think they could easily program software to shut down after a certain amount of flights (ie. until an update is needed) but to remotely shut it off... I'd say no.

Mark

damoncooper · Mar 15, 2015

Mark Mahoney said:
I may be misunderstanding the updated firmware but I was under the understanding that after "X" (3?) warnings, the drone shuts down because of software written. I don't think DJI can remotely shut your drone down at the drop of a hat, I think they could easily program software to shut down after a certain amount of flights (ie. until an update is needed) but to remotely shut it off... I'd say no.

Mark

Nope. That seems to be simply an incorrect understanding.

Can someone please either provide some reference for this or lock this thread to kill it dead?

Thx

Mark Mahoney · Mar 15, 2015

damoncooper said:
Nope. That seems to be simply an incorrect understanding.

Can someone please either provide some reference for this or lock this thread to kill it dead?

Thx

Yes, I'd like some info on this too then. My inspire arrived at the hobby shop Friday and since I was out of town, I haven't picked it up. If it is true that DJI can remotely shut your drone down, I won't even bother picking it up.

Anyone?

Mark

Mark Mahoney · Mar 15, 2015

Meta4 said:
I don't get it. Drones are here. They've been around a couple of years now.
Why does anyone think that someday the government will want to remove them?
Wouldn't they have done it earlier if (for some bizarre reason) they wanted to?
Has the government given any clue that it is even a remote possibility?
Has the government ever shown any interest in banning and confiscating anything else?
It's not going to happen.
I can only think it's extreme paranoia to imagine such a scenario and I find it really weird that people living in the "Land of the Free" can even consider it..

You bring up a good point... a drone is nothing more than a helicopter or quadcopter with a camera. That's been around for years and even if DJI could remotely shut them down (I still don't believe it), what would they do with all the thousands of other companies out there?

Mark

InspiredOne · Mar 15, 2015

Mark Mahoney said:
Yes, I'd like some info on this too then. My inspire arrived at the hobby shop Friday and since I was out of town, I haven't picked it up. If it is true that DJI can remotely shut your drone down, I won't even bother picking it up.

Anyone?

Mark

By all means, go ahead and pick it up! You have nothing to fear.