DJI FPV Upgrade Wishlist?

[PTease]

Hi guys, so we've seen what the DJI FPV Drone can and CAN'T do. What do you think can be given to the product in order to make it more accepted by consumers? I'm thinking more in line with the option to upgrade in the future with carbon fiber arms, a 1-inch sensor, and maybe additional obsctacle sensors? For firmware updates, what do you guys think?​

 

[memlak]

Better PID controller.
This thing propwashes like it's 2016 on Betaflight 2.

 

[thetechnobear]

I think its pretty close for its target market ...
I think regardless of what DJI do, the diy community will not embrace it,so not alot of point trying to please, those who are ultimately unlikely to but it anyway.
seems unlikely we will see a v2 of this, for quite a while (18 mths?) - I think DJI will need to see how demand/sales develop after the initial hype dies down.


that said....
I'd like to see DJI create a drone that perhaps could be less of a hybrid, perhaps something the dji fpv owners who like the acro might 'upgrade' too.. that could perhaps be a bit more bare bones/repairable/stronger. perhaps this could be the 'dji fpv mini' ?
(however, as much as Id love this, I find it hard to see this as something that would interest DJI much)

I think my best hope, is that DJI create an DJI Air Unit v2, thats provides controller and better goggles compatibilty.
so we can reuse this part of the combo package with other drones.

as for firmware...I think theres a lot that could be done here...
- DJI Fly - we need the OSD , this would also allow better VLOS flying.
- rates/exp on all modes (not just M), perhaps alternative 'profiles'
- VSI rate/climb indicator
- some kind of centreband , when flying N/S more with uncentered 'throttle' (i.e. M mode contoller)
- Attitude indicator in M mode ... this could be really useful when learning
- perhaps other features things that are in mavic series - map,histogram
- rocker , customisable angles for gimbal - very useful for M mode. (e.g. 10, 25 , 45)
- v2 controller compatibility with v1 ? (not sure if this is technically possible with hardware !)
- smart modes? not sure Id want these, but perhaps some that are tailourted to the fpv experience might be fun.


I think the current firmware whilst complete, feels a little 'light' compared to the mavic series, and Id not be surprised if we get some pretty major upgrades to it.

but overall, having flow in a lot for about a week now... I think its an excellent drone for the market it was created for.

I think the other exciting side of this is.... not what DJI does, but what others in the fpv drone space can learn from the dji fpv.
whilst its a hybrid, so its not aiming to be the best acro drone... things like air brake, rth, battery life/management... all look like things that could be nice to see in other fpv drones.

 

[memlak]

things like air brake, rth, battery life/management... all look like things that could be nice to see in other fpv drones.

"Air brake" is nice in enough altitude for beginners, but doesn't help if flying low to the ground through trees or obstacles. Here, robustness is important as crashes do happen if you want to get better. I mean, here's a video of me flying acro through trees with a 2 incher. No way I could react fast enough with pressing some "brake" button.

For battery life, I have never strapped a 6S 2000mAh to my 5 inch racers, but I am sure battery life would be quite similar. It's not like you get anywhere close to 20 minutes flight time when flying all out acro with the DJI FPV drone.

 

[JoostGT3]

Hmmm coming from a string of Mavics, I love the FPV. Some things I would like to see:

1. Camera automatically pointing in the direction of flight (now, when flying slow, having the horizon levelled can mean you’re actually deacending)
2. Like someone else mentioned, a more clear graphic of vertical speed
3. More battery life? I know, for an FPV drone it is already quite amazing, but coming from a Mavic, it’s hard to get used to only 5min of flight per battery

 

[msinger]

It's not like you get anywhere close to 20 minutes flight time when flying all out acro with the DJI FPV drone.

You'd probably be lucky to even get 10 minutes. This might not be the type of drone one would choose for flying all out acro though.

 

[Kilrah]

Camera automatically pointing in the direction of flight (now, when flying slow, having the horizon levelled can mean you’re actually deacending)

That's what it does in S and N, but in manual you can't really do that without getting confused and likely crashing. Since the view is your attitude indicator, having the view angle change messes up your attitude perception.

 

[thetechnobear]

"Air brake" is nice in enough altitude for beginners, but doesn't help if flying low to the ground through trees or obstacles. Here, robustness is important as crashes do happen if you want to get better. I mean, here's a video of me flying acro through trees with a 2 incher. No way I could react fast enough with pressing some "brake" button.

no one is saying that the "air brake" will save you in ALL situations - it cannot bend the laws of physics. (all it does is do a dramatic pitch roll, followed by thrust, then hover)
its like any 'emergency' procedure - the correct thing is to not get into the crash situation in the first place.

also, having such a feature doesn't mean you shouldn't develop skills, the more you develop the more you'l be able to do.
we know what the dji fpv is, and is not... due to its construction, you should try to fly within your abilities, perhaps a bit conservative.

if you want to do 'risky' manoveurs (and dont have a very deep pocket ) , for sure get a diy drone, this is not really the drone for trying to push beyond your talents.

of course, that doesn't mean accidents wont happen, they might... at that point perhaps the air brake might save you, perhaps you are lucky, perhaps not.

 

[rktman]

"Air brake" is nice in enough altitude for beginners, but doesn't help if flying low to the ground through trees or obstacles.

I think that's a bit black and white. Seems to be situation-specific, and already it's bailed me out twice -- once from slamming into trees I wasn't situationally aware of as I came around a sweeping turn (newbie FPV pilot), and another time a near explosion slamming into the ground.

I'm having a bit too much fun with the Motion Controller in Sport before I'm FULLY ready, and have backed off a bit (but still flying in Sport )

Now, in tight spaces, I can see how it would be of limited use, of course.

 

[droneguy]

Better props!!!!! Better props will likely help the horrible tune on this thing. At the very least, better propos will be needed as a foundation for better tuning if DJI chooses to tune it.

 

[rktman]

Better props!!!!! Better props will likely help the horrible tune on this thing. At the very least, better propos will be needed as a foundation for better tuning if DJI chooses to tune it.

For us noobs, would you mind giving a paragraph or two on how tuning impacts the flight characteristics of the drone? Or a link reference? Thanks!

 

[A.O.]

Better PID controller.
This thing propwashes like it's 2016 on Betaflight 2.

Uh oh.. PID controller? New guy wants to know..

 

[droneguy]

For us noobs, would you mind giving a paragraph or two on how tuning impacts the flight characteristics of the drone? Or a link reference? Thanks!

Having a proper tuned quad meant that the quad feels locked in and extremely responsive to your stick inputs. It's like comparing a Porsche 2020 GT2-RS to a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454. Even if you have lots of power, the handling characteristics will vary significantly. The ability to tune a drones allows you to refine with precision how handles situations and stick inputs. It's like taking a tight S-bend in a Chevelle versus the Porsche. Both can make the corners but one will be all sideways, off balance and barely in control while the other due to it's finely tuned suspension will stay locked on it's path with little body roll.

The flight controller uses a PID controller to adjust the motor outputs to effectively match your stick commands. It also adjust for external forces applied to the drone (ie. wind, turbulence, etc.) and filtrs out noise from vibrations and external factors. The PID controller runs in a loop (8000 times per second on many quads) constantly using the gyro, magnetic field of the motors (used to determine RPM) and accelerometer data to check the current state versus the set-point you set withe the sticks. When a PID controller is poorly tuned, it isn't as responsive and some bad flight characteristics are exhibited, like prop wash, drifting in corners, motor surges etc. Tuning the PID controller for your quad means you adjust the way this controller responds to your commands. In most FC software, you can tune the parameters to and ideal state where the drone feels like it's on rails in the air. This type of precision tuning allows much better control over the aircraft and like in the car analogy, gives you the feeling of driving a Porsche. This tuning is different for every combination or quad parts. Different motors, heavier battery, different props all mean a slightly different tune to get the best flying drone.

DJI has an advantage in that every FPV drone is exactly the same. Same weight, motors, props CG, etc. So tuning this drone is done once and every drone will fly the same. DJI engineers did a lack luster job of tuning this drone compared to what FPV pilots are used to. If we look back 5 years ago, the flight controller software was less advanced and had fewer parameters and capabilities for tuning and therefore didn't fly as well. Within the past year or two several advancements in the software have resulted in the best flying quads to date. So great in fact that it has elevated the potential of what you can do with your drone due to the precision and handling characteristics of a modern FC. The DJI eco system is closed, you can not tune the PID controller which is why there is one set of props and one battery option. The choice of props from DJI are disappointing in that they will not provide best performance and therefore the tune will suffer. Also, DJI engineers will likely release a new tune down the road once they get the feedback about the current tune. The FPV drone flies well, but it's far from tuned to it's potential. Like @memlak said, it currently flies like an old version of Betaflight on default settings.

I fully expect a tune update in future firmware versions, but until then, we have to accept that the DJI engineers tuning abilities with be the limiting factor in the potential of this drone.