What I'd like to see:
1) 360 degree total awareness:
Instead of four sensors like the P4, just get one LiDAR such as like the Velodyne PUCK instead (or a smaller more micro version that has come out by then), now it can see everything at every angle. Full envelope flight protection.
2) built-in 4G capabilities for the Mavic and the controller.
They can use the Internet to communicate, and thus making Mavic controllable . from anywhere in the world, and sending flight data back just like the way airplanes use ACARS. When RC signal lost, it will seemingly transition to cellular signal.
Also a specialized version of Mavic that has satellite capabilities, to give Iridium a run for its money, making Mavic flying even in remote areas without cell towers.
3) Wireless recharging. Autodocking.
So in theory when airborne recharging blimps are built, Mavic can fly from town to town to town by hoping from recharging station to recharging station. Coupled with the 4G/Internet and ipv6, it will also never get lost, and can be controlled via smart phone or web browser or by anyone anywhere in the world that has been given access to control by the pilot owner. If enough drone owners build and install recharging stations on their roof perhaps there can even be a distributed trust based network of wireless recharging stations, thus enabling a single drone to travel across the country. It would be the Mavic that went around the world.
4) Voice command, natural language, pilots intent:
With 4G and Internets capability the Mavic can offload a lot to the cloud. Leverage Google's deep learning AI and translate so it can understand anyone in any language with any accent at any age. Then parse that into something like IBM's Watson so that it can understand the intent of the user and the user can use every day natural language as if speaking to a person or even a child. And the Mavic can then via the app or controller also speak back in natural nature. So piloting the Mavic will be as easily as if having a conversation with a person. Something like : "hey take off, go that way, take some interesting photos of the sunrise and then fly back and land in my front lawn, and upload to my facebook, remember to go recharge yourself, send me a text when done." or "if the weather is nice tomorrow, remember to go fly around the park and take some videos of the lake during the golden hours, if there are any boats nearby, do some close flybys but not too close that you might risk getting shot down"
5) Truly autonomous.
Mavic develops its own artist eye and personality over time, something like Cozmo but lightyears ahead. Again the backend will be leveraging Google or IBM's AI and data-centers for real-time compute, but essentially as Mavic gets flown by the owner over time it adapts and develops a personality that is most aligned with the pilots preferences and predilections. Much like Google's AutoAwesome and the new Google Photos that uses AI to automatically detect and pick out the best photos from a vast set, Mavic can uses its own intelligence to find and capture perfect moments without any pilot intervention, perfect for helping out at events like weddings and ceremonies when it can be just left alone to do its own thing and there doesn't need a dedicated person to be piloting or controlling or even talking to it. When traveling, going to a new place, it will alert and remind you to let it out and set it down, it will automatically fly around while you enjoy the new place, completely autonomously taking the most beautiful photos and videos and finding its way back to you when done. Eventually drones become commodity as a service, since the brains of the drone will be in the cloud itself, you don't have to actually take your drone with you, but when going to a new city for traveling, all you have to do is rent locally that same model of drone, the brains download, and its like your drone is there without you having to carry it around in luggage or on the airplane.This will do to aerial photography drone ownership the same that self driving cars will do to car ownership. Everywhere one goes, there is a swarm of drones readily at the fly for rental, and it remembers who you are and all that.
6) Smart home integration.
With something like Nest or etc. If a Nest cam detects suspicious activity at night, a hardened outdoor weatherproof version of the Mavic auto launches and flys around to see what is up, then comes back and recharges itself, uploading the video to the police for investigation etc. With 4G and AI, if it detects a break in it can even automatically call 911 or emergency services. This could be especially useful if homeowners are away.
1) 360 degree total awareness:
Instead of four sensors like the P4, just get one LiDAR such as like the Velodyne PUCK instead (or a smaller more micro version that has come out by then), now it can see everything at every angle. Full envelope flight protection.
2) built-in 4G capabilities for the Mavic and the controller.
They can use the Internet to communicate, and thus making Mavic controllable . from anywhere in the world, and sending flight data back just like the way airplanes use ACARS. When RC signal lost, it will seemingly transition to cellular signal.
Also a specialized version of Mavic that has satellite capabilities, to give Iridium a run for its money, making Mavic flying even in remote areas without cell towers.
3) Wireless recharging. Autodocking.
So in theory when airborne recharging blimps are built, Mavic can fly from town to town to town by hoping from recharging station to recharging station. Coupled with the 4G/Internet and ipv6, it will also never get lost, and can be controlled via smart phone or web browser or by anyone anywhere in the world that has been given access to control by the pilot owner. If enough drone owners build and install recharging stations on their roof perhaps there can even be a distributed trust based network of wireless recharging stations, thus enabling a single drone to travel across the country. It would be the Mavic that went around the world.
4) Voice command, natural language, pilots intent:
With 4G and Internets capability the Mavic can offload a lot to the cloud. Leverage Google's deep learning AI and translate so it can understand anyone in any language with any accent at any age. Then parse that into something like IBM's Watson so that it can understand the intent of the user and the user can use every day natural language as if speaking to a person or even a child. And the Mavic can then via the app or controller also speak back in natural nature. So piloting the Mavic will be as easily as if having a conversation with a person. Something like : "hey take off, go that way, take some interesting photos of the sunrise and then fly back and land in my front lawn, and upload to my facebook, remember to go recharge yourself, send me a text when done." or "if the weather is nice tomorrow, remember to go fly around the park and take some videos of the lake during the golden hours, if there are any boats nearby, do some close flybys but not too close that you might risk getting shot down"
5) Truly autonomous.
Mavic develops its own artist eye and personality over time, something like Cozmo but lightyears ahead. Again the backend will be leveraging Google or IBM's AI and data-centers for real-time compute, but essentially as Mavic gets flown by the owner over time it adapts and develops a personality that is most aligned with the pilots preferences and predilections. Much like Google's AutoAwesome and the new Google Photos that uses AI to automatically detect and pick out the best photos from a vast set, Mavic can uses its own intelligence to find and capture perfect moments without any pilot intervention, perfect for helping out at events like weddings and ceremonies when it can be just left alone to do its own thing and there doesn't need a dedicated person to be piloting or controlling or even talking to it. When traveling, going to a new place, it will alert and remind you to let it out and set it down, it will automatically fly around while you enjoy the new place, completely autonomously taking the most beautiful photos and videos and finding its way back to you when done. Eventually drones become commodity as a service, since the brains of the drone will be in the cloud itself, you don't have to actually take your drone with you, but when going to a new city for traveling, all you have to do is rent locally that same model of drone, the brains download, and its like your drone is there without you having to carry it around in luggage or on the airplane.This will do to aerial photography drone ownership the same that self driving cars will do to car ownership. Everywhere one goes, there is a swarm of drones readily at the fly for rental, and it remembers who you are and all that.
6) Smart home integration.
With something like Nest or etc. If a Nest cam detects suspicious activity at night, a hardened outdoor weatherproof version of the Mavic auto launches and flys around to see what is up, then comes back and recharges itself, uploading the video to the police for investigation etc. With 4G and AI, if it detects a break in it can even automatically call 911 or emergency services. This could be especially useful if homeowners are away.
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