Why waypoints? What's the attraction?

[Keule]

Is there a way to use Litchi to control a release?

No, you have to create your own code with DJI aircraft supporting the Payload SDK. (Matrice series)
M210 for example can be used to trigger a PWM triggered release hook, but only manually, not with an automated flight control app.

 

[AMann]

No, you have to create your own code with DJI aircraft supporting the Payload SDK. (Matrice series)
M210 for example can be used to trigger a PWM triggered release hook, but only manually, not with an automated flight control app.

I guess I can have it hover at each waypoint and manually release using the landing light controls, or just fly a route with a continuous drop. My idea has to do with releasing about 50 lbs of poppy seeds at specified points - not the illegal type of poppies, mind you!

 

[Keule]

I guess I can have it hover at each waypoint and manually release using the landing light controls

Yes, that's possible.

or just fly a route with a continuous drop.

Yep

with releasing about 50 lbs

Uuupss, that's a lot of weight. Even a DJI Wind 8 has a max. payload of 22 lbs.
I think you have to run multiple missions. (but not economically with a Mavic)

 

[AMann]

Yes, that's possible.


Yep


Uuupss, that's a lot of weight. Even a DJI Wind 8 has a max. payload of 22 lbs.
I think you have to run multiple missions. (but not economically with a Mavic)

The M2P can’t lift 50lbs?

That’s partly why I wanted to use Litchi, not only to do precision drops but also to fly a lot of repetitive sorties.

The sorties would cover a field behind my house, and I have a few weeks to complete it. I have access to a wholesaler that is selling expired seed for cheap, and was playing with the idea of planting a giant image of a famous person that will be visible from drones or Google Earth using orange poppies... not sure if a continuous drop would work for it though.

Those Wind 8’s are cool- out of my league though, perhaps I should start a go fund me account to get one for this project!

 

[Keule]

with the idea of planting a giant image of a famous person that will be visible from drones or Google Earth using orange poppies

Cool idea!
Report back how things worked out! (and photos please ...)

Good luck with your project!

 

[Qoncussion]

Here's another reason to like waypoints...

 

[Jim Dow]

My waypoint generator for curved flight lines is not quite ready for release; but it will be released soon as a web-based application. Output will include kml/kMz and csv file formats. More to come.

 

[bushie]

Yes, it works that way. The aircraft does indeed have internal memory. Your mission is uploaded to the aircraft itself. You do not need contact with it after the mission is loaded. Gimbal pitch changes, speed changes, and way-point actions (in straight line missions) DO require contact with the remote to work, though.

With Drone Harmony there is a 99 WayPoint limit imposed by DJI. After the 99 waypoints the UAV stops, loads a futher 99 wayppints and then continues with the mission.

 

[Jim Dow]

It’s too bad that DJI has imposed the 99 waypoint limit. With today’s cheap memory/storage, this limit is unreasonable - unless there’s some other unreasonable reason for the limit.

 

[BD0G]

You have absolute control over drone and camera position with waypoints!

Instead of creating the Waypoint Mission online and flying it virually one can just use Lichti to fly in First Person View to the location that they want to take a picture or video and press the C1 button on the bottom of the remote controller. Then fly to the next waypoint and do the same thing with the C1 button and over and over. Then one can assign Actions to those waypoints like , Take a picture or start recording video.

The flight transitions will be much cleaner than manually flying to those points. Plus you now have a saved mission that one can fly over and over again.

So when you state you want ultimate control over the framing and camera you have it with added benefits!

 

[Jim Dow]

Although my waypoint generator is not quite ready for release; but I'll share a mission plan for a large area - Pebble Creek Mine, Alaska - to illustrate some of the characteristics of the curved flight lines. I hope someone will recognize some of the benefits for using curved flight lines. There are no linear segments within the mission plan; and there are no segments parallel to any other segments. Therefore, there are no two images with the same orientation. There are very few turnout loops - this mission plan is designed for use with a fixed-wing drone or piloted aircraft. The objective is to avoid the systematic Structure-from-Motion doming (elevation) error.