Altitude height and rolling terrain

[Tomcc]

If the altitude height for the drone is set to 30m and the terrain has steep vertical drops up to 15m will the drone dip down to follow the terrain if set in an automated flight? Can you set it to maintain a preset altitude

 

[BigAl07]

The Altitude of the aircraft is set at the Home Point and everything is derived from that. It does not know how far it is to the ground (technically it does to some degree but not in this sense) and all altitudes are in reference to "0'" at the takeoff point.

 

[Meta4]

If the altitude height for the drone is set to 30m and the terrain has steep vertical drops up to 15m will the drone dip down to follow the terrain if set in an automated flight?

Birds and planes don't dip down to follow the terrain.
Neither will your drone.

Can you set it to maintain a preset altitude

Yes ... but only with respect to the home point which equals zero height.
And you don't have to set this, it's just how it flies.

 

[Moose1967]

Only time it will follow the contour of the land is in active track - ie. following you while you drive a bike

 

[PAW]

Only time it will follow the contour of the land is in active track - ie. following you while you drive a bike

I've never been able to get the DJI GO 4 Active Track to do that, how do you do it? I've heard Lichti can, but not Active Track. In fact, I've had a number of near misses because of the inability of Active Track to do terrain following.

 

[Moose1967]

There is a spot I can test mine with very few trees I will do a video

 

[bliksem]

There is terrain follow mode, but it will only increase altitude to avoid ground collusion, but it will not decrease altitude.

 

[PAW]

There is terrain follow mode, but it will only increase altitude to avoid ground collusion, but it will not decrease altitude.

Apparently not on my Mavic 2.

AT in several of the other drone models includes a choice for Terrain Follow mode. Checking the DJI forums there is a lot of back and forth on this. Some saying the new AT 2.0 includes TF, others from the DJI moderators saying at this time it does not for M2s...

At any rate, if AT 2.0 on the M2 does include Terrain Follow, it doesn't work for me, going up or down a hill. I have to continually raise the drone while it is in AT Trace mode as I ascend a hill.

I believe APAS does not function when in any of the Intelligent Flight Modes and the downward sensing system's detectable range is 11–22 m. Which should keep you from hitting the ground, but not adjusting to terrain when in AT at altitude.

Confusing...

 

[Jet skier]

What happens when you drive your drone in a straight line at one altitude and the land gradually rises in its path

 

[PAW]

What happens when you drive your drone in a straight line at one altitude and the land gradually rises in its path

 

[Kilrah]

What happens when you drive your drone in a straight line at one altitude and the land gradually rises in its path

When flying manually? It hits the terrain (or hopefully stops before it if you have collision avoidance on and it operates correctly).

 

[PAW]

When flying manually? It hits the terrain (or hopefully stops before it if you have collision avoidance on and it operates correctly).

Correct. The diagram indicates what happens in AT. The downward avoidance is not as important to me as the safety margin that I had originally set to be well above the trees has gradually disappeared.

 

[Jet skier]

When flying manually? It hits the terrain (or hopefully stops before it if you have collision avoidance on and it operates correctly).

Do you think apas would enable it to gradually rise with the terrain Thank you by the way

 

[PAW]

Do you think apas would enable it to gradually rise with the terrain Thank you by the way

Yes, but my understanding of it is that it only operates near the ground. What I'd like is the ability for the M2P to stay 60 feet AGL,,, which it can't do.

 

[Moose1967]

I've never been able to get the DJI GO 4 Active Track to do that, how do you do it? I've heard Lichti can, but not Active Track. In fact, I've had a number of near misses because of the inability of Active Track to do terrain following.

Yup tested AT on my MP today - no go - drone height did not increase when I increased my height - dang guess I misunderstood active track video - I am going to find that YouTube video and add it at the end of this thread.

 

[Moose1967]

Here is the video I was referring to - you see the height increasing and decreasing:

Active track works in certain ways I have noticed - in this video you see the small dot as well as the square - that dot seems to be locked on him - if this happens I guess it will change elevation - when I tried it today I didn’t see that dot but had the square - so I need to do more testing - I tried to have the drone follow my truck up the hill. Going to test it on me.

 

[Gorm]

Very impressive, thanks for the info.

 

[PAW]

Here is the video I was referring to - you see the height increasing and decreasing:

Active track works in certain ways I have noticed - in this video you see the small dot as well as the square - that dot seems to be locked on him - if this happens I guess it will change elevation - when I tried it today I didn’t see that dot but had the square - so I need to do more testing - I tried to have the drone follow my truck up the hill. Going to test it on me.

I believe he's using a Mavic Pro in the video. According to the moderator in the DJI Forum, "The terrain follow mode is currently available in our DJI Mavic Pro only." As you said, my M2P AT screen is not the same as his.

 

[tcope]

Yup tested AT on my MP today - no go - drone height did not increase when I increased my height - dang guess I misunderstood active track video - I am going to find that YouTube video and add it at the end of this thread.

The MP _will_ increase and decrease altitude in AT mode. Cannot comment on the M2P though. However, it needs to be at or under 30' so that the downward sensors are operating.

 

[Moose1967]

The MP _will_ increase and decrease altitude in AT mode. Cannot comment on the M2P though. However, it needs to be at or under 30' so that the downward sensors are operating.

YA I was up about 30 meters with my MP as there were a few tall spruce I was worried about - might have something to do with that. I a man gonna try it again this time walking the hill up and down - the closer the better so AT can not lose ya