Mavic Mini SDK coming next week?

[FreeFall]

wow the wonder I have for this magic mavic sdk

 

[shaneb50]

I’m looking forward to the new update when it finally comes out ?[emoji3][emoji106]
Hoping that it will have some more features

 

[RogerDH]

I’m looking forward to the new update when it finally comes out ?[emoji3][emoji106]
Hoping that it will have some more features

This isn't an update to the drone firmware or to DJI Fly, so there won't be any new features in those, if that's what you were expecting. It's an update to the DJI Software Development Kit that will allow third-party apps like Litchi to control the Mini, so new features will be available by using those apps instead of DJI Fly (or writing your own app).

 

[shaneb50]

This isn't an update to the drone firmware or to DJI Fly, so there won't be any new features in those, if that's what you were expecting. It's an update to the DJI Software Development Kit that will allow third-party apps like Litchi to control the Mini, so new features will be available by using those apps instead of DJI Fly (or writing your own app).

ah thank you so much for clearing this up for me ?.well maybe a third party app for the mini will add some features or so.?

 

[GerdS]

It's better to be fully tested and corrected than released prematurely.

Yes and no. The app developers need to integrate the SDK into their existing or new apps prior to flight testing which requires some time, too.
So for them it is important to know about the application programming interface (API) of the SDK quite early. And there it doesn't matter if the SDK is still buggy and not intended for real flights. While DJI is finishing their testing and bug fixing, the app developers could alrady do their job in parallel and then link their apps to the finalised SDK as soon as available. That would save many weeks for them and their eagerly waiting customers.

 

[RogerDH]

ah thank you so much for clearing this up for me ?.well maybe a third party app for the mini will add some features or so.?

Oh yes, Litchi should provide some great features including active tracking and a very sophisticated waypoint system.

 

[michieldejong]

I hope so but I doubt that using Active Track will be made available for the Mavic Mini in the upcoming SDK.

 

[joeke3el]

Mavic Mini is my first drone, did anyone here used Litchi before with another drone and what is your experience with that app? Any other app?
Because I see that you want this SDK soon as possible.
What is the best features from Litchi?
Is that 3rd party app stable and reliable?

I've used it extensively with my Spark and never had a failed mission. In addition, it makes for a great fly app as well with RTH, etc. It offers FPV, Waypoint, Orbit, Pano, Focus, and Track in addition to working with the free PC app called "Virtual Litchi Mission" where you can play your planned missions virtually in Google Earth. The virtual flight is strikingly accurate with the real flight so you have a pretty good idea what it'll look like at home before actually flying. How many of these features I've mentioned will carry over into the Mavic Mini world I don't know.

 

[dragonmuzz]

The fact that DJI released the SDK doesn't mean that Litchi will magically add support immediately, it will take months for Litchi to release support for the Mavic Mini

I’m a litchi beta tester so i get the app much earlier...il post on here when it arrives

 

[RogerDH]

I hope so but I doubt that using Active Track will be made available for the Mavic Mini in the upcoming SDK.

I haven't had much luck finding details, but I don't think Litchi necessarily has to support DJI Active Track(tm) to provide a "follow me" mode. It's possible to implement that entirely within an app that does its own object detection and course calculation. It just has to send ordinary flight commands to the drone.

 

[michieldejong]

Theoretically this is ofcourse possible. I guess it depends on what litchi does now for active track. Active track is simply an option in the DJI SDK, if they use this API call for the other DJI drones (I expect they do), they will surely not try to implement active track in their app only for the mini.
It would also not surprise me if the delay in getting the image from the drone, then processing it and then the delay in sending a command to the drone, would be too much to have it work properly.

 

[scro]

The tiny and basic Tello has a 3rd party app that lets it do active tracking, so I'm sure the same would be possible with the MM SDK when it eventually gets released. The app does most of the hard work by analysing the live video feed and detecting objects to track, and then sends basic move commands to the drone.

 

[JohnNokomis]

I used Litchi with my Phantom 3 Standard and enjoyed using my $6 Walmart VR goggles along with my phone for flying in VR. With that though, phone was only WiFi connected to the controller (no usb cable). My question is how would you fly, using Litchi, FPV like that while having to deal with a cable plugged into the phone? Litchi might have a WiFi work-around but I haven't used the app in over a year. I broke my Phantom controller while installing an antenna upgrade a while ago.

 

[RogerDH]

Theoretically this is ofcourse possible. I guess it depends on what litchi does now for active track. Active track is simply an option in the DJI SDK, if they use this API call for the other DJI drones (I expect they do), they will surely not try to implement active track in their app only for the mini.
It would also not surprise me if the delay in getting the image from the drone, then processing it and then the delay in sending a command to the drone, would be too much to have it work properly.

Apparently Litchi Follow works on drones which don't support Active Track (e.g. Phantom 3) because it uses GPS tracking instead of visual tracking. It can track the device that's attached to the controller or a second device running the Litchi Magic Leash app. I expect that you're correct that it doesn't work as well as Active Track (especially on a slow phone), but judging by the YouTube samples, neither do any of the app-based trackers found on the Mini's competition and cheaper drone. I don't really plan to use it much myself, but I think most users will find it better than no tracking.

 

[Fraggle666]

My expectation too.

I haven't had much luck finding details, but I don't think Litchi necessarily has to support DJI Active Track(tm) to provide a "follow me" mode. It's possible to implement that entirely within an app that does its own object detection and course calculation. It just has to send ordinary flight commands to the drone.

 

[Mavic.ca]

From Litchi user guide:

Warning Because Litchi decodes the video, runs the algorithms to track the object and renders the video, all of this in real-time, a high performance mobile device is required. Be sure to close all background applications and screen recorders before using Track. Video lag will kill tracking.