Mavic dive bombed using ActiveTrack

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

A lot can be done with current technology when implemented properly. Too many jump to the user error excuse for poor software. This is a Typhoon H completely hands off using dynamic altitude control going up a steep trail at 30+ mph. My Bebop 2 and Solo perform similar to this or better. The Bebop uses dynamic altitude, optical recognition and GPS data for precise follow.

Yes, but this Jeep is RED, vs. BLACK one in the previous video. DJI recommends not using all-black subjects for tracking. Did you try tracking this red jeep with Mavic?

 

[Vegasrobbi]

Red , green, black - I have hundreds of hours of Follow on my drones. When it comes to Follow DJI is amateur hour at the the palace compared to APM/Pixhawk. DJI produces an amazing product, since my P1 I have felt DJI is a top notch manufacturer, but to be frank their autonomous moves leave a lot to be desired.

Earlier this week here is my struggle to get my Mavic to follow a Jeep; this is using both GPS and AT. The height, distance and speed restrictions DJI places limit what you can do. Lack of dynamic altitude control is also limiting on trails with elevation changes.

Same Jeep same day my 3DR Solo tracks it like a hound dog. I can go through an entire battery without a disconnect. Also you can see Solo using dynamic altitude(device equipped baro) and follow orbiting going up a steep trail all hands off even through the trees. My Solo regularly follows at 2-3 feet AGL 5 feet from the vehicle and sometimes 1/2 mile out. My Bebop was equally if not more impressive but the camera sucked so I gave it away.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

Red , green, black - I have hundreds of hours of Follow on my drones. When it comes to Follow DJI is amateur hour at the the palace compared to APM/Pixhawk. DJI produces an amazing product, since my P1 I have felt DJI is a top notch manufacturer, but to be frank their autonomous moves leave a lot to be desired.

Earlier this week here is my struggle to get my Mavic to follow a Jeep; this is using both GPS and AT. The height, distance and speed restrictions DJI places limit what you can do. Lack of dynamic altitude control is also limiting on trails with elevation changes.

Same Jeep same day my 3DR Solo tracks it like a hound dog. I can go through an entire battery without a disconnect. Also you can see Solo using dynamic altitude(device equipped baro) and follow orbiting going up a steep trail all hands off even through the trees. My Solo regularly follows at 2-3 feet AGL 5 feet from the vehicle and sometimes 1/2 mile out. My Bebop was equally if not more impressive but the camera sucked so I gave it away.

Nothing is perfect and universal. Use the right tool for the job. My prescription glasses screwdriver works great for tightening glasses' hinges but absolutely sucks when I try to use it to tighten screws on door hinges.

 

[Vegasrobbi]

Right answer and far from this is a newbie/user error; I see this all the time on RCG.

 

[tcope]

Red , green, black - I have hundreds of hours of Follow on my drones. When it comes to Follow DJI is amateur hour at the the palace compared to APM/Pixhawk. DJI produces an amazing product, since my P1 I have felt DJI is a top notch manufacturer, but to be frank their autonomous moves leave a lot to be desired.

Earlier this week here is my struggle to get my Mavic to follow a Jeep; this is using both GPS and AT. The height, distance and speed restrictions DJI places limit what you can do. Lack of dynamic altitude control is also limiting on trails with elevation changes.

The problem is mainly that AT does not follow the subject very well when it's in front of the subject. That is inherent to it's visual tracking of the subject. You'd find that it does _far_ better following the subject. This is because AT relies on the screen display when tracking. When the subject is coming at the camera it's makes for an awkward visual situation for the software to track. The Mavic would need to point the camera downward, then realize that the subject is going to low in the frame and then start to fly backwards. At the same time it then needs to adjust the camera again. When used to follow the subject, it gives the Mavic a much longer time to keep the subject in frame and no weird camera movements are needed.

In AT the Mavic _will_ automatically adjust it's altitude (up and down) using the ultrasonic sensors but this is limited to a 30' altitude above ground and it's not perfect. But, if it's a slow slop, it should work but again, it's really only to avoid crashing... it should not be relied upon.

 

[Vegasrobbi]

Yes you are correct, when going slow VPS does keep it about 8-10 feet AGL, but when going fast or downhill VPS does little good. It's also my experience when using AT in leash(follow behind) the Mavic does much better; unfortunately that is not the vantage point we want.

Check out the Parrot Bebop flying backwards at 30 mph in Active Track. the Bebop will use GPS to backup AT if going behind a tree or at high speeds. In addition Bebops dynamic altitude is very good, too bad the camera is not.

 

[tcope]

Yes you are correct, when going slow VPS does keep it about 8-10 feet AGL, but when going fast or downhill VPS does little good. It's also my experience when using AT in leash(follow behind) the Mavic does much better; unfortunately that is not the vantage point we want.

Yes, that front vantage point makes for a _much_ better video! Most fun I had with a flight was with the P3, prior to AT. I was in the passenger seat of my fiends truck and flew in front while he drive around a dirt trail. I'd fly backward the correct speed but then also need to fly side to side which was opposite because the Phantom was backwards. It was _really_ confusing and challenging but at the same time, the most fun. It actually made for some of my best shots as I'd end up going the wrong direction a little and get some good panning front to side shots. Now that I recall, I think I was using Litchi at the time and it kept the Phantom and camera pointed at the subject, it just did not fly the Phantom itself. You can use AT on the Mavic this same way. Of course, you can't be driving at and flying well at the same time so you need to have the flyer in the passenger seat. But it makes for some nice shots.

Yeah, I do like AT but it is not the best. Keep in mind, it's also dependent on the display devices CPU. Also, and I just though about this during my last post... is it dependent on the size of screen? After all, a larger screen means that the subject is a larger object on that screen. Easier for the software to track? Interesting thought.

 

[Vegasrobbi]

My P3P with the old GO app using GPS was actually pretty good at follow. It really went downhill with GO 4 and all the nagware. I used to be able to follow at 30 miles an hour at any altitude and distance I wanted.

In this video my P4 is being flown manually backwards and the Solo is flying autonomously.

 

[ftttu]

That's not a Magpie , this is a Magpie

Y'all are all wrong, these are magpies - the infamous team of Heckle and Jeckle

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Y'all are all wrong, these are magpies - the infamous team of Heckle and Jeckle

Those are crows mate, not to be confused with . . .

 

[ftttu]

Those are crows mate, not to be confused with . . .

View attachment 26763

They are drawn as crows, but their cartoon series billed them as "Heckle & Jeckle - The Talking Magpies." I watched the cartoons while growing up here in the States.

I've flown in areas where magpies live, but they had no care, probably since they weren't nesting. I wouldn't doubt any birds will give your bird heck during that time.

 

[TerryJ]

Real pilots NEVER let an app fly for them! (my opinion) Course lock is the only intelligent flight mode that I cant do myself as well as the app does it.
I need to control my $1000 investment NOT the app!!

 

[okw]

Real pilots NEVER let an app fly for them! (my opinion) Course lock is the only intelligent flight mode that I cant do myself as well as the app does it.
I need to control my $1000 investment NOT the app!!

Can you do the Dronie? ... while not holding the remote?

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

Can you do the Dronie? ... while not holding the remote?

Exactly. The view of a YADWRC (yet another dude with RC) in the frame gets tiring quick, and not fitting cinematic goals.

 

[okw]

YADWRC

Is this another acronym that we're going to have to remember? Geez!

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

Is this another acronym that we're going to have to remember? Geez!

There's not that much to remember*, my humble contributions:

FFSRTOP
ATOP
WP
GE
YADWRC



* yet; I'm working on it

Edit: here's a new one: YADA = Yet Another Drone Acquisition

YADA YADA YADA.......

 

[lannes]

Nothing to do with being a newbie, Active Track attacks have been happening since the beginning. I have experienced dozens of AT attacks to the point I would wear a helmet if I were not in a car. There is a rubber-band effect where the drone gets into an oscillation especially when following from the rear. I thought this was isolated to the earlier P4 but when I got my new Mavic Pro I was disappointed too find it's doing the same thing. DJI has some work to do on AT and GPS Follow software.

Could be the lack of contrast in the grey truck of yours, have you tried the Mavic with your red truck used in the other videos

 

[Ratnow]

Hi everyone. I'm brand new to drones and my Mavic Pro. Slowly getting comfortable with its features and 'intelligent' options. I was recording recently using ActiveTrack Trace on a friend and the Mavic decided, like a vicious magpie, to dive-bomb my friend by itself! I managed to take control before it had chance to get too close but was wondering if anyone has come across this and what might have caused it?? Cheers for any intel.

Did the Magpie take over at the end? In other words were you trying to fly it manually without taking it out of "Active Track"? That will most likely confuse the bird. There is always the "Pause" button.

 

[Vegasrobbi]

Could be the lack of contrast in the grey truck of yours, have you tried the Mavic with your red truck used in the other videos

Color doesn't seem to matter as much as contrast does. In the video I also used GPS tracking which is not dependent on optical tracking which exhibits the same behavior. It's in the software IMO.

My P3P was actually a good GPS follow drone using the old GO app, I could follow at 30+ mph with a solid link. With my P3P I could fly as low, or as far out as I wanted. Using GO4 with my P4 or Mavic net the same results.

 

[Static8]

A lot can be done with current technology when implemented properly. Too many jump to the user error excuse for poor software. This is a Typhoon H completely hands off using dynamic altitude control going up a steep trail at 30+ mph. My Bebop 2 and Solo perform similar to this or better. The Bebop uses dynamic altitude, optical recognition and GPS data for precise follow.

I agree, DJI advanced modes have some glitches and don’t trust them. SOLO works like a dream, I have both Mavic Pro and 3DR SOLO, I will never sell my SOLO because I love the smart shots, they work like a dream...but I do love my MAVIC for what it is,, range , portability etc.