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Glare from Sun causing Obstacle avoidance

tmiller

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Clovis, NM USA
Hello, yesterday during a flight over a canyon on the way home my MPP stopped and would not continue due to glare from the sun. Additionally, once I recovered the MPP I attempted to duplicate the flight and found that it would stop (due to seeing my shadow) due to obstacle avoidance. Has anyone else experienced these flight conditions, flying into the shaded areas?
 
In sun, yes that has been reported. Hadn't heard about a shadow causing false OA detection, but that is conceivable.

Temporarily turn off OA or put into sport mode to get past the phantom obstacle.
 
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It was quite unnerving as it stopped over the canyon and wouldn't return to the edge where it took off from. I managed to get it back and land safely but I can't imagine if this had happened further away over the canyon wall. I didn't have the "bubble" over the camera and have a lens filter on but looking at the video I could see the glare and understand why it would do so. Afterward when trying to duplicate it I flew with the sun to my back and as it approached my shadow it stopped and warned of an obstacle. I was actually surprised but impressed it would see such detail and protect itself in such a way. Fly and learn I guess, this thing is smarter than I am obviously! lol
 
If the sun was to your back and you were flying it towards you, sounds more like it tracked you or the sun as an obstacle. Shadows can't appear in thin air like a hologram, it has to project onto an object.
Where was your shadow?
 
If the sun was to your back and you were flying it towards you, sounds more like it tracked you or the sun as an obstacle. Shadows can't appear in thin air like a hologram, it has to project onto an object.
Where was your shadow?
When I was over the canyon and returning home there was a lot of glare (watching the video afterward) and as the glare came across the camera it stopped and reported an obstacle. Later on I was trying to test it and flew over the (slightly inclined upward) driveway, sun behind me and when it flew into my shadow it stopped showing an obstacle. Like I said I think the **** thing is just smarter than I am! lol
 
Are you sure it wasn't the driveway itself or you as the obstacle? It's pretty smart to know how high an obstacle is. It shouldn't have detected you if you were lying down on your driveway, and that's essentially what your shadow was doing.
 
Are you sure it wasn't the driveway itself or you as the obstacle? It's pretty smart to know how high an obstacle is. It shouldn't have detected you if you were lying down on your driveway, and that's essentially what your shadow was doing.

I get what you're saying. I flew it up the driveway to see if it would follow the terrain elevation which it did perfectly. Then I stood where my shadow was in it's flight path and as soon as it hit my shadow it stopped showing an obstacle.
 
HI. Good you got your bird back okay. This has happened to me twice. First time was late in the day... foreign country (unknown place) getting low on battery and quite scary.
Second time was not so long ago on a beach and not too far away. After the first time I thought long and hard and finally figured out was going on. Second time I pretty much knew what was going on. the sun was about in the same position in the sky as the 1st time actually. 1st time I was up pretty high... 100 metres or so... I changed altitude and it went away. 2nd time... I knew what the problem was... I turned it 45 degrees and fly it home sideways, so the camera was not facing the sun. I know you can turn off the sensing etc. but... turning away from the sun and flying backwards or sideways is a quick fix.
 
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HI. Good you got your bird back okay. This has happened to me twice. First time was late in the day... foreign country (unknown place) getting low on battery and quite scary.
Second time was not so long ago on a beach and not too far away. After the first time I thought long and hard and finally figured out was going on. Second time I pretty much knew what was going on. the sun was about in the same position in the sky as the 1st time actually. 1st time I was up pretty high... 100 metres or so... I changed altitude and it went away. 2nd time... I knew what the problem was... I turned it 45 degrees and fly it home sideways, so the camera was not facing the sun. I know you can turn off the sensing etc. but... turning away from the sun and flying backwards or sideways is a quick fix.
That's exactly what I figured would be the easiest way to bring it in visually.
 
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How about tacking as a sailboat does to the wind. Instead of bringing it back straight towards you with the sun behind you bring it to your left or right at a 45 degree angle partway then back toward you so the sun is no longer directly behind you
 
How about tacking as a sailboat does to the wind. Instead of bringing it back straight towards you with the sun behind you bring it to your left or right at a 45 degree angle partway then back toward you so the sun is no longer directly behind you
That's basically what "tiparoch" was saying and what I did.
 
How about tacking as a sailboat does to the wind. Instead of bringing it back straight towards you with the sun behind you bring it to your left or right at a 45 degree angle partway then back toward you so the sun is no longer directly behind you



** good point but...sometimes time (battery) is a factor. I would say a quick solution, especially if you cant see exactly what your path is (ie. flying back sideways/backwards) go up in altitude and follow the arrow heading in the lower left hand in your monitor.
 
Another thought... if you don't want to 'come home', I have found that changing altitude seems to help if not solve the problem.
 
As previously stated, a simple switch into Sport Mode will solve this. Just stay high and head straight to your destination.
 
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