No "Follow Me" mode... bummer!

[Lifeisfun]

Try walking around and see how it goes keeping you in frame. You can get to a certain point without dedicated computer vision hardware.

Thanks for the explanation.
Thought it will do as good as the Spark did

 

[WithTheBirds]

Thanks for the explanation.
Thought it will do as good as the Spark did

One of the biggest selling points of the spark from memory was the fact that it used the Movidius Myriad 2 processor.

 

[SirrRoyston]

Here in the UK come July 2020 MM owners will have to register their drones due to it having a camera (data capture device), it’s a European directive that is going to be adopted as I understand it.

Just as well we are leaving the EU then....

 

[sirbadger]

Just as well we are leaving the EU then....

Will make zero difference.

 

[Capt KO]

Ambarella is used on the Phantom and it tracks beautifully

 

[RogerDH]

Definitely a marketing plan. If you give the mavic mini too many features then it's going to become a much better deal for the price than the mavic air, which then of course would kill the mavic air and they wouldn't be able to sell any of them. They have to keep it where you'll still want to pay the extra to get the air if you want those particular features.

The problem with that marketing strategy is that buying a more expensive DJI drone isn't the only option for anyone wanting features like Follow Me, waypoint missions, point-of-interest tracking, or even simple Course Lock. I believe a lot of people are buying the Mini because of the price point, not the weight, and the truth is, the Mini is far more limited in its autonomous capabilities than its direct competitors. (As I've mentioned before here, I only kept my Mini because I believe that Litchi will eventually provide features I expected to already be there.)

 

[TDZHDTV]

Just as well we are leaving the EU then....

Brexit doesn’t make a difference, ESEA is still going to be adopted! So all us owners of sub 250g drones with cameras will have to register and pay our yearly £9 drone offenders tax (and get nothing for it).

 

[WithTheBirds]

Ambarella is used on the Phantom and it tracks beautifully

Phantoms and Mavic use Ambarella SOC (including the Mini). Of no relevance to any optical tracking performance. You can thank the Intel/Movidius Myriad smarts for that.

 

[WithTheBirds]

The problem with that marketing strategy is that buying a more expensive DJI drone isn't the only option for anyone wanting features like Follow Me, waypoint missions, point-of-interest tracking, or even simple Course Lock. I believe a lot of people are buying the Mini because of the price point, not the weight, and the truth is, the Mini is far more limited in its autonomous capabilities than its direct competitors. (As I've mentioned before here, I only kept my Mini because I believe that Litchi will eventually provide features I expected to already be there.)

Which direct competitors to the mini offer more autonomous features?

 

[RogerDH]

Which direct competitors to the mini offer more autonomous features?

As far as I can tell, the Mini is the most limited GPS drone on the market, at any price. Parrot Anafi, Fimi X8 SE, and Hubsan Zino are three that I had looked at before buying a Mini, and all of them have standard GPS drone features that I expected the Mini to have. In fact, Eachine has an $80 drone that has more autonomous features.

 

[MB Dronie]

If you don’t mind about the weight, Zino 2 from Hubsan carries a LOT of goodies for the price. They will be a good competitor for DJI

 

[sirbadger]

If you don’t mind about the weight, Zino 2 from Hubsan carries a LOT of goodies for the price. They will be a good competitor for DJI

What is support like? Does it have to go back to China (or wherever) if it needs fixing?

ETA: Hoping their website isn't giving an indication on delivery timescales advertising for next Xmas ?

 

[RogerDH]

If you don’t mind about the weight, Zino 2 from Hubsan carries a LOT of goodies for the price. They will be a good competitor for DJI

If I had known that the Mini doesn't support waypoint missions or even course lock, I would have bought the Zino. I had watched at least a half-dozen YouTube videos and read most of the posts on this forum and on RCGroups, and none of them mentioned the lack of those features, which I just assumed would be there. As we have been discussing in another thread, the ONLY mode that the Mini has which will keep it on a set course while you yaw to point the camera where you want is Return to Home. I am still is disbelief that a GPS drone from DJI is so crippled.

 

[RogerDH]

Try walking around and see how it goes keeping you in frame. You can get to a certain point without dedicated computer vision hardware.

It appears that what's happening is that the QuickShot selection sets up a course, e.g. an orbit, and as the Mini flies that course, the app (rather than the drone) tries to keep the target in frame by yawing and tilting the gimbal, but it doesn't change that predetermined course, so it doesn't allow for much movement.

 

[SirrRoyston]

Brexit doesn’t make a difference, ESEA is still going to be adopted! So all us owners of sub 250g drones with cameras will have to register and pay our yearly £9 drone offenders tax (and get nothing for it).

It wont happen. There are loads of little "selfie" drones out there. They will then have to drop the 249g to 100g.

Maybe Litchi will have the followme software fix when they eventually add the mini.......

 

[TDZHDTV]

It wont happen. There are loads of little "selfie" drones out there. They will then have to drop the 249g to 100g.

Maybe Litchi will have the followme software fix when they eventually add the mini.......

Don’t take my word for it, it’s coming this year!

UK Drone Laws 2023: Where can I fly?

UK drone laws explained. In-depth guide to where you can fly, A2 CofC and GVC drone training, FPV drone laws, UK drone registration, when you need an Operating Safety Case (OSC), drone privacy and best drone apps. Learn more at heliguy™

www.heliguy.com

 

[Chewbacca]

Hopefully we will see a SDK for the Mini soon. If there were a follow feature added or active tracking, then a safety threshold could be implimented in order to insure a safe yet effective experience. However, still limited compared to it's predecessor, it would slight, if the drone were able to connect to a program like Dronelink, it could be able to create a 3D map of an area (manually input most likely due to lack of forward obsticle sense) to then interact in a "known area" that the drone would then be able to simulate and recognize in real time, as if it were simulating the 3D rendered environment in order to maintain a low risk condition in and during its active tracking flight endeavor. I believe this is possible and look forward to seeing and hope to participate in the development of such possibilities!

 

[efer]

The consensus seems to be that DJI has had to omit certain features to keep the Mavic Mini's weight under 250g but marketing is also a crucial factor. They need to ensure that sales of the Mavic Air are not adversely impacted and I would think that leaving out "Active Track" is indeed a result of a marketing decision.

In terms of future developments the whole thing is a moving target. How long will the 250g thing remain any sort of advantage? The FAA has already indicated that it is taking a "wait and see" approach and is not ruling out a change to its "weight" related regulations in the future. Airspace regulators in other jurisdictions are no doubt following suit to one degree or another.

A scenario in which the Mavic Mini evolves into something boasting more advanced features along with associated additional weight, and the Mavic Air being discontinued, is not as far fetched as it sounds right now. Furthermore DJI is always watching the competition (e.g. Skydio) like a hawk and factoring that dimension into the mix.

It would be cool if DJI came out with a Mavic Mini Pro.

 

[TDZHDTV]

It would be cool if DJI came out with a Mavic Mini Pro.

IMO they will launch a new branded Mini this summer to meet the certification requirements for the new ESEA regulations here in the UK and Europe. It will have a max take off weight of 249g and low speed mode, that means no silly sticker packs or prop guards.

 

[bobzdar]

IMO they will launch a new branded Mini this summer to meet the certification requirements for the new ESEA regulations here in the UK and Europe. It will have a max take off weight of 249g and low speed mode, that means no silly sticker packs or prop guards.

Isn't that just a firmware update (low speed mode)? It's already 249g... Or do you mean they'll add some other features in hardware?