I could see lots of things to be improved:
- optical zoom camera with 16/20/24 MP sensor
- arms that click secure into place (not wobble when folded)
- built in gimbal protector that opens, closes at user specified altitude, distance, time etc)
- parachute, if drone motors/batteries fail
- waterproof/dustproof, so we can fly in light rain and amongst water spray
- ground sensors switch off when detecting human hand (infrared?!), so we can hand catch it easily
- using some dedicated radio channel so it is not prone to interference when flying near wifi signals
- inflatable rescue capsules so it floats in case of water ditching (could be an option when buying)
- longer/stiffer joysticks, or customisable
- better battery life with inflight solar charging when possible
... shall I go on..?!
Your wish list is somewhat constricted by the technology currently available. Don't get me wrong, continuous improvement of tech should always be the direction of travel.
Zoom camera? Just move closer/further from your subject. Optical zoom requires extra weight, you'll compromise size and/or flight time. Digital zoom you can easily do in post film editing.
Arms that click into place. Do you have OCD? Don't see any need for this, they are sprung closed.
Gimbal protection that can happen in flight is going to take motor/solenoid again extra weight.
Parachute is an excellent idea but again it will make it bigger. If it deploys in the middle of a river and even with buoyancy device, you're still likely to be losing it.
Waterproof and dust proof. It's likely to be as protected as it can be, but when you have an open gimbal camera, air intakes with fan cooler and electric turbo fans it's difficult to do this. There is already a drone which can land in the water so it's not adding USP.
Hand catchable. If sensors turn off automatically then what happens when you have a false positive hand recognition? Device lands on uneven terrain if not ultra careful. Hand catching should not be encouraged. If you made hand catching a "feature" the DJI injury lawsuits will follow.
Dedicated radio channel. Unfortunately you're restricted by the EM spectrum being sliced into bands by authorities. You can only use what they give you. Not yet been bothered by WiFi causing an interference issue when using with RC.
Inflatable capsules could help with recovery, but still gonna get wet.
Longer/Customisable joysticks. Don't know why there is any need for this. The controller is awesome. The best design of any UAV I've seen. You can already customise the joystick layout and sensitivity in the settings.
Longer battery life. The battery and drone is going to get bigger if you use current tech. What you have currently is a sweet spot of compromise. As batteries advance there will be no doubt drones that can fly miles and be the size of insects. We're not there yet. Solar recharging on the go? The size of panel is going to be too small to add a significant charge. An extra second or two per flight is not going to make it viable as feature to even be considered.
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Me. I'll settle for a volume control for the RC.
