Avata out of control at launch (with video)

[Dangerly]

In this video, you can see that as soon as I hand launch the Avata, the altitude in the goggles starts increasing while the drone is actually descending. The drone is completely out of control right at launch. I pulled the Motion Controller 2 back and hit the trigger to prevent a crash. What is going on? It eventually recovers, but this same problem caused a crash before.
Anyone seen something like this before?

 

[mavic3usa]

Yes I've seen it once or twice. Mostly on launch. The avata is simply not happy and if you persist in lifting off....lessons learned. No idea what is happened but the launch just needs to be scrapped and you start over since obviously something is not right. I would never hand launch the avata because the avata is not steady.

 

[Droning on and on...]

It was not out of control, and the telemetry was working correctly.

First, the behavior: With a normal ground launch, the drone ascends a few feet under it's own control and then hovers. during this automated maneuver the MC is locked out and ignored, until the hover, so whatever orientation you're holding it will not affect the drone.

After it begins to hover, the MC is enabled, and the drone will then respond to MC movement. In the goggles this is indicated by the appearance of the navigation reticle/circle. Of course any odd orientation of the MC at this point will simply result in the aircraft yawning around and the camera gimbal going up and down, as you haven't pulled the trigger at all yet.

When you hand launch, there's no lockout on the MC. As soon as you pull the trigger to start moving and let go with your hand, you are flying, and if the MC is not perfectly level, you'll have a rough start as the drone seems to turn and go up or down depending on how the MC is oriented when you let go of the Avata.

Now, the telemetry. Watch your video again and note the red VPS AGL. it's updating constantly and showing the detected height above the ground while your holding the Avata with the motors started. What's NOT updating are the white height and distance numbers, because these are only active in flight. As soon as you let go and start to fly, the height number starts to climb to correct for the fact you aren't on the ground at launch, while the VPS value continues to accurately track your actual height above the ground.

The barometric-derived height doesn't instantly snap to the VPS height because the drone is trying to find out where to set 0 for the ground, and the actual launch height is varying from the get go. So it looks like a pretty quick iterative process it goes through to settle in on the Home Point altitude after a hand launch

try it again, but pay close attention to the MC orientation when you pull the trigger a little and let the aircraft go. BTW nothing in your launch looked out of control or crazy weird to me.

 

[Dangerly]

It was not out of control, and the telemetry was working correctly.

First, the behavior: With a normal ground launch, the drone ascends a few feet under it's own control and then hovers. during this automated maneuver the MC is locked out and ignored, until the hover, so whatever orientation you're holding it will not affect the drone.

After it begins to hover, the MC is enabled, and the drone will then respond to MC movement. In the goggles this is indicated by the appearance of the navigation reticle/circle. Of course any odd orientation of the MC at this point will simply result in the aircraft yawning around and the camera gimbal going up and down, as you haven't pulled the trigger at all yet.

When you hand launch, there's no lockout on the MC. As soon as you pull the trigger to start moving and let go with your hand, you are flying, and if the MC is not perfectly level, you'll have a rough start as the drone seems to turn and go up or down depending on how the MC is oriented when you let go of the Avata.

Now, the telemetry. Watch your video again and note the red VPS AGL. it's updating constantly and showing the detected height above the ground while your holding the Avata with the motors started. What's NOT updating are the white height and distance numbers, because these are only active in flight. As soon as you let go and start to fly, the height number starts to climb to correct for the fact you aren't on the ground at launch, while the VPS value continues to accurately track your actual height above the ground.

The barometric-derived height doesn't instantly snap to the VPS height because the drone is trying to find out where to set 0 for the ground, and the actual launch height is varying from the get go. So it looks like a pretty quick iterative process it goes through to settle in on the Home Point altitude after a hand launch

try it again, but pay close attention to the MC orientation when you pull the trigger a little and let the aircraft go. BTW nothing in your launch looked out of control or crazy weird to me.

Why do you think this only happened once, and doesn't happen all the other times I hand launch in what I think is the same way? Did I do something different with this hand launch that would trigger this behavior?

 

[Escape_Velocity_Coach]

It was not out of control, and the telemetry was working correctly.

First, the behavior: With a normal ground launch, the drone ascends a few feet under it's own control and then hovers. during this automated maneuver the MC is locked out and ignored, until the hover, so whatever orientation you're holding it will not affect the drone.

After it begins to hover, the MC is enabled, and the drone will then respond to MC movement. In the goggles this is indicated by the appearance of the navigation reticle/circle. Of course any odd orientation of the MC at this point will simply result in the aircraft yawning around and the camera gimbal going up and down, as you haven't pulled the trigger at all yet.

When you hand launch, there's no lockout on the MC. As soon as you pull the trigger to start moving and let go with your hand, you are flying, and if the MC is not perfectly level, you'll have a rough start as the drone seems to turn and go up or down depending on how the MC is oriented when you let go of the Avata.

Now, the telemetry. Watch your video again and note the red VPS AGL. it's updating constantly and showing the detected height above the ground while your holding the Avata with the motors started. What's NOT updating are the white height and distance numbers, because these are only active in flight. As soon as you let go and start to fly, the height number starts to climb to correct for the fact you aren't on the ground at launch, while the VPS value continues to accurately track your actual height above the ground.

The barometric-derived height doesn't instantly snap to the VPS height because the drone is trying to find out where to set 0 for the ground, and the actual launch height is varying from the get go. So it looks like a pretty quick iterative process it goes through to settle in on the Home Point altitude after a hand launch

try it again, but pay close attention to the MC orientation when you pull the trigger a little and let the aircraft go. BTW nothing in your launch looked out of control or crazy weird to me.

Thanks for this description. I have not / do not think I will attempt a hand launch with my Avata but this was truly informative.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Why do you think this only happened once, and doesn't happen all the other times I hand launch in what I think is the same way? Did I do something different with this hand launch that would trigger this behavior?

I'd guess, having only the video you provided, that you weren't paying close attention to the controller orientation when you pressed the trigger and let go of the drone.

I don't see anything wild or surprising in the video. The nav reticle appears immediately when you let go, it indicates what you're doing with the MC and it moves up and down an around which is your control input moving the MC, and the Avata looks like it's following as expected.

Try it a few more times but being very conscious of the MC orientation. Also, watch the telemetry, it will act the same way again.

 

[Lets Fly]

In this video, you can see that as soon as I hand launch the Avata, the altitude in the goggles starts increasing while the drone is actually descending. The drone is completely out of control right at launch. I pulled the Motion Controller 2 back and hit the trigger to prevent a crash. What is going on? It eventually recovers, but this same problem caused a crash before.
Anyone seen something like this before?

Dangerly, hand that back over to the 81 year old. Ha Ha.