Does DJI have the capability to deactivate a drone?

[svenmarbles]

I’m in a Facebook group where a debate is going on. It’s centered around the purpose for DJI needing the unit back in the event of a DJI Refresh claim and why it’s necessary..

It’s being contended by one user that DJI has the capability to disable a drone by serial number. Is this reality?

So in the event of a theft or something like that, is it possible to contact DJI and have them disable the drone?

 

[sar104]

No.

 

[Keeks2915]

No.

How do the plan to handle the thousands of drones that wont follow all the new regulations? I’m quite confident with any new firmwear updates they will easily be able to brick drones that aren’t in compliance. If they can prevent drones from taking off now in various zones, they certainly can use software to ground any drone. Otherwise how can anyone actually enforce the new rules that are coming?

 

[sar104]

How do the plan to handle the thousands of drones that wont follow all the new regulations? I’m quite confident with any new firmwear updates they will easily be able to brick drones that aren’t in compliance. If they can prevent drones from taking off now in various zones, they certainly can use software to ground any drone. Otherwise how can anyone actually enforce the new rules that are coming?

The same way that DJI handles all the drones breaking the law now - they don't do anything because they are not law enforcement.

 

[Keeks2915]

The same way that DJI handles all the drones break the law now - they don't do anything because they are not law enforcement.

Which sets up the obvious follow up question. How exactly would law enforcement ever contemplate finding and shutting down any drone operators out in the boonies doing whatever they want with their drones?
Unless technology is implemented bricking all non complying drones then there will never be a way to put the genie in the bottle.
Someone who spends $2k on a drone then has no real reason to comply with rules they don’t believe in.
It is like emission controls on cars. Nothing will ever stop guys from pulling CATS and running exhaust cut outs etc.
So I don’t really see how everyone is so worried about these new regulations coming etc.
They will be unenforceable unless Barnie Fife is going to hang out in Podunk County watching for some Boomers taking pictures of sunsets and windmills.
I think the only drone operators who need to worry are the ones doing things in populated areas for money.
All the other rural hobbyists will never see a cop who would care enough to intervene.

 

[sar104]

Which sets up the obvious follow up question. How exactly would law enforcement ever contemplate finding and shutting down any drone operators out in the boonies doing whatever they want with their drones?
Unless technology is implemented bricking all non complying drones then there will never be a way to put the genie in the bottle.
Someone who spends $2k on a drone then has no real reason to comply with rules they don’t believe in.
It is like emission controls on cars. Nothing will ever stop guys from pulling CATS and running exhaust cut outs etc.
So I don’t really see how everyone is so worried about these new regulations coming etc.
They will be unenforceable unless Barnie Fife is going to hang out in Podunk County watching for some Boomers taking pictures of sunsets and windmills.
I think the only drone operators who need to worry are the ones doing things in populated areas for money.
All the other rural hobbyists will never see a cop who would care enough to intervene.

Under current regulations and implementation you are correct. Accidents or reports are the only way you are likely to get caught. Under the new proposals, with drones broadcasting ID and telemetry, it will become easier to detect and apprehend pilots breaking the law.

 

[FASTFJR]

I’m in a Facebook group where a debate is going on. It’s centered around the purpose for DJI needing the unit back in the event of a DJI Refresh claim and why it’s necessary..

It’s being contended by one user that DJI has the capability to disable a drone by serial number. Is this reality?

So in the event of a theft or something like that, is it possible to contact DJI and have them disable the drone?

Think about it. None of their drones transmit any information while we are flying, that we know of. Thats assuming none of us are flying wifi. I can see DJI or any other manufacturer installing software / hardware to be able to shut the drone down or lock us out. ( Mod Removed Langage)I've been locked out of my Phantom when a FW update went sideways LOL

 

[Keeks2915]

Under current regulations and implementation you are correct. Accidents or reports are the only way you are likely to get caught. Under the new proposals, with drones broadcasting ID and telemetry, it will become easier to detect and apprehend pilots breaking the law.

So who would voluntarily add these broadcast ID and telemetry technologies to their existing drones or ever buy a new drone with this built in?
I think the overwhelmingly majority of current drone users don’t agree with the new proposals and it will fail as there will be mass non compliance.. people will just treat it like speeding.....unless you are asking for it you will rarely if ever get caught.

 

[sar104]

So who would voluntarily add these broadcast ID and telemetry technologies to their existing drones or ever buy a new drone with this built in?
I think the overwhelmingly majority of current drone users don’t agree with the new proposals and it will fail as there will be mass non compliance.. people will just treat it like speeding.....unless you are asking for it you will rarely if ever get caught.

Any company wanting to sell drones in the US will be required to add that broadcast to their products. Who will buy them? Anyone who wants to fly drones and isn't obsessed with being able to break the law with impunity.

 

[sar104]

Think about it. None of their drones transmit any information while we are flying, that we know of.

Of course they do - that's how the telemetry gets to the controller. And it's how Aeroscope tracking works.

Thats assuming none of us are flying wifi. I can see DJI or any other manufacturer installing software / hardware to be able to shut the drone down or lock us out. ( Mod Removed Langage), I've been locked out of my Phantom when a FW update went sideways LOL

They could, but they haven't, and why would they?

 

[Keeks2915]

Any company wanting to sell drones in the US will be required to add that broadcast to their products. Who will buy them? Anyone who wants to fly drones and isn't obsessed with being able to break the law with impunity.

I agree 100 %. There will be segment that will buy them to be legit. And there will also be a huge segment of people who will never follow the new requirements
I’m not sure I would classify it as “obsessed with breaking the law with impunity” as entirely accurate.
Would you describe people who constantly drive 15MPH over the speed limit as “obsessed with breaking the law with impunity”. They are breaking the law and accept the risk of a ticket.
I would suggest that 95 % of people technically speed very time they drive.
It is obviously not an apples to oranges comparison but I would suggest speeding does directly result in many deaths every year as a result of people willing breaking the law. How many people are going to die because someone is ripping their drone without telemetry and ID out in the boonies?
The new laws will stop all the idiots in cities and built up areas doing stupid stuff, But it will always be the Wild West out in the rural areas.

 

[sar104]

I agree 100 %. There will be segment that will buy them to be legit. And there will also be a huge segment of people who will never follow the new requirements
I’m not sure I would classify it as “obsessed with breaking the law with impunity” as entirely accurate.
Would you describe people who constantly drive 15MPH over the speed limit as “obsessed with breaking the law with impunity”. They are breaking the law and accept the risk of a ticket.
I would suggest that 95 % of people technically speed very time they drive.
It is obviously not an apples to oranges comparison but I would suggest speeding does directly result in many deaths every year as a result of people willing breaking the law. How many people are going to die because someone is ripping their drone without telemetry and ID out in the boonies?
The new laws will stop all the idiots in cities and built up areas doing stupid stuff, But it will always be the Wild West out in the rural areas.

Driving a little over the speed limit is more equivalent to flying a bit beyond VLOS. Flying non-compliant drones would equate more with driving while disqualified. If people want to do either of those things and risk the penalties then fine. Unless someone were totally ignorant of the law, which you are not, then those would definitely count as wanting to break the law with impunity in my opinion.

Anyway, I'm really not interested in debating every non sequitur and false comparison that gets incessantly repeated on this issue, so I'll leave it at that.

 

[Keeks2915]

Driving a little over the speed limit is more equivalent to flying a bit beyond VLOS. Flying non-compliant drones would equate more with driving while disqualified. If people want to do either of those things and risk the penalties then fine. Unless someone were totally ignorant of the law, which you are not, then those would definitely count as wanting to break the law with impunity in my opinion.

Anyway, I'm really not interested in debating every non sequitur and false comparison that gets incessantly repeated on this issue, so I'll leave it at that.

I agree... happy flying....??

 

[Deleted member 93449]

There are millions of drones in the U.S., and probably the parts available for DIY builders to build thousands more, that don't/won't comply with the FAA rules. My thinking is the FAA and LE are not going to devote a ton of resources to track down drones flown out in the boondocks that don't have the appropriate ID. More likely they will focus on violations that infringe on controlled airspace within airport traffic areas. Up until now finding those has been a challenge. It seems to me most violators get caught because they posted videos of the infraction on YouTube.

I'm not all that familiar with DJI's Geofencing but I don't see anything that prevents them from expanding or reducing NFZs via a software update. If that is the case they theoretically could "brick" any drone via an update.

 

[Deleted member 93449]

I agree 100 %. There will be segment that will buy them to be legit. And there will also be a huge segment of people who will never follow the new requirements
I’m not sure I would classify it as “obsessed with breaking the law with impunity” as entirely accurate.
Would you describe people who constantly drive 15MPH over the speed limit as “obsessed with breaking the law with impunity”. They are breaking the law and accept the risk of a ticket.
I would suggest that 95 % of people technically speed very time they drive.
It is obviously not an apples to oranges comparison but I would suggest speeding does directly result in many deaths every year as a result of people willing breaking the law. How many people are going to die because someone is ripping their drone without telemetry and ID out in the boonies?
The new laws will stop all the idiots in cities and built up areas doing stupid stuff, But it will always be the Wild West out in the rural areas.

Some laws are made to be broken. But if you break them be prepared to deal with the consequences if you get caught. Laws should be founded on facts and logical reasoning that comes out of an understanding of those facts. People are more incline to obey a law if the underlying facts and reasoning behind the creation of the law make sense. Yes, you will always have the rebels that no matter what are going to violate the law. Then there is the "well everyone else is doing it" like speed limits that no one strictly obeys. But you also have the laws that make absolutely no sense.

Regarding this NPRM, the critical question will be what to do with the thousands of dollars of drones an individual might have that don't meet the compliance requirements. Do they now become expensive bricks or do you continue to fly in places that are technically off limits but where the chances of interfering with other aircraft are slim to none? Depending on the circumstance some people will classify this under the heading of regulations that aren't supported by fact, logic or reason.

 

[barrybcar]

Currently there are unlocking keys available for minimal $$$ that work. Nothing’s going to change.

 

[Deleted member 109934]

So who would voluntarily add these broadcast ID and telemetry technologies to their existing drones or ever buy a new drone with this built in?
I think the overwhelmingly majority of current drone users don’t agree with the new proposals and it will fail as there will be mass non-compliance.. people will just treat it like speeding.....unless you are asking for it you will rarely if ever get caught.

"mass non compliance" you are from Canada you should know better how it was introduced and how it works. How many drones do you see in the sky in Canada? Zero. Not long ago they have caught 2-3 guys gave them massive 3000$ fines and made it very loud news about it all over. That stoped massive noncompliance very quickly. People are very compliant by nature.

The same will happen in US, all they need is to select a few people to give them big fines and all the illegal flying will stop quickly. (with AI and all the content and sharing it is easy to select few very convincing people that will make the biggest impact) if you fly somewhere i in the gunnies they don't care to fly away, it is about populated airspace and future autonomous drone deliveries.

DJI and "forces" around made it the DJI most popular product and masses are buying into it, why not many people buy Autel? Even tho it is a great drone without all the Zones and much higher alt ceiling, and controller that never has to be connected to the internet to fly? Now DJI is getting into FPV market (totally off the grid market) few years and few products later they will have control over it as well.
You can build your own drone and fly all over, but if you get cut it will cost ya, and you will get cut not because of FSA and transport Canada, but because of some overachieving ex-drone owner will call the cops on you and tell them you fly where you should not be flying.

 

[jagraphics]

I’m in a Facebook group where a debate is going on. It’s centered around the purpose for DJI needing the unit back in the event of a DJI Refresh claim and why it’s necessary..

It’s being contended by one user that DJI has the capability to disable a drone by serial number. Is this reality?

So in the event of a theft or something like that, is it possible to contact DJI and have them disable the drone?

In theory it could be possible on a technical level. That is in the future DJI change the firmware such that the serial number of the craft would be run against a database and if there is a match (or no match) the system is shut down/locked etc. In theory that is possible. However..... There is a world of difference between theory and practice. This sort of works for NFZ but not on a serial number basis and people find ways around it. .

Serial number run against which database where? I would assume the local national LEA (or civil aviation regulator) so the drone controller SW would need updating to talk to the relevant system in the specific country or not if that country is not running that sort of system. There will be many countries operating may different systems.

So whilst it is technically possible and might happen in a decade or so I can't see it happening any time soon. Also there are that many drones out there that many people would not update to the "killer" software and continue flying whilst they could still get 3rd party batteries that will fly with the older firmware in the UAV.

Eventually all the new drones in a decade or so will have this feature hard coded into them and it will become the norm for the average consumer and all professional flyers. Though I expect there will still be many 100's of flying drones that will not have it.

 

[Dale D]

I’m in a Facebook group where a debate is going on. It’s centered around the purpose for DJI needing the unit back in the event of a DJI Refresh claim and why it’s necessary..

It’s being contended by one user that DJI has the capability to disable a drone by serial number. Is this reality?

So in the event of a theft or something like that, is it possible to contact DJI and have them disable the drone?

In my own opinion, there is nothing more emasculating then being "geofenced." I have been "geofenced" on several occasions, both when I didn't realize I was really close to a military airport in Destin, Florida or near another airport but forgot it now. I am actually happy about it since I would never want to be responsible for bringing down a plane!

 

[sar104]

In my own opinion, there is nothing more emasculating then being "geofenced." I have been "geofenced" on several occasions, both when I didn't realize I was really close to a military airport in Destin, Florida or near another airport but forgot it now. I am actually happy about it since I would never want to be responsible for bringing down a plane!

I think there probably are more emasculating things in life than geofencing, but I guess it depends on your priorities.