Autopilot Orbit Shakiness

[NoblenNutria]

The DJI App does an orbit but it is limited because I have to be at least 5 meters above the ground and I can’t focus on a specific POI; so if I don’t have the gimbal pitching set perfectly the people wobble around in the frame.

Autopilot solves some of these problems. I can orbit at 5 feet above the ground and I can set it to focus on a point of interest. The problem is that Autopilot is not good at staying focused on the point of interest. I have included a video. It is more apparent if you scrub through quickly. The point of interest is on us but we wobble around in the frame.

There is another problem. The movement of the drone is not smooth. It jerks around in the air.

 

[NoblenNutria]

This is the video

 

[NoblenNutria]

You can see how we start on frame left and end up on frame right.

 

[BD0G]

I remember reading that if one initiates an orbit using the DJI Go automated intelligent flight mode above 5 meters and then pull the left stick down to decrease altitude while orbiting then one can fly an orbit below the 5 meter height.

It may be worth a try . Report back with your results.

 

[brett8883]

This is the video

Does the aircraft seem to stay on its orbit path and it’s just the direction of the drone or camera that isn’t centered? Or is it drifting?

Also be sure to always set your user level at advanced or Autopilot will make decisions for you and not give you the options you really need.

In orbit there are several “focus strategies” and none are available in basic user mode. You could try a couple and see which one works best. I’d try either “subject” and then “center” or “pattern.” Pattern is kinda like active track but you have to use two fingers to outline the subject so try standing in the middle with your partner and use two fingers to make a box around yourselves. The motion is a lot like “zoom in” on your device(fingers together and then separate them) to select the active track subject.

Auto-Pilot is a powerful tool but vastly different from any other app for DJI drones. You can’t really assume something will work the way you think it will until you try it. You get the impression that whoever built auto-pilot hated DJI Go and went out of their way to make it as different as possible. For better or worse.

There’s also a setting in the main settings of auto pilot that is called “yaw enabled if available.” Try turning that off or another setting called heading if gimbal yaw enabled(which only works if “yaw enabled if available” is turned on) basically these settings have to do with making directions relative to the heading of the aircraft or the gimbals direction.

I sometimes find the way these settings sound is different then what I assume they mean based on their name so you have to kinda guess and test.

 

[brett8883]

It’s a cool video btw! You guys are very talented

 

[brett8883]

Oh another “focus strategy” to try is “touch.”

With touch use two fingers to tap on a location on the screen. I believe this uses the DJI pixel to coordinate system (which is what TapFly uses). But instead of Flying the drone to that location it fixes the camera on that location.

It’s like “pattern” or active track but isn’t tracking an object it’s tracking a coordinate so if you move it won’t follow you but can sometimes be more reliable then active track especially if your body movement confuses the sensor into thinking you are no longer it’s target.

 

[NoblenNutria]

Does the aircraft seem to stay on its orbit path and it’s just the direction of the drone or camera that isn’t centered? Or is it drifting?

Also be sure to always set your user level at advanced or Autopilot will make decisions for you and not give you the options you really need.

In orbit there are several “focus strategies” and none are available in basic user mode. You could try a couple and see which one works best. I’d try either “subject” and then “center” or “pattern.” Pattern is kinda like active track but you have to use two fingers to outline the subject so try standing in the middle with your partner and use two fingers to make a box around yourselves. The motion is a lot like “zoom in” on your device(fingers together and then separate them) to select the active track subject.

Auto-Pilot is a powerful tool but vastly different from any other app for DJI drones. You can’t really assume something will work the way you think it will until you try it. You get the impression that whoever built auto-pilot hated DJI Go and went out of their way to make it as different as possible. For better or worse.

There’s also a setting in the main settings of auto pilot that is called “yaw enabled if available.” Try turning that off or another setting called heading if gimbal yaw enabled(which only works if “yaw enabled if available” is turned on) basically these settings have to do with making directions relative to the heading of the aircraft or the gimbals direction.

I sometimes find the way these settings sound is different then what I assume they mean based on their name so you have to kinda guess and test.

 

[NoblenNutria]

Okay We just did some tests. The way that worked best was
center-poi
Focus strategy-subject
Subject- center

It still did not work perfectly. The point of interest is always about 10 feet too far screen right. I can fix this by zooming in in post but I wish this would work the way it is supposed to. I medaled with the gimbal yaw settings and did not see any difference. The gimbal on a mavic air cannot yaw. Wouldn’t all these settings do the same thing, which is nothing? Under “camera on engage” there is a “focus”option. What is this for. I turned it in once but it didn’t do anything.

I have tried making “operator” the center but this didn’t work. The ability of the drone to track the location of the controller seems to have a wide margin or error. My location on the map jumps around and the drone never points directly at me. It works okay when the drone is far away from me but it is not accurate enough for close up, which is what I want.

could you try this and see if you can get your MA to focus perfectly in n the middle? Do you think a mavic pro would do any better?

someone asked me if I could lower the altitude with the DJI app but it does not lower below 17 feet.

 

[BD0G]

I was the one that suggested starting the orbit with DJI Go "Orbit" mode and then lowering it . I guess that does not work after all. I tried.

 

[NoblenNutria]

I was the one that suggested starting the orbit with DJI Go "Orbit" mode and then lowering it . I guess that does not work after all. I tried.

I am starting to think that the only way to make the drone do what I want is if I am on some kind of raised platform, then I can use the DJI app. Autopilot let’s me orbit at a low height but it is really bad at keeping the subject in the center.

 

[brett8883]

Okay We just did some tests. The way that worked best was
center-poi
Focus strategy-subject
Subject- center

It still did not work perfectly. The point of interest is always about 10 feet too far screen right. I can fix this by zooming in in post but I wish this would work the way it is supposed to. I medaled with the gimbal yaw settings and did not see any difference. The gimbal on a mavic air cannot yaw. Wouldn’t all these settings do the same thing, which is nothing? Under “camera on engage” there is a “focus”option. What is this for. I turned it in once but it didn’t do anything.

I have tried making “operator” the center but this didn’t work. The ability of the drone to track the location of the controller seems to have a wide margin or error. My location on the map jumps around and the drone never points directly at me. It works okay when the drone is far away from me but it is not accurate enough for close up, which is what I want.

could you try this and see if you can get your MA to focus perfectly in n the middle? Do you think a mavic pro would do any better?

someone asked me if I could lower the altitude with the DJI app but it does not lower below 17 feet.

Ahh I forgot the MA doesn’t have a gimbal that can yaw. Sorry bout that.

Auto-pilot on my Mavic Pro does keep a subject in focus.

Try this. Make an auto pilot waypoint mission. You can use the little draw tool to draw a circle (doesn’t need to be a good one or even close) and then it will ask you what shape it should make the waypoint mission into and choose circle. Then make a long tap on the screen anywhere to make a green focus subject then drag that into the middle of the circle.

Auto-pilot has a lot of waypoint options and below are the ones I think to try first.



I think having a coordinate instead of a realitive angle is what you need for focus subject so I think this will help.

 

[brett8883]

 

[NoblenNutria]

I will try this ASAP! Thanks

 

[NoblenNutria]

I tried it a little and there was some improvement. Will try more tomorrow. Hey what is “camera on engage”.

 

[Keule]

what is “camera on engage”

The camera will start immediately after the engage countdown is zero (The mission starts)

 

[NoblenNutria]

Sorry I meant what is “focus on engage”. This might be focus as in not blurry; for drones which can actually pull focus. My MA has deep focus, everything is always in focus.

 

[Keule]

I meant what is “focus on engage”.

Autopilot will focus the camera using auto-focus at the center of the sensor (if available).

Source: Flight School - Hangar

 

[brett8883]

Okay We just did some tests. The way that worked best was
center-poi
Focus strategy-subject
Subject- center

It still did not work perfectly. The point of interest is always about 10 feet too far screen right. I can fix this by zooming in in post but I wish this would work the way it is supposed to. I medaled with the gimbal yaw settings and did not see any difference. The gimbal on a mavic air cannot yaw. Wouldn’t all these settings do the same thing, which is nothing? Under “camera on engage” there is a “focus”option. What is this for. I turned it in once but it didn’t do anything.

I have tried making “operator” the center but this didn’t work. The ability of the drone to track the location of the controller seems to have a wide margin or error. My location on the map jumps around and the drone never points directly at me. It works okay when the drone is far away from me but it is not accurate enough for close up, which is what I want.

could you try this and see if you can get your MA to focus perfectly in n the middle? Do you think a mavic pro would do any better?

someone asked me if I could lower the altitude with the DJI app but it does not lower below 17 feet.

Ahh I forgot the MA doesn’t have a gimbal that can yaw. Sorry bout that. Auto-pilot on my Mavic Pro does keep the center in camera very well.

Autopilot will focus the camera using auto-focus at the center of the sensor (if available).

Source: Flight School - Hangar

I thought it meant it would start the focus strategy in engage. Lol I guess there’s always new things to learn

 

[Gordo.]

It appears you are not very bothered about the height.. why not get someone to walk..with the camera.?