RiverEagle
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When you say it's doing better each flight are you saying it's learning somehow or did you mean you as operator?
Ray
Ray
My Skydio videos
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I'm convinced this drone stores data in something like a table, I won't go as far as to say it's learning but this and my last drone both got progressively better at tracking and staying connected the more I used them and I have done allot of flights, 2 years worth, usually 4 flights an outing, sometimes 6.
I ask it to do very similar type flying each time I use it so it's not difficult to see it improve or if performance gets worse. After the big update before the release of the 2+ it was like the drone started over. Performance was terrible, loss of signal in easy circumstances, poor tracking. I was not alone, lots of pilots experienced problems. Post update I had worked through some of that to the point where it was allot better, it went from 4 disconnects in a single flight to none. Around this time it fell out of the sky for another unknown reason and SD replaced it even though it still flew great. When the new drone arrived it was like starting over...again, weird behavior, disconnects, odd tracking etc... You can see the tracking is pretty good on this video, following me up an down steep hills that include trees to avoid. (no other done currently for sale can do that while flying autonomously). It's not perfect, I've noticed some changes that I don't like compared to the earlier software, SD felt the need to weight the tracking more in the visual recognition direction then GPS tracking. it's easy to see when you're editing the video and there's some problems associated with that, it far more likely to change subjects when it's on visual tracking, it did it 2x in that video. Visual tracking is also far more likely to loose the subject when the speeds get up there, if the subject passes out of sight and there's another potential subjets there's about a 50/50 chance it will latch onto another person. Used to be that it'd switch to GPS between the 2nd and third distance notch on the beacon, now it doesn't happen for me till somewhere between the 3rd and 4th notch.
Ether way it's doing far better then it's first few flights. It's not a learning thing on my part, it use it in the same way almost every time and I've got allot of practice.
I ask it to do very similar type flying each time I use it so it's not difficult to see it improve or if performance gets worse. After the big update before the release of the 2+ it was like the drone started over. Performance was terrible, loss of signal in easy circumstances, poor tracking. I was not alone, lots of pilots experienced problems. Post update I had worked through some of that to the point where it was allot better, it went from 4 disconnects in a single flight to none. Around this time it fell out of the sky for another unknown reason and SD replaced it even though it still flew great. When the new drone arrived it was like starting over...again, weird behavior, disconnects, odd tracking etc... You can see the tracking is pretty good on this video, following me up an down steep hills that include trees to avoid. (no other done currently for sale can do that while flying autonomously). It's not perfect, I've noticed some changes that I don't like compared to the earlier software, SD felt the need to weight the tracking more in the visual recognition direction then GPS tracking. it's easy to see when you're editing the video and there's some problems associated with that, it far more likely to change subjects when it's on visual tracking, it did it 2x in that video. Visual tracking is also far more likely to loose the subject when the speeds get up there, if the subject passes out of sight and there's another potential subjets there's about a 50/50 chance it will latch onto another person. Used to be that it'd switch to GPS between the 2nd and third distance notch on the beacon, now it doesn't happen for me till somewhere between the 3rd and 4th notch.
Ether way it's doing far better then it's first few flights. It's not a learning thing on my part, it use it in the same way almost every time and I've got allot of practice.
RiverEagle
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Very interesting and encouraging too... It does make sense what with it being equipped with some form of artificial intelligence/learning.
What you described sounds a lot like what happened with a used Nissan Xterra I bought a couple years ago -- most vehicles these days learn how you drive and adjust accordingly like mine did. The difference in my case is I tow my camper pretty much full time with it and I'm sure the previous owner didn't do any towing like most.
The first few hundred miles the gas mileage was terrible as well as the handling and such. I'd also get traction warnings etc. etc. I thought I bought a lemon but as I kept going it seemed to adapt to hauling a camper and how the load shifted on turns, etc. etc. and the warnings went away, the MPG was finally at appropriate levels, etc.
It was a pretty interesting experience.
What you described sounds a lot like what happened with a used Nissan Xterra I bought a couple years ago -- most vehicles these days learn how you drive and adjust accordingly like mine did. The difference in my case is I tow my camper pretty much full time with it and I'm sure the previous owner didn't do any towing like most.
The first few hundred miles the gas mileage was terrible as well as the handling and such. I'd also get traction warnings etc. etc. I thought I bought a lemon but as I kept going it seemed to adapt to hauling a camper and how the load shifted on turns, etc. etc. and the warnings went away, the MPG was finally at appropriate levels, etc.
It was a pretty interesting experience.
@Ridefreak
You said “SD felt the need to weight the tracking more in the visual recognition direction then GPS tracking.”
I have no doubt in your analysis as you use the drone in a very consistent and frequent manner.
I am a bit confused by why Skydio would alter the priority of visual over GPS as it would seem that they would have that optimized by now. Engineers like to tinker though so maybe it’s just that!
I may be wrong but I think the only “control device” that uses GPS to alter the drones tracking ability is the beacon, the controller and phone app (only) rely just on the cameras on the drone to track so maybe they were trying to improve that.
The change doesn’t sound like it made the beacon better and in fact the change has altered the experienced pilots ability to predict what the drone is likely to do.
You said “SD felt the need to weight the tracking more in the visual recognition direction then GPS tracking.”
I have no doubt in your analysis as you use the drone in a very consistent and frequent manner.
I am a bit confused by why Skydio would alter the priority of visual over GPS as it would seem that they would have that optimized by now. Engineers like to tinker though so maybe it’s just that!
I may be wrong but I think the only “control device” that uses GPS to alter the drones tracking ability is the beacon, the controller and phone app (only) rely just on the cameras on the drone to track so maybe they were trying to improve that.
The change doesn’t sound like it made the beacon better and in fact the change has altered the experienced pilots ability to predict what the drone is likely to do.
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The GPS vs Visual difference I described could actually be the difference in one drone to another, I've only had two so not allot to compare to. Mine was replaced right when they sent out the problematic update.
I was very used to the way the other drone flew, this one is just a little different.
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I went out for a ride on the Fat Tire bike yesterday and brought the skydio along for some more "training" haha.
It did well but this is pretty easy tracking.
It did well but this is pretty easy tracking.
RiverEagle
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Great cinematography! Looks like you've gotten in a nice groove with your Skydio.
BTW I noticed your backpack isn't the Nak Pak you recommended -- did you get a replacement?
Ray
P.S. What are you using for title graphics? They're slick.
BTW I noticed your backpack isn't the Nak Pak you recommended -- did you get a replacement?
Ray
P.S. What are you using for title graphics? They're slick.
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I use that one on the MCs and carry allot more stuff, batteries, tools food water. It'd would have been overkill for this ride. That pack in the video was just the drone in it's case and a couple small items,
kgilbertsen
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kgilbertsen
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RiverEagle
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Nice! BTW this is Ridefreak's video thread -- I suggest you start your own thread in the video category here Photos and Videos so you have your own thread of videos we can follow : )
Ray
kgilbertsen
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I'm ok with it but the folks that are interested in your content won't know where to find it.
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This video was shot saturday, after the recent update. We had a great ride, just the old guys out seeing the sights.
skydioconvert
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Another well put together video and sound track.... enjoyed it very much,
Terrain looked especially rough !!!
Any chance you have GPS co-ordinates for the start and end of the trail?
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If you notice many of those are single-track, the side by sides take pleasure in making our narrow trails look like a highway. I can tell you the area but not anything that would lead someone to these trails. Nothing personal, I've watched most of our trails get ruined this way.
skydioconvert
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Daniel_Boavida
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