How to fly Mavic Pro BACKWARDS using Waypoints in LITCHI?

[ChrisC]

Hello drone people:

I have a need to video record myself snowboarding down a mountain. Basically, I went into Google Earth and created a Waypoint Path with associated waypoints I saved to http://flylitchi.com/hub which I later imported in the Litchi App. on my Android (Note 7).
Everything would work well (now that I have all waypoint heights relative to the start point ground) if I can get the Mavic Pro to flybackwards, with the camera pointing uphill. I cannot find a setting in Litchi that will allow me to fly the drone backwards. Yes, I know there is no backwards collision avoidance but there are no trees in the high mountains.
If anyone has experience doing this, please share. Much appreciate. Thanks.
ChrisC

 

[halley]

At each waypoint in Litchi, I'm pretty sure you can specify altitude and yaw.

If all the yaw are facing behind the drone, does the drone keep turning forward then turning back at each waypoint? It doesn't seem to do that for trucking (facing sideways and slewing/strafing to the side).

 

[ChrisC]

Hi Halley:
Um, I guess you don't have Litchi or never used it? It's similar to DJI GO but more intuitive. That said, there are setting for altitude, speed, (positive angle directions), POI etc but no way to specify flying backwards. My negative altitude values takes care of the downhill terrain if only the drone will fly backwards to the next way points.

At each waypoint in Litchi, I'm pretty sure you can specify altitude and yaw.

If all the yaw are facing behind the drone, does the drone keep turning forward then turning back at each waypoint? It doesn't seem to do that for trucking (facing sideways and slewing/strafing to the side).

 

[halley]

but no way to specify flying backwards

I haven't flown with it yet, but I have it. Here's a sample mission with a waypoint specifying an exact yaw position desired at the Waypoint #2. My question is whether Litchi would do something strange like fly forward to this waypoint and then turn to the given yaw position, or if it would do what people would expect like fly sideways/backwards to achieve a nice smooth camera trucking motion.

 

[ChrisC]

Oh yes. I have seen this one and many many others too. I've even flown the drone on numerous way points missions but trying to do this flying backwards from mountain tops is really challenging to say the least. None of the modes on any drones work well for this scenario. If you found a way to do it, please let us all know. Likewise, if I find a solution, I will post for all to learn!

I haven't flown with it yet, but I have it. Here's a sample mission with a waypoint specifying an exact yaw position desired at the Waypoint #2. My question is whether Litchi would do something strange like fly forward to this waypoint and then turn to the given yaw position, or if it would do what people would expect like fly sideways/backwards to achieve a nice smooth camera trucking motion.

 

[Pedro]

Why not just use active track?

 

[Logger]

Chris C even the basic DGIGO Waypoint mode will merrily let you fly backwards but it doesnt like going downhill with WPTs below the start point. Works best if you manually steer the camera though. I have had it fly around a 2km course in with the camera looking back the whole time.

No expert with Litchi but I have used it on maybe 20 missions and flying backwards it no issue. Several ways to do it. If the course down the mountain is 090 simply set the heading at the WPTs to 270.
You could also achieve the same backward flying by sewing a series of POIs along you path and at each WPT assign a POI that is rearward or behind. You could also simply set the mission heading to manual and yaw it rearwards at the start.

It takes practice to get it all to work though and you may have to do a few dummy runs.

 

[ChrisC]

Active track does not work downhill. The drone will maintain it's original height.

Why not just use active track?

 

[ChrisC]

Hi Logger:
Thank you for your inputs. I will have to manually chart out the headings or create virtual POI to enable the drone to track me. Yes, I think there will be several attempts to get it right over the course of a reasonable downhill run. Thanks again.
Chris

Chris C even the basic DGIGO Waypoint mode will merrily let you fly backwards but it doesnt like going downhill with WPTs below the start point. Works best if you manually steer the camera though. I have had it fly around a 2km course in with the camera looking back the whole time.

No expert with Litchi but I have used it on maybe 20 missions and flying backwards it no issue. Several ways to do it. If the course down the mountain is 090 simply set the heading at the WPTs to 270.
You could also achieve the same backward flying by sewing a series of POIs along you path and at each WPT assign a POI that is rearward or behind. You could also simply set the mission heading to manual and yaw it rearwards at the start.

It takes practice to get it all to work though and you may have to do a few dummy runs.

 

[fschilder]

Hello drone people:

I have a need to video record myself snowboarding down a mountain. Basically, I went into Google Earth and created a Waypoint Path with associated waypoints I saved to http://flylitchi.com/hub which I later imported in the Litchi App. on my Android (Note 7).
Everything would work well (now that I have all waypoint heights relative to the start point ground) if I can get the Mavic Pro to flybackwards, with the camera pointing uphill. I cannot find a setting in Litchi that will allow me to fly the drone backwards. Yes, I know there is no backwards collision avoidance but there are no trees in the high mountains.
If anyone has experience doing this, please share. Much appreciate. Thanks.
ChrisC

Set the speed to a negative value and it will fly backwards

 

[ChrisC]

Hi fschilder:
Thank you, I have tried but it won't allow me to set to a negative value, revert back to original non negative value. At least on the Litchi Android App.
Chris

Set the speed to a negative value and it will fly backwards

 

[Pedro]

Active track does not work downhill. The drone will maintain it's original height.

 

[ChrisC]

You need to watch it in more details. This guy made a simple contraption which he used to physically throttle the controller. The Mavic drone does NOT automatically follow you downhill and it will stay where you started the tracking. Hope you understand what he did.

 

[Pedro]

Oh yes, I saw that but it seems there may be an easy-ish solution maybe..? Not sure if all the contraption does is to hold the throttle down in which it's a really easy fix..

 

[ChrisC]

I'm trying to map out my down hill path from Google Earth and it gives me pretty precise height elevation which I export to a .eml file which is imported into the flyitchi.com/hub so I can just pull it from the Litchi app on my phone attached to the controller.
I've done all that and now, I will try to make the drone point to a series of virtual POI so it will set the camera angle & gimbal correctly as it flies backwards.
It would be great if Litchi will add a Active tracking mode which follows the skier downhill and maintaining the correct height differential plus camera in front, back or orbiting relative to the tracked skier. That would be wonderful. I guess they will add these modes in later firmware updates, hopefully.

Oh yes, I saw that but it seems there may be an easy-ish solution maybe..? Not sure if all the contraption does is to hold the throttle down in which it's a really easy fix..

 

[Logger]

Hi fschilder:
Thank you, I have tried but it won't allow me to set to a negative value, revert back to original non negative value. At least on the Litchi Android App.
Chris

Good point about using the negative speed for backwards. Works for me on android. Trick is to the negative speed in the Mission Settings as the cruise speed and not the WPTS. Then it will save.

 

[ChrisC]

Hi Logger:

Thank you so much! I tried to set negative speeds on the waypoints and it would just kick back to the default non negative values! Now, I can see the Mission settings does allow me to use negative values. I will try to find time to try it out tomorrow but it will be raining in Los Gatos in CA! I will update when I can. Much appreciate the info.
Chris

Good point about using the negative speed for backwards. Works for me on android. Trick is to the negative speed in the Mission Settings as the cruise speed and not the WPTS. Then it will save.