Welcome Inspire Pilots!
Join our free DJI Inspire community today!
Sign up

Sonar for collision detection?

Joined
May 4, 2014
Messages
64
Reaction score
29
It is interesting that sonar is added to allow indoor flying for the Inspire. However, wouldn't (horizontal) collision detection (and prevention) be a much better use for such technology? Perhaps this will be introduced in the Inspire 2? Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
i agree. seems to me that both are needed and in front would be more important because of the lack of fpv camera. i could imagine having a range to set and data onscreen that showed distance from object.
why in the hck do we have to do all thinking for dji? lol.
 
The Inspire doesn't have sonar.
It has an optic flow sensor that uses a visual mechanism to view a brightly lit floor and hold position up to a height of 2.5 metres. This technology would be useless for collision avoidance.
If anyone has sonar for object avoidance that works at realistic flight speeds, it would weigh way more than anyone wants to load their bird with.
 
The sonar part is the restricting one. With optical flow you would not be limited to a certain altitude.
I have looked at sonar sensors, and they get significantly large for longer distances. Even the larger ones are limited in range, max being about 20 meters. On a drone you have other problems with sonar use: the noise of the props can significantly reduce accuracy and sensing capability. Other ways of doing object avoidance would be to use lasers for measuring distance, but there is another set of issues with that technology as well.

It will happen, it is a matter of evolution. Not on the inspire 1, but definitely in future models.
 
i know there have been sidescan sonar on boats and other technology for awhile..but i know there are limitations and size and price are still a big factor.
i just was thinking if they could use the same sensor for forward facing just for up to 2.5 meters to allow it to stop the quad from hitting something in front it would be ideal.
i was talking with another friend on the forum and she was thinking that it would be easy to add an f.p.v. camera..but with the light bridge set up i don't think you can have two signals for two cameras even with the second transmitter.
i guess maybe if not, you could add an full fpv. system..but it seems like there should be another way.
i want to have protection in case i have the camera to the side going up the coast and can't see if there is a sudden bend etc.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
22,277
Messages
210,655
Members
34,329
Latest member
defenderschool