That looks great. The one thing I don't get is it has to remain within wi-fi range, but goes 100 meters up. Is that not outside the range of the wi-fi? I haven't played with mine enough yet, but I thought a couple hundred feet was as far as I could go with an unmodified drone 2.0. Does the gps increase the range?
Depending upon WiFi "noise" in your area the range stock could be as far as 400 meters. This would only happen if your in the middle of nowhere......have a good WiFi system in your phone / tablet......and maintain line of sight (nothing between you and the AR Drone). With mods like the external antenna, repeaters, or a WiFi booster (like mine ) you can get miles of range (I easily get 1 Km, 1.5 on a good day in noisy WiFi areas). The only thing is, I do not know if the WiFi booster will be effected by / or effect the GPS module.......when I get one I will let you all know.
I could be wrong, but I think with software updates the GPS will be capable of autonomous flight to a certain degree - that is, some waypoints! That is what was shown when it was first announced. Parrot also claims they have sold 1/2 million total AR's. That's quite amazing. The real secret sauce to the future seems to be in software! That "Director" mode they announced looks pretty neat. ICE, let us know if you try that feature!
What is all this concern with WiFi distance? It's far enough for pretty well most people. You can still go pretty far with WiFi, so why would you want any more If distance? if your looking for more distance, then your an irresponsible flyer. And people who want to fly outside WiFi range will wreak this hobby for us all. I have a DJI Phantom also, and a 900 meter range, but lucky to go over 200-300 feet. It is plenty high enough for anyone.
The AR has a reputation of flying away....when it loses range, and it also can get confused when lots of wifi signals are around. I agree that 95% of flights for basic camera moves, etc. may be within 200 feet, but I like to have some wiggle room. It's also important to have the GPS as it provides return to home - which your DJI has! When you take your quad up to 300 feet and the wind takes it over the trees, it's nice to have that option!
Easy answer, http://vimeo.com/channels/firstpersonview I have been FPV flying for over 20 years, I follow all common sense and local laws while doing so.........a "blanket statement" like you wrote above IMHO is more dangerous than wanting to fly via FPV. While I agree that some people are doing stupid things, it is not most.......we, as a community, need to educate those who are "irresponsible flyers". I do not know where you are located, but if you ever want to experience true FPV flight I would be more than willing to "take you on a flight"....................and show you how its done responsibly and correctly, hope you like the desert....its hot right now at the flying fields (119 F / 48.333 C yesterday)
Yeah, ICE, I was going to add that distances are an entirely different thing in the desert or in open meadows or plains and canyons. 200 feet is going to seem like a joke. I can understand the need for Return to Home in such cases - because you do lose orientation.
That's why its nice to have the GPS info streamed onto the video feed back, and to know your terrain before you fly. I "walk" the flight before takeoff, or if a super long range flight (anything more than "line of sight) take the ATV out and drive it. This allows me to find emergency landing zones and find out where obstetrical s (power wires, towers, buildings, "No Fly Zones") are. No the AR Drone is not my long range aircraft, but "Project Wyvern", the 700E Helicopter, and my A-10 jet are. The Jet is fast, and is what passengers get "strapped" into for one heck of a "ride". Another reason for my "need for distance", Project Wyvern (yes I need to update the posting) has been used in some pretty cool "missions" lately. Here is a quote from this story http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/19/unmanned-aircraft_n_3466913.html "So far, most civilian drones are small, with many used for data-gathering. They have also flown into forest fires in Arizona to take temperatures and help firefighters understand where the blaze might go next. They have helped patrol the U.S.-Mexican border and been used by scientists to track animal migration." A few of us have been helping Game and Fish monitor wildlife, Project Wyvern has proven to be a great asset in this arena due to is lack of noise (I don't spook animals when they cant hear it). Along with the radio collars and tracking systems we can see where the animals are and if they are still viable (not taken out by unlawful hunting). Yep, guess I am one of those "irresponsible flyers"..................
I take one of my AR Drones with the flight recorder and use Qgroundcontrol if you have a laptop you can then setup waypoints and then send the AR out on a mission having it return when it is done. You don't have to worry about Wi-Fi as it is all recorded in the flight recorder. Just make sure before you press takeoff you check to make sure the waypoints are saved. I have a short video of my first flights like this. One is from the AR Drone, and the other I recorded as it was flying its mission. Take the AR to a new level. http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHIzeebGCoRULa8sSY2QyUA Grandpa Jake
