Orbiting something other than a person or vehicle

LivinLarge · Oct 31, 2020

I figured out a way to have Skydio orbit something other than a person or vehicle. You have to go to the point you want to orbit, have the Skydio start tracking you, then leave the beacon and walk away with the phone. It will continue GPS tracking the beacon.

Skyking · Nov 7, 2020

LivinLarge said:
I figured out a way to have Skydio orbit something other than a person or vehicle. You have to go to the point you want to orbit, have the Skydio start tracking you, then leave the beacon and walk away with the phone. It will continue GPS tracking the beacon.

So why hasn't SkyDio added an "Orbit an object" feature? ! ?

VEGASROBBI · Nov 7, 2020

I assume because they want a gps signal from the subject to back up optical recognition.

Optical alone provides a weak lock on the subject.

LivinLarge · Nov 7, 2020

They told me that this feature as well as waypoints and 360 panoramas will be in their Enterprise app to be announced later this year.

VEGASROBBI · Nov 8, 2020

Makes sense with Enterprise given the missions it will fly - mapping, S&R....

Maybe their thought process is a short-range follow drone should have a GPS fix at all time. That's also how Parrot treats the Anafi in follow modes; however, Anafi has waypoints and other smart shots that do not require GPS. It would be nice to see Skydio trickle it down to the S2.

I think it's more a decision of safety and warranty repairs than it is technical competence. DJI has been optical only since active track with many of their drones and while there is definitely a downside many customers demand it.

LivinLarge · Nov 8, 2020

VEGASROBBI said:
Makes sense with Enterprise given the missions it will fly - mapping, S&R....

Maybe their thought process is a short-range follow drone should have a GPS fix at all time. That's also how Parrot treats the Anafi in follow modes; however, Anafi has waypoints and other smart shots that do not require GPS. It would be nice to see Skydio trickle it down to the S2.

I think it's more a decision of safety and warranty repairs than it is technical competence. DJI has been optical only since active track with many of their drones and while there is definitely a downside many customers demand it.

As I understand this, the Enterprise app will work with Skydio 2.

SunTunnel · Nov 10, 2020

I wonder what the cost will be and if they'll charge a monthly fee? I had a DJI Mavic previously and paid $25 for the Litchi app which I used to create waypoints on a map before uploading to the drone. I would love that feature for the Skydio 2 but as this is just a bit of fun (consumer not pro), I'm not going to pay $$$ for it.

LivinLarge · Nov 10, 2020

SunTunnel said:
I wonder what the cost will be and if they'll charge a monthly fee? I had a DJI Mavic previously and paid $25 for the Litchi app which I used to create waypoints on a map before uploading to the drone. I would love that feature for the Skydio 2 but as this is just a bit of fun (consumer not pro), I'm not going to pay $$$ for it.

My Mavic pro would fly waypoint missions but you had to fly the mission manually first and record the points. Litchi was better because you could preplan the missions. My Typhoon H and Parrot Anafi could both preplan and fly waypoint missions without paying extra. I hope Skydio does not charge for these features or require a monthly subscription. I would probably sell my Skydio if they do.

SteveCJr · Nov 16, 2020

You can also just tap on any object and select the skill you want it to perform. Orbit, vortex, dronie and what not.

Lifeisfun · Nov 16, 2020

SteveCJr said:
You can also just tap on any object and select the skill you want it to perform. Orbit, vortex, dronie and what not.

Not on S2 , the DJi that is (just for people that they considering purchasing)

SteveCJr · Nov 16, 2020

Lifeisfun said:
Not on S2 , the DJi that is (just for people that they considering purchasing)

What do you mean not on s2? Did I get a magical one? Maybe not an option with just phone and beacon, as I haven't tried. But I was able to with my controller. I'll try to get a scren capture the next time I go out. Weather won't be that great the next few days.

LivinLarge · Nov 16, 2020

SteveCJr said:
What do you mean not on s2? Did I get a magical one? Maybe not an option with just phone and beacon, as I haven't tried. But I was able to with my controller. I'll try to get a scren capture the next time I go out. Weather won't be that great the next few days.

Yes, yours must be magical. There is no way to select something that is not a person or vehicle.

Lifeisfun · Nov 16, 2020

SteveCJr said:
What do you mean not on s2? Did I get a magical one? Maybe not an option with just phone and beacon, as I haven't tried. But I was able to with my controller. I'll try to get a scren capture the next time I go out. Weather won't be that great the next few days.

I guess you did

Only objects that display the + sign like car, bike...
Try to select swing set or boat, did not work for me.

SteveCJr · Nov 16, 2020

After playing with it again, you are correct, there's no way to choose objects to orbit. But, you can orbit around anything using one-shots.

Mike_Flys · Nov 27, 2020

LivinLarge said:
I figured out a way to have Skydio orbit something other than a person or vehicle. You have to go to the point you want to orbit, have the Skydio start tracking you, then leave the beacon and walk away with the phone. It will continue GPS tracking the beacon.

Do you have any footage shot this way?

LivinLarge · Nov 27, 2020

Mike_Flys said:
Do you have any footage shot this way?

Not Yet. I just did a few tests to see if it would work. I will try to shoot a sample video tomorrow.

LivinLarge · Nov 28, 2020

Mike_Flys said:
Do you have any footage shot this way?

Here is a quick video I did this morning to demonstrate the Skydio 2 orbiting the Beacon. I started the Skydio and connected the beacon and then the phone. Placed the beacon on a light on the pool wall and walked away. The Skydio stopped racking me and locked on the beacon as I got farther away from it. Then I was able to use the controls on the phone to orbit the beacon CW and CCW and at different distances. The GPS location was not very accurate, as Skydio was orbiting a point closer to the center of the pool.

frankbonatelli · Mar 21, 2021

Yea seems to me to be a failing of the system. Its a lot of money to have spent and it can not do a simple spiral around a static subject. Its amazing at follow but we need to be able to draw attention to subjects along the journey we are filming. This idea of placing the beacon is a decent one for sure. Need to give it a try and see how i can use it.
Thanks for the imagineering!