Find My Mavic

[bsshog40]

So I kind of mentioned this in another thread, but no one responded to it, so I thought I would ask in a thread. Now the mavic has GPS capabilities and it makes wonder, when someone looses a drone or gets one stolen, would DJI or software, have the technology to be able to locate the drone if it was still powered on or powered on at a later date. Iphone has find my phone, onstar can locate your vehicle, why don't we have something that can "Find My Mavic" technology? I can see where a person losing a drone would have to go download flight logs, upload flight logs and then wait til someone deciphers the data. Just an app on our phones/tablets could make it much easier, I would assume.

 

[msinger]

would DJI or software, have the technology to be able to locate the drone if it was still powered on or powered on at a later date

DJI would only be able to see the location recorded during flights for those logs that have been synced in their system. I don't think they actively help people track lost/stolen drones though.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

It could probably be done like the iPhone if they invested in doing it... currently they have no money invested in finding it and you will probably buy another so it's a win/win for DJI.

 

[bsshog40]

Thats why I don't wonder why there isn't maybe an app for it. Find My Iphone is a perfect example of how this could be possible. Leave your iphone at work, and find it using your ipad. Same process with the gos built into the mp. Simple I would think.

 

[dewster]

That sounds like a great feature to implement.


Sent from my iPhone using MavicPilots

 

[bamf]

The GPS in the Mavic has no way to transmit that data back to DJI. That is why things like Trackimo have a cellular connection.

There is a misconception that having GPS in a device means that you should be able to find it wherever it goes. Having a GPS in a device simply means the device knows where it is. If the device also happens to have a way to communicate that information back to a server somewhere, then you get "find my iPhone" like functionality. Without that transmitter though, you simply have a device that knows precisely where it is located.

 

[Beemer533]

The only way that would work is if the MP had a cellular or network connection like a phone.

The GPS by itself can't do that, sort of like if you put your phone in airplane mode, the find my phone would only be able to say where the phone was turned off.

Edit:
Looks like Bamf beat me to it.

 

[bamf]

Sorry about that @Beemer533.

 

[Beemer533]

Lol, I'll survive I'm blaming my slow typing on this crappy stock Android keyboard....

 

[bamf]

Lol, I'll survive I'm blaming my slow typing on this crappy stock Android keyboard....

The iPad wins again! Haha

 

[bsshog40]

Thats a good point! But let me ask this, I have a samsung note that is wifi only. No cellular or network service. How is google maps able to pinpoint my location without cellular service? Just curious.

 

[msinger]

How is google maps able to pinpoint my location without cellular service?

It uses the location from the GPS receiver in your Mavic.

 

[bsshog40]

It uses the location from the GPS receiver in your Mavic.

I guess this is where I'm getting confused then. Really sorry if I come off as ignorant, but couldn't there be an app that acts like google to locate the mp?

 

[msinger]

Do you mean to locate a lost Mavic? No. The GPS receiver in the Mavic has no way of broadcasting its current location.

 

[bamf]

Your Samsung device connects to WiFi to transmit data back and forth for Google maps to work. The Mavic doesn't connect to a WiFi access point to be able to do the same.

 

[Cimriver]

The GPS in the Mavic has no way to transmit that data back to DJI. That is why things like Trackimo have a cellular connection.

There is a misconception that having GPS in a device means that you should be able to find it wherever it goes. Having a GPS in a device simply means the device knows where it is. If the device also happens to have a way to communicate that information back to a server somewhere, then you get "find my iPhone" like functionality. Without that transmitter though, you simply have a device that knows precisely where it is located.

Googled Trackimo and couldn't find it. Could you elaborate?

Sent from my XT1585 using MavicPilots mobile app

 

[Beemer533]

trackimo - Google Search


First result should be what you are looking for.

 

[MPPilot]

I guess this is where I'm getting confused then. Really sorry if I come off as ignorant, but couldn't there be an app that acts like google to locate the mp?

Two possible situations here. You use the Samsung WiFi tablet by itself, or you use it with the MP. In the first case if you have cached maps then Google can give a rough guess to your location by triangulating off whatever WiFi signals the tablet can see. If using it with the MP then the MP sends the GPS data it as to the controller which then can use the tablet's maps to pinpoint the location. In both cases if there is no cellular service then you will have to have cached maps. The tablet by itself, out in the middle of nowhere, will have no idea where it is. The tablet with the MP out in the middle of nowhere will know its exact location, but if you haven't cached the maps for that area you will be looking a a pinpoint on a white screen. Hopefully this helps without confusing the matter further.

 

[thead]

most new tablets now have a gps chip built in them. so you can use maps to navigate, but google maps still need wifi internet to work. but other offline map apps work fine.
now back to the main topic of gps tracking the mavic if stolen. the stolen mavic would have to be turned on and connected to the DJI Go app on a phone, It then would have some communication to DJI servers. the mavic serial # would have to be given to dji for them to setup a software flag to recognize this mavic as stolen and pull gps coordinates to find it. Dji would probably never implement this , I dont think they care about stolen drones

 

[sonof40]

A future design could include satellite coms. Like the SPOT Messanger.