What more do you need from a recreation drone?

[Droning on and on...]

Yes, GPS guides the craft back to a close approximation of its launch point. But on my Air 3, whose firmware was updated about two weeks ago, the main camera then automatically pivots downward and locks into a vertical position at the start of the RTH landing sequence (at my chosen RTH return altitude of 120' above the home point), and a small drone-shaped symbol is projected on the camera's image of the home point (in my case, a conspicuous Hoodman pad) on the controller display. Then, four or five feet above the ground, the main camera pivots back to its horizontal position and the downward VPS cameras apparently take over.

How would you explain the main camera's behavior in that manner if it plays no role in precision landing? It didn't start doing that until after my recent update.

PL has been around as a feature for years. The auto tilt down and then back up is much newer than PL. The main camera plays no role in PL; prove this to yourself by using the gimbal wheel to point the camera straight again right after it pitches down. The bird will still perform a successful PL.

 

[hank970]

I still don't understand why the camera module now automatically tilts straight down during the RTH landing sequence, and why a silhouette of the drone is projected onto the center of the controller's display if they play no role in the procedure. What's the point of the camera module doing that? Is it just so the operator can watch the prelude to landing from the perspective of the drone? If so, that option has always been available, albeit manually.

 

[mavic3usa]

I still don't understand why the camera module now automatically tilts straight down during the RTH landing sequence, and why a silhouette of the drone is projected onto the center of the controller's display if they play no role in the procedure. What's the point of the camera module doing that? Is it just so the operator can watch the prelude to landing from the perspective of the drone? If so, that option has always been available, albeit manually.

I could be wrong but the camera might look down when you are landing so you can see exactly where you are landing and perhaps nudge the drone a bit using the sticks to get it exactly centered when, for example, you are landing on the rooftop of your car. There's no reason for the drone to be looking forward while you are landing in automatic mode so I don't have a problem with it pointing down as you can you can move it back to forward should you wish. Often people land in remote locations to far away from them to see the landing site so it's a good thing to have the camera pointed down.

Projecting the drone image, somebody else (another unnamed drone manufacturer) did this first, DJI is copying this gimmick. Next, you'll be able to stick the landing to a specific image.

 

[Max Headroom]

I could be wrong but the camera might look down when you are landing so you can see exactly where you are landing and perhaps nudge the drone a bit using the sticks to get it exactly centered when, for example, you are landing on the rooftop of your car

Mine doesn't tilt down, I think you are right RTH isn't perfect and if you are using a landing mat because of grass or dirt etc being able to see where it will land on its own is a big plus you can always cancel as I do and finish the landing.

 

[old man mavic]

there is no special reason ,that the camera points straight down, and an image of a drone is shown it is just an added feature of the O4 RTH ,where a green flight path is shown on the screen as it RTH

 

[4 inch pistons]

Well I finally got the 4 Pro and yes I am impressed. Bang for the buck it is the best thing going in camera drones IMHO.

 

[hank970]

I could be wrong but the camera might look down when you are landing so you can see exactly where you are landing and perhaps nudge the drone a bit using the sticks to get it exactly centered when, for example, you are landing on the rooftop of your car. There's no reason for the drone to be looking forward while you are landing in automatic mode so I don't have a problem with it pointing down as you can you can move it back to forward should you wish. Often people land in remote locations to far away from them to see the landing site so it's a good thing to have the camera pointed down.

Projecting the drone image, somebody else (another unnamed drone manufacturer) did this first, DJI is copying this gimmick. Next, you'll be able to stick the landing to a specific image.

No, because the camera pivots upward to zero-degree tilt when the drone is still several feet above the landing spot. Of course, it's possible to watch the drone and make manual corrections as it descends the rest of the way to the landing pad.

 

[Droning on and on...]

I still don't understand why the camera module now automatically tilts straight down during the RTH landing sequence, and why a silhouette of the drone is projected onto the center of the controller's display if they play no role in the procedure.

This is in error.

The projected quad shadow is a bit of Augmented Reality projecting the "shadow" on the ground directly below the drone. It isn't simply fixed in the centerpoint of the screen.

It is immensely useful when landing manually.