China Swats Down American Drone Manufacturers.
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Dave Pitman
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Probably not.
In other related news, DJI has pulled all the enterprise drones from their storefront in the US. Obviously in response to the DJT's trade war. Lets see if they come back at likely double the price.
Adam Bry is getting what he wants by political means rather than innovation and execution.
Current DJI enterprise craft are now worth a whole lot more as well.
This is a shame. The crazy thing is even if everyone needing a new enterprise level drone tried to buy a Skydio X10, the supply from Skydio isn't even in the ballpark of what is needed.
I bought a Matrice 4E the day it came out because I felt like this would be the last DJI drone I would ever be able to get and also knowing that the trade war was going to heat up. The drone is flat out amazing. Watching it fly a 3D model mission 6 feet from the target building, navigating around cars, flagpoles, bollards and other obstacles was a sight to see.
Dave Pitman
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I stocked up as well. It's going to hurt public agencies, and the tax payers the most. Not only are the blue drone supplies not going to be enough. Their capability is not there. The only winners are the owners of the companies that now are not under pressure to improve and compete.
After seeing videos of China's modern advanced manufacturing "villages", the rest of the world is clearly behind and needs to change course. But it is has to involve a much, much better plan than just blanket tariffs. It's such a shame.
After seeing videos of China's modern advanced manufacturing "villages", the rest of the world is clearly behind and needs to change course. But it is has to involve a much, much better plan than just blanket tariffs. It's such a shame.
I bought a Skydio 2 but I don’t trust it 100 feet away and once they discontinued the recreation market, it’s hard to get parts and services for it!
Read an article that UK intelligence agencies expressed concerns about data leaks of Chinese drones used to fly over UK infrastructure by both private and public entities. We all know there are restrictions near military and prison sites.
But presumably these governmental and private entities otherwise would be able to use drones over such sites for checking for instance power infrastructure.
Do enterprise drones have the ability to transmit data directly to drone manufacturers? Do any non-military drones have the ability to send video and photo data over the internet?r
My Mavic 2 Pro can send video to the controller but can that data be directly sent to DJI or some potential hostile actor over the Internet without my knowing? I see that the DJI Go 4 app saves videos to the app but it seems mainly to put together a quick video of the flights which you could share online, without waiting to download the media from the microSD card and post-processing and editing the photos and videos.
Maybe these apps and controllers can leak this data back to DJI without the user knowing it?
Or are these security concerns entirely without merit, these Chinese drones and the apps can’t send data without the user choosing to send the data?
Let’s say the drones and apps did phone home back to China. We’re talking about millions of drones sending millions of photos and videos. How much of it will have security value. Recreational flights are not likely to fly over sites with security or strategic value.
Maybe some public agency is mapping or constructing 3D models of power lines, dams, maybe military installations.
Can they find needles in haystacks to find this media of national security value? Maybe AI goes through all this data collected by millions of consumers and organizations and secretly sent to China.
Whatever data they would get from these drones, will any of it be better than what they’d get from surveillance satellites. Or remember the balloons?
If it came to the point where China is sending missiles to target any Western country, it’s doubtful that imagery from consumer or enterprise drones will matter that much. They’re not going to be doing surgical strikes at targets captured from low-altitude drones. It won’t be about accuracy of strikes. Both countries will be firing everything they have against each other, trying to level each other.
But presumably these governmental and private entities otherwise would be able to use drones over such sites for checking for instance power infrastructure.
Do enterprise drones have the ability to transmit data directly to drone manufacturers? Do any non-military drones have the ability to send video and photo data over the internet?r
My Mavic 2 Pro can send video to the controller but can that data be directly sent to DJI or some potential hostile actor over the Internet without my knowing? I see that the DJI Go 4 app saves videos to the app but it seems mainly to put together a quick video of the flights which you could share online, without waiting to download the media from the microSD card and post-processing and editing the photos and videos.
Maybe these apps and controllers can leak this data back to DJI without the user knowing it?
Or are these security concerns entirely without merit, these Chinese drones and the apps can’t send data without the user choosing to send the data?
Let’s say the drones and apps did phone home back to China. We’re talking about millions of drones sending millions of photos and videos. How much of it will have security value. Recreational flights are not likely to fly over sites with security or strategic value.
Maybe some public agency is mapping or constructing 3D models of power lines, dams, maybe military installations.
Can they find needles in haystacks to find this media of national security value? Maybe AI goes through all this data collected by millions of consumers and organizations and secretly sent to China.
Whatever data they would get from these drones, will any of it be better than what they’d get from surveillance satellites. Or remember the balloons?
If it came to the point where China is sending missiles to target any Western country, it’s doubtful that imagery from consumer or enterprise drones will matter that much. They’re not going to be doing surgical strikes at targets captured from low-altitude drones. It won’t be about accuracy of strikes. Both countries will be firing everything they have against each other, trying to level each other.
spsphotos
Well-Known Member
The whole thing is unproven in concerns of DJI sharing data. DJI even gives the option of not sending data so to me it’s nothing but fear mongering till someone shows me proof otherwise. I don’t buy any of it on face value. Governments are not all that trustworthy no matter which.
To play Devil's advocate, what if DJI's "off" switch works in name only? What if you think it's disabled but it isn't?
Singularly, I don't care if DJI is receiving feeds of locations I fly or not. I do not fly anywhere restricted or anywhere that can't be seen on Google Earth. But if it is ever confirmed that they have the capability, I will start flying over Nancy Pilosi's house in the hopes of filming her sunbathing naked and watch for news of a sudden melt down of minds and equipment in China. Heck, maybe I'll even include a few shots of me to ensure total destruction.
spsphotos
Well-Known Member
You can't live life on "what if's". There are plenty of people with the technical know-how that could easily prove that it's not transmitting data. Unlike the governement who has YET to release ANY information to back up their claims. I am SO tired of unsubstantiated claims from our government. And drones is not the only thing.
No, but no one wants to admit or acknowledge that cell phones could be doing the same thing on a MUCH, MUCH larger scale.
Felix le Chat
Well-Known Member
Actually, I'll argue that it was completely dis-proven back in 2019. Plenty of independent corroboration from two Western hemisphere companies who are data security experts... one of which was true-blue American... the other British.
Felix le Chat
Well-Known Member
The data compiled and transmitted is picked up by Aeroscope and is position, UUID and telemetry (basically, RID data). Sending video or even still feed data would far exceed the bandwidth of more or less everyone's mobile phone plan and I seriously doubt that video intelligence of your backyard swimming pool or the local Walmart is likely to provide a credible target for a 'surgical strike'.
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Right but I was referring to an article about MI5 expressing concern about professionals using drones to systematically map some UK infrastructure. I suppose that might have more data than even the best spy satellite imagery.
But if such data were stolen, it wouldn't be from drone hardware or software. It would instead be the hacking of servers where highly-detailed drone imagery was stored. So it would be more a question of network or cyber security, not drone hardware/software security.
You can encrypt data saved on the Enterprise drones. You can fly without connection to the Internet. There is no need to upload your flights or save them on the DJI servers. Companies can separately download firmware updates and then sideload them onto the controllers and the drone from a computer not connected to the Internet.
I don't know what else DJI could do to secure your data away from prying eyes - not just China - but any group interested in your data - like hackers from North Korea or Russia.
To me, using the encryption option covers you in almost all cases.
As mentioned above, a couple of companies (Known in cyber security circles as being legit) tested several DJI drones that they purchased off the shelf, not DJI supplied ringers. They did not find anything near what is being accused.
Vic Moss's idea is one of the best ideas. Place a fee on DJI drones. Call it a tax, tariff, penalty whatever semantic term you need. Let DJI sell drones unmolested, remove the Customs nonsense. Take this money and subsudize American drone production to build the background infrastructure needed for US drones to compete and to build as many components in the US as possible.
After Ukraine's war ends, they will be a player in this. They produce an very lage part of their complex drone program in country. Think motors, ESC's FMU's and such.
There is a reasonable path here.
Vic Moss's idea is one of the best ideas. Place a fee on DJI drones. Call it a tax, tariff, penalty whatever semantic term you need. Let DJI sell drones unmolested, remove the Customs nonsense. Take this money and subsudize American drone production to build the background infrastructure needed for US drones to compete and to build as many components in the US as possible.
After Ukraine's war ends, they will be a player in this. They produce an very lage part of their complex drone program in country. Think motors, ESC's FMU's and such.
There is a reasonable path here.
Felix le Chat
Well-Known Member
Even in backwards old Blighty, engaging LDM and crippling WiFi & network access (airplane mode) shuts all DJI drones off in a closed loop, any data transfer to external platforms only occurs if someone chooses to synch their data with DJI (never done it... will never feel the need to).
But as with Uncle Sam's deliberate long-term blind-spot for seeing the blindingly obvious: I wouldn't expect different behaviour from domestic security services, who like the idea of being able to surveille everyone and everything.... but hate the idea that anyone else can own and operate a device capable of doing the same.
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