Crash during active track - why?

[quirom]

As the flag disappeared behind the other flag, its image became smalle. Could the drone have misinterpreted that as moving away, and it was trying to follow?

yeah one guy pointed it out. This has been the best explanation for me so far. I was lucky that Ostacle Avoidance kicked in so that the mavic avoided hitting the metallic column.

 

[Moose1967]

Nice clip actually! What is the fastest way to stop active track if there is a problem? When my mavic approached the flag, I pulled back the right stick, no help at all. I guess using pause button on controller?

I guess the x on the screen - too bad a button underneath couldnt be used to stop it - be the quickest way to stop without having to move your hands - every second counts

 

[Dan C]

I was doing left yaw, with the french flag as an active track target. Anyone knows why?
Thank you.
Edited: please look at the clip in post #3, sorry about that.

You were not doing left yaw, you were doing a left strafe. That means (assuming default settings), you were manipulating the right joystick to the left.

I submit to you that you inadvertently applied a little forward pressure on that stick, and caused the forward motion.

 

[quirom]

You were not doing left yaw, you were doing a left strafe. That means (assuming default settings), you were manipulating the right joystick to the left.

I submit to you that you inadvertently applied a little forward pressure on that stick, and caused the forward motion.

You are right, I was moving the right stick to the left. I never did it forward though (I am not that stupid), the AC went ahead itself. I even responded quickly by pulling right stick back, no result.

 

[Olav van Gerven]

It s a little bit diffcult for me to describe, but I found out following using "Spotlight - mode" on my MA:

I moved away from the subject (it was me, testing this) and then let the MA hover. Then I walked down the road, stopped and wanted to MA to come closer again. Now, since I moved, the MA had made an automatic yaw to keep me in the focus. Exactly as it was supposed to do. Now I took limited control, using the right stick to pull the drone to me. The move I expected was "forward" but it went mor in a sidewards move. But it was forwards in relation to the original direction the drone was positioned in as I started "spotlight". Then I tried the moves carefully and found out, that the moves were always in relation to the original direction the MA was pointing at as I started the spotlight.

Could it be, that in your case, the direction of the drone in realtion to the moment you started AT had changed and therefore, as you made a manual move, the direction was not exactly the way you expected it to be?

I can get the footage of my experiment later that day online, if wished, so you can see what happened.

 

[quirom]

It s a little bit diffcult for me to describe, but I found out following using "Spotlight - mode" on my MA:

I moved away from the subject (it was me, testing this) and then let the MA hover. Then I walked down the road, stopped and wanted to MA to come closer again. Now, since I moved, the MA had made an automatic yaw to keep me in the focus. Exactly as it was supposed to do. Now I took limited control, using the right stick to pull the drone to me. The move I expected was "forward" but it went mor in a sidewards move. But it was forwards in relation to the original direction the drone was positioned in as I started "spotlight". Then I tried the moves carefully and found out, that the moves were always in relation to the original direction the MA was pointing at as I started the spotlight.

Could it be, that in your case, the direction of the drone in realtion to the moment you started AT had changed and therefore, as you made a manual move, the direction was not exactly the way you expected it to be?

I can get the footage of my experiment later that day online, if wished, so you can see what happened.

I understand what you are trying to explain. Regarding to your theory, my mavic would move far away from the flag though.
"Target a subject, yaw to circle it for an easy orbit move" has been my favorite lazy move. From now I have to think twice before doing that move.

 

[Dan C]

You are right, I was moving the right stick to the left. I never did it forward though (I am not that stupid), the AC went ahead itself. I even responded quickly by pulling right stick back, no result.

Nothing to do with stupidity; it's a very easy mistake to make.

So much so, I'm considering changing my controls so that forward/back and yaw are together on the right joystick. Using the left stick to yaw, while trying to carefully hold a mid-range speed, and not inadvertently command a change in altitude takes a lot of focus.

But I believe you; the motion forward did seem rather aggressive for a small, accidental input.

 

[quirom]

I checked flight record on DJI GO app, no forward input before the accident at all. And to be clear, forward/backward and yaw are always in the right stick (mode 2), no?

 

[Dan C]

I checked flight record on DJI GO app, no forward input before the accident at all. And to be clear, forward/backward and yaw are always in the right stick (mode 2), no?

Well, it's configurable. But to be sure we are clear on terms...

If you play video games, you'll be familiar with the WASD movement commands. W is move forward, S is move backward.

A is strafe left, D is strafe right. Strafe means to slide in that direction without changing the direction you are facing.

Your mouse... slide left will yaw left, slide right will yaw right. Yaw changes the direction you are facing.

In your scenario, you are controlling strafing (to the left), while Active Track is controlling yaw (turning your facing or orientation towards to right to keep the flag in view).

I think you are confusing yaw and strafe.

 

[BossBob]

I checked flight record on DJI GO app, no forward input before the accident at all. And to be clear, forward/backward and yaw are always in the right stick (mode 2), no?

In mode 2 the right stick mimics the cyclic stick for a rotary winged aircraft (helicopter). The left and right movement moves the aircraft left and right without altering the aircrafts heading.
The left stick combines throttle and collective in the forward and backward movement and rudder in the left/right movement.
So, the right stick controls horizontal movement, the left stick, vertical movement and the direction the aircraft is pointing.

 

[quirom]

Well, it's configurable. But to be sure we are clear on terms...

If you play video games, you'll be familiar with the WASD movement commands. W is move forward, S is move backward.

A is strafe left, D is strafe right. Strafe means to slide in that direction without changing the direction you are facing.

Your mouse... slide left will yaw left, slide right will yaw right. Yaw changes the direction you are facing.

In your scenario, you are controlling strafing (to the left), while Active Track is controlling yaw (turning your facing or orientation towards to right to keep the flag in view).

I think you are confusing yaw and strafe.

**** right, I was confusing between the words.

 

[old man mavic]

this reply is in no context meant to be a criticism of the OP but personally i think it is better to learn to fly my Mavic manually i know that the auto features are very entertaining and can be fun ,but i read so many posts where others have crashed their drones when in such modes, i think some forward planning needs to be done before they are used, such as terrain,obstacles,wind speed and direction and can the required auto flight be down safely that is just my opinion

 

[Dan C]

this reply is in no context meant to be a criticism of the OP but personally i think it is better to learn to fly my Mavic manually i know that the auto features are very entertaining and can be fun ,but i read so many posts where others have crashed their drones when in such modes, i think some forward planning needs to be done before they are used, such as terrain,obstacles,wind speed and direction and can the required auto flight be down safely that is just my opinion

There is something to be said for that.

My first (and so far, only) crash was using Trace mode in Active Track. There's that slider on the bottom.

I was like, "What's this do?". Z-z-z-i-i-i-n-n-n-g-g-g-!!!! CRASH!

"Oh." ?


Seriously though... In my humble opinion, Trace mode is good for only two things.

Following you from behind (Despite what "Vincent" tells you in the video, it won't lead), and the Orbit function I referred to above, where it flies around and around you.

Otherwise, I'd forget it. Profile mode is much more functional. Again, IMHO.

Spotlight mode can be quite useful, though.

 

[Kazzaaz]

**** right, I was confusing between the words.

and if you really want to be pedantic about it
in aviation it's called roll

 

[Dan C]

and if you really want to be pedantic about it
in aviation it's called roll

Oh dear. I know what you are thinking, but, you did say you were being pedantic, so...

[pedantic]
If you push a pin through your drone horizontally from nose to tail, and move the craft about that axis, you will have roll, or bank.

If you push a pin horizontally through the sides of your drone (through where wings would be on a plane), and move the aircraft about that axis, you have pitch.

If you push a pin vertically through the center of your drone, and move the aircraft about that axis, you have yaw.

Strafing is a maneuver, not an axial movement. You request movement to one side or the other, and the drone will perform that request by banking in the direction of desired movement, and increasing collective. It is a complex function. If you were in a helicopter, you'd also have to apply appropriate rudder to stop the aircraft from yawing in the direction opposite the rotation of the rotor.

Your drone will pitch forward or back to perform your request for forward or backward movement, and it will roll/bank to perform your request for a strafing movement. It will also adjust power (collective) to maintain its present altitude. But you are not commanding a axial movement. You are commanding movement in a horizontal plane; the drone decides how much pitch and/or roll and power to apply. It'll also use these axial movements and power uncommanded in order to hold a position in a breeze.

And when you command an altitude change, it is merely an increase or decrease in power to the propellers in response to your request.

Truly, the only axis you control directly is yaw; turning the craft around that vertical axis to change your facing. That's it. Everything else the drone interprets and controls.

On a standard configured controller, the right joystick controls forward/back, and left/right strafe. The drone controls the power and axes.
[/pedantic]

 

[Kazzaaz]

Oh dear. I know what you are thinking, but, you did say you were being pedantic, so...

[pedantic]
If you push a pin through your drone horizontally from nose to tail, and move the craft about that axis, you will have roll, or bank.

If you push a pin horizontally through the sides of your drone (through where wings would be on a plane), and move the aircraft about that axis, you have pitch.

If you push a pin vertically through the center of your drone, and move the aircraft about that axis, you have yaw.

Strafing is a maneuver, not an axial movement. You request movement to one side or the other, and the drone will perform that request by banking in the direction of desired movement, and increasing collective. It is a complex function. If you were in a helicopter, you'd also have to apply appropriate rudder to stop the aircraft from yawing in the direction opposite the rotation of the rotor.

Your drone will pitch forward or back to perform your request for forward or backward movement, and it will roll/bank to perform your request for a strafing movement. It will also adjust power (collective) to maintain its present altitude. But you are not commanding a axial movement. You are commanding movement in a horizontal plane; the drone decides how much pitch and/or roll and power to apply. It'll also use these axial movements and power uncommanded in order to hold a position in a breeze.

And when you command an altitude change, it is merely an increase or decrease in power to the propellers in response to your request.

Truly, the only axis you control directly is yaw; turning the craft around that vertical axis to change your facing. That's it. Everything else the drone interprets and controls.

On a standard configured controller, the right joystick controls forward/back, and left/right strafe. The drone controls the power and axes.
[/pedantic]

**** you're right

out-pedanted