Palm control like Spark

[Snoffy]

Hi
I have just sold one of my DJI Spark drones and in process of selling my second :-/
I am selling them to put towards buying the new Mavic mini 2 but whilst getting my Sparks ready to sell i really started to love it all over again and it make me ask Why have they not continued with the Palm control / hand gesture control with the likes of the Mini? i found it a really great party trick but also useful, so why loose it?

 

[Repaid1]

Hi
I have just sold one of my DJI Spark drones and in process of selling my second :-/
I am selling them to put towards buying the new Mavic mini 2 but whilst getting my Sparks ready to sell i really started to love it all over again and it make me ask Why have they not continued with the Palm control / hand gesture control with the likes of the Mini? i found it a really great party trick but also useful, so why loose it?

It's DJI..why ask why? But simply like you said it's a parlor trick, and just wasn't a selling feature after it debuted on MP they kept it for the Spark and that was that (well MA1). If you feel like that is a good reason to keep your Spark, that is the loudest drone with least flight time and below average range in comparison, then stay with what you got. That's why DJI makes so many models. There is something for everyone. If it ain't broke don't fix it. But I do somewhat concur...with lack of feature set of the MM1 and Mini 2 they could have added that in for the home party/selfie shooter crowd.

 

[Scottalmas]

I couldn’t agree more. It’s why I won’t ditch my MA1. It’s not a parlor trick. It’s a way to get great footage in the most convenient way possible. I was stunned and disappointed that it was omitted from the Mini and Air 2. At a minimum phone only control should have been included. Tell me how either the Air2 or Mini series can be considered ultraportable when you have to carry a controller around with you and dot he whole RC setup and connection but in order to catch the moment.

 

[Snoffy]

Yes that's it, you can just get the Spark out, pop it on your hand, take a couple of selfies with friends and it can be stowed away again within the minute. or shoot a bit of video at a party catch and stow with no need to get phone or controller out

Might take my Spark off the market ??

 

[hiflyer201]

The Spark came out before the controller..or at least it was offered without the controller. It was a good way to take the mystic out of hand launches and landings. I wonder if there are any others who have stood in their living room wondering if they are ever going to convince the Spark to land

 

[dwallersv]

I'm with @Scottalmas , you'll have to pry my Air 1 from my cold dead fingers for this reason (hand gestures), and other portability features only available in the MA1.

I agree pretty much with the range of opinions on gestures-- it's mostly gimmicky, and actually not good to "show off" the drone as it screws up too easily.

However, it DOES have its place, and that's for rapid deployment to catch something for memory's sake where you and/or friends are the subject, not professional quality media. For that sort of thing nothing compares, and I've used my MA1 while out and about for that many times.

MA1 also comes with a small, form-fitting semi-hard case that holds just the drone. I leave it in that case and in my car all the time.

Finally, the MA1 can be connected to DJI GO on the phone directly via wifi for full control without an RC. It is "virtual stick" which is harder than physical sticks, but we're implementing flexibility here, and connected via wifi you're not going very far anyway.

OP: The MA1 is pretty much the most perfect "portable" drone available. Shame they didn't duplicate this functionality in the MA2. Hold on to your Spark and start looking for an MA1. Should be able to find one used for a good price. Replace the Spark with an MA1. Then think about the MM2.

 

[hiflyer201]

, you'll have to pry my Air 1 from my cold dead fingers for this reason (hand gestures), and other portability features only available in the MA1.

I do all that stuff with the Spark but I completely forgot you and do the same thing with the Mavic Air. Thanks for the reminder. I like that you can stick the controller in the elastic envelope on the hard case. Super small package.

 

[karlblessing]

I wonder if a third party app will ever incorporate that (but it would be up to the phone's processing to identify and act on it, as opposed to native in the drone).

I'm wondering if in the quest to lighten the load, they also ditched a lot of the computational stuff responsible for that feature.

 

[dwallersv]

We don't know of course what went into the decisions, but it is true that the feature wasn't trivial, and would require a not-insignificant engineering investment to keep it going. Didn't wow customers of the Spark and Air enough, apparently.

Just checked, brand new MA1 available on Amazon from DJI. Didn't look to see if it's still in the DJI store.

Ditch the Spark and use the proceeds toward an MA1. Ironically it's more portable and versatile than the MM1 and 2. The Minis are high-end toys. Not putting them down (I have one!), but I could never get the portability convenience out of the MM2 I get from my MA1.

 

[Lastrexking]

Simple answer. The MM2 only has downward sensors. The Spark and Air have forward sensors which were used for palm control.
DJI couldn’t include everything the MM2 does, Occusync and avoidance sensors and keep the weight below the magic 250g.

Also, as a Spark and Air user - I never used gesture control other than to try it out. I suspect that’s the case for a lot of owners.

 

[dwallersv]

Simple answer. The MM2 only has downward sensors. The Spark and Air have forward sensors which were used for palm control.
DJI couldn’t include everything the MM2 does, Occusync and avoidance sensors and keep the weight below the magic 250g.

Not correct.

All the AI-like tracking functions in all DJI drones use the main camera image. In part because it's a much much better image to work from, but also because it's on a gimbal and can point in a different direction than straight ahead.

 

[Lastrexking]

Not correct.

All the AI-like tracking functions in all DJI drones use the main camera image. In part because it's a much much better image to work from, but also because it's on a gimbal and can point in a different direction than straight ahead.

Actually it is correct my friend. The drones (Spark, MA1) we’re discussing use the sensors to make calculations on the distance from the subject.

Quote;

How does Active Track work?​

ActiveTrack uses both the drone’s visual sensors and GPS tracking technology to keep the subject in the frame. This means that the drone needs to be in P-Mode (Positioning Mode) to use ActiveTrack.

Three modes can be used when in ActiveTrack, each one providing a different shot composition.

Source; What is DJI ActiveTrack and How does it Work?

 

[Scottalmas]

I suspect most functional limitations on the MM and MA lines are imposed by DJI for product line control purposes. This is confirmed to a degree by the fact the Follow Me is magically possible on the Mini using Litchi beta — and it works well.

it should also be noted that gesture control in the Spark and Smart Capture on the MA1 were not the same. Smart Capture is far superior to gesture control on the Spark. The Spark was still nice to have but the MA1 does it waaaaay better.