Drone that follows AND go back home alone?

[CelsoDiniz]

Hi,

Is there a Drone that follows AND go back home alone?

In fact I’d like to set the launch place as home, program it to follow me around, without the need for me to control it as I will have my hands busy.

I won’t be far from the launch place, and ideally the drone will to go back home by itself after a programmed time. Is all that possible to do with any particular drone model?

Thanks,
Celso.

 

[BSauce955]

Hi,

Is there a Drone that follows AND go back home alone?

In fact I’d like to set the launch place as home, program it to follow me around, without the need for me to control it as I will have my hands busy.

I won’t be far from the launch place, and ideally the drone will to go back home by itself after a programmed time. Is all that possible to do with any particular drone model?

Thanks,
Celso.

I'm not sure if there's one that will go back home after a certain time but most DJI drones have the function to follow you around and land at a certain battery level. However, I think all require some level of control.

 

[Paint Rock Drones]

The Mini 2 does not have the follow function. Many others (e.g. Air 2S) do.

I believe the DJI drones have a low battery warning at some level, and an automatic return home at a lower level. I suppose you could use that if you have a large enough landing area at the home point (and make sure the home point is set correctly at take-off). But that would not be precisely timed.

I looked to see if there is a way to adjust the low battery thresholds, but could not find one in DJI Fly.

 

[BSauce955]

The Mini 2 does not have the follow function. Many others (e.g. Air 2S) do.

I believe the DJI drones have a low battery warning at some level, and an automatic return home at a lower level. I suppose you could use that if you have a large enough landing area at the home point (and make sure the home point is set correctly at take-off). But that would not be precisely timed.

I looked to see if there is a way to adjust the low battery thresholds, but could not find one in DJI Fly.

The Mini 2 doesn't have active track?! That's news to me!

 

[hiflyer201]

That would not work within the rules here in the U.S.

 

[crlmjohnson]

look and sse if you can have it follow and land where you are at.

"the controller is located." I believe the MP2 can do it. I have never used it. it is in the setting. I have not received my M3 yet.

 

[Yaros]

I have the DJI Mavic Air 2 and it works fine.
Active track works perfectly even in complex environments, it avoids obstacles automatically (assuming you have set the obstacle avoidance mode to Bypass) and when the battery is only enough to return to home it will ask you if you want to keep flying or return to home. If you don't press anything for 10 seconds it will return to home and land by itself; if you press cancel, it will keep following you until the battery reaches critical level where it would just land where it is.

It also has some aditional features like Circle around + follow (called POI - Point of Interest) but it's not very safe because the drone doesn't have sensors in the sides.

If you just need active track no need to go for the Air 2S, I tested both drones in active track by the same path and while the Air 2S had more cinematic looking video and was getting stuck less (thinking where to go in complex environments) but instead it did strange fast decisions and crashed 3 times (while the Air 2 crashed 0 times).

If you prefer more cinematic (but risky) video then go for the Air 2S, however in my opinion: the Air 2 is enough for just tracking + it is a little safer compared to 2S

 

[maelstrom]

however in my opinion: the Air 2 is enough for just tracking + it is a little safer compared to 2S

I’m curious why you think the Air2 is safer than the Air2s? The Air2s has four-directional obstacle sensing compared to the three-directional sensing on the Air2 and it also functions at higher flying speeds. Is that not safer?

 

[Yaros]

I’m curious why you think the Air2 is safer than the Air2s? The Air2s has four-directional obstacle sensing compared to the three-directional sensing on the Air2 and it also functions at higher flying speeds. Is that not safer?

On paper it is - yeah theoretically it should, but in reality when I conducted the tests it wasn't. It did rather strange decisions, for example when faced a branch, instead of going around it, it went up, crashing into the top small branches. And also it is "too confident" in its actions and by that goes closer to things and on higher speeds it crashes more easily.

The Mavic Air 2 however is not as advanced, but instead 'safer'. By that I mean - if the drone isn't sure if it can fit in some gap it will not try it. It always waited for me to take control in complex places and that's what I prefer it to do.

Note: I conducted the tests in a forest that had not many trees but did have many branches and paths, I both tried walking and running, both worked but I noted the differences above, and in my previous message!

 

[slozukimc]

Hate to say it on a dji forum but maybe look at the Skydio 2???

 

[Vreracing]

I'm new to this forum. I have a video showing the tenacity with which the Mavic Air 2 will follow you through trees. It had just taken a tumble in the dirt and the camera was not as clear as it usually is. That is a post I have a question about later. About the return to the home point. I've found that if I ride straight out with it following me in about 15 minutes it will want to go back to the home point. I can usually override it but once I didn't get to it in time and it flew back safely to the start.

Riding around trees