GPS to specific location

[burns92]

Is there GPS tech on drones or available to anyone that I could send up my drone have a friend with say the location on their phone turned on and the drone could then fly to them?

Accurately I might add I'd want it within atleast a 1-2 foot radius of the person

 

[mavic3usa]

"Sounds alot like a one-way mission to deliver contraband or explosives to a precise location" is probably what the anti-drone crowd is thinking. Personally, I would create a mission/waypoint with one leg and one waypoint/POI if I wanted my drone to go someone specifically without me having to actually fly it there.

 

[burns92]

"Sounds alot like a one-way mission to deliver contraband or explosives to a precise location" is probably what the anti-drone crowd is thinking. Personally, I would create a mission/waypoint with one leg and one waypoint/POI if I wanted my drone to go someone specifically without me having to actually fly it there.

Lmao no nothing like that just an idea me and a friend had, for concert venue merchandise delivery. I didn't know if GPS like that was a thing

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

As far as I know normal GPS that is available for us hobby pilots is not accurate enough to fly to within "1 - 2"ft of your target.
It seems to me that you would possibly be dealing with two sources of error, firstly the error in the target's location and secondly the error of in the drone's navigation to those co-ordinates.

Aside from that impossible accuracy, it seems to me that your friend would need to be rather near if not in the audience for this to be required.
If that is true I would question the wisdom of flying over a crowd especially if the drone was large enough to carry a reasonable quantity of merchandise.
Sorry but the whole idea rings alarm bells on multiple levels, practicality, safety & wisdom, legality and cargo.

 

[Meta4]

Is there GPS tech on drones or available to anyone that I could send up my drone have a friend with say the location on their phone turned on and the drone could then fly to them?

Apart from the issues already raised ... no, there's nothing available that will do that.
You'd have to invent it.

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

With the earlier version of Autopilot on the Mavic Pro, You could plan a mission with the starting point and the end point and it was pretty accurate. You could save the mission and use it over and over. The app was discontinued with the M2 Pro which did not make me happy. You could save a waypoint mission and do this. Not sure how accurate or consistant it would be for repeated missions though.

However, as mentioned above, there are many reasons not to do this. If you have a flight path to get to the destination without flying over people, say from the side, and you could manually fly it while maintaining VLOS, that would be the only way I would try this. But then it also sounds like there will be a lot crowded people including at the drop site. So again, it would be a big NO.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Yes.

Litchi has a "follow me" mode that can target a second cellphone running the Litchi Magic Leash app.

It's exactly what you're looking for, however the controlling cellphone must stay connected at all times all the way to the destination in order for this to work (regardless if the drone model supports autonomous waypoints or not).

Of course, as others have pointed out, there are other reasons such a flight might violate FARs, and otherwise be operationally problematic.

 

[burns92]

As far as I know normal GPS that is available for us hobby pilots is not accurate enough to fly to within "1 - 2"ft of your target.
It seems to me that you would possibly be dealing with two sources of error, firstly the error in the target's location and secondly the error of in the drone's navigation to those co-ordinates.

Aside from that impossible accuracy, it seems to me that your friend would need to be rather near if not in the audience for this to be required.
If that is true I would question the wisdom of flying over a crowd especially if the drone was large enough to carry a reasonable quantity of merchandise.
Sorry but the whole idea rings alarm bells on multiple levels, practicality, safety & wisdom, legality and cargo.

No need to say sorry we were just spit Ballin and thought I wonder if there is anything like that out there

 

[burns92]

Yes.

Litchi has a "follow me" mode that can target a second cellphone running the Litchi Magic Leash app.

It's exactly what your looking for, however the controlling cellphone must stay connected at all times all the way to the destination in order for this to work (regardless if the drone model supports autonomous waypoints or not).

Of course, as others have pointed out, there are other reasons such a flight might violate FARs, and otherwise be operationally problematic.

So in this instance they'd have to have the Litchi magic leash app installed as well as whatever app would be needed foe this "business idea"

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

No need to say sorry we were just spit Ballin and thought I wonder if there is anything like that out there

Thanks. You wouldn't believe how sensitive some people are to what they percieve as rude or blunt comments.

 

[burns92]

With the earlier version of Autopilot on the Mavic Pro, You could plan a mission with the starting point and the end point and it was pretty accurate. You could save the mission and use it over and over. The app was discontinued with the M2 Pro which did not make me happy. You could save a waypoint mission and do this. Not sure how accurate or consistant it would be for repeated missions though.

However, as mentioned above, there are many reasons not to do this. If you have a flight path to get to the destination without flying over people, say from the side, and you could manually fly it while maintaining VLOS, that would be the only way I would try this. But then it also sounds like there will be a lot crowded people including at the drop site. So again, it would be a big NO.

Are there specific laws to specific states regarding VLOS? I never realized it be that big a deal.

 

[burns92]

Thanks. You wouldn't believe how sensitive some people are to what they percieve as rude or blunt comments.

I dont want to say I'm not taking no for an answer. But there's something here haha, a more stream line delivery to specific venues outdoors. I'll have to read up on laws and regulations for VLOS and all that but the cargo wouldn't be anything heavy a shirt maybe 2? Attached to some quick release tether that can hang from the drone but not pull it down.

Idk very bare bones thought process right now

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I think dropping items over crowds is specifically prohibited in FAA rules and regs but I could be mistaken

 

[burns92]

I think dropping items over crowds is specifically prohibited in FAA rules and regs but I could be mistaken

That very well may be the case, I'll look into that, but I was thinking more along the lines a tether idk how many feet long with a easy release of some sort the person grabs and literally has a hold of it not specifically "dropping"

Just some dumb ideas for fun discussion

 

[Meta4]

Are there specific laws to specific states regarding VLOS? I never realized it be that big a deal.

Yes, and also about flying over people.