Drones have been a hot topic in the news for some time. Depending on
what you’ve read, they’re devastatingly effective weapons of war, the
next big threat to personal privacy, a revolutionary leap in video technology, or hazardous toys capable of chopping your fingers off.
To be fair, there’s a measure of truth to all those
statements. But you might be surprised to learn that drones will soon
affect our everyday lives in a host of useful ways. People are already
using them to deliver fast food to hungry teens in Virginia, improve the
productivity of Midwestern farms, and even protect rhinos and elephants
in Africa from poachers.
In the next year, almost 2.3 million of the unmanned
aircraft will be sold, according to market analysis firm Skylogic
Research. And the vast majority will be the multirotor models embraced
by apple farmers, wedding photographers, and search-and-rescue workers.
“This is one of the few technologies that could
revolutionize the way the world appears,” says Mark Blanks, who oversees
the test site at Virginia Tech University where air-traffic-control
concerns related to drones are being studied.
2017年2月28日星期二
In Case You Missed It: Live at DJI Headquarters
I recently visited DJI headquarters to go Behind the Brand of one of
the hottest drone makers and OEMs developing tools for filmmakers and
video creators.
The highlight was definitely the new Mavic Pro. It's is a small yet powerful drone that turns the sky into your creative canvas easily and without worry, helping you make every moment an aerial moment. Its compact size hides a high degree of complexity that makes it one of DJI’s most sophisticated flying cameras ever. Twenty-four high-performance computing cores, an all-new transmission system with a 4.3-mile range, five vision sensors and a 4K camera stabilized by a three-axis mechanical gimbal are at your command with just a push of your thumb or a tap of your finger.
Helping you fly farther.
Inside the Mavic’s pocket-sized remote controller is DJI’s brand-new OcuSync transmission technology, with a range of 4.3 miles and full HD 1080p video streaming.
No bumps and scapes.
An unprotected drone could hit obstacles during long-distance flight or when descending from an inadequate height in "Return to Home" mode. The Mavic uses FlightAutonomy technology to sense obstacles up to 49 feet away. It can then bypass these obstacles or brake to hover, reducing accidents even when flying beyond visual range.
The highlight was definitely the new Mavic Pro. It's is a small yet powerful drone that turns the sky into your creative canvas easily and without worry, helping you make every moment an aerial moment. Its compact size hides a high degree of complexity that makes it one of DJI’s most sophisticated flying cameras ever. Twenty-four high-performance computing cores, an all-new transmission system with a 4.3-mile range, five vision sensors and a 4K camera stabilized by a three-axis mechanical gimbal are at your command with just a push of your thumb or a tap of your finger.
Helping you fly farther.
Inside the Mavic’s pocket-sized remote controller is DJI’s brand-new OcuSync transmission technology, with a range of 4.3 miles and full HD 1080p video streaming.
No bumps and scapes.
An unprotected drone could hit obstacles during long-distance flight or when descending from an inadequate height in "Return to Home" mode. The Mavic uses FlightAutonomy technology to sense obstacles up to 49 feet away. It can then bypass these obstacles or brake to hover, reducing accidents even when flying beyond visual range.
2017年2月27日星期一
DJI Phantom 4 Pro review
The P4 Pro is nearly identical to the original P4 in terms of both
design and build quality. It retains the same hull shape as its
predecessor, save for a few minor differences where the new sensors are
placed. As such, it’s every bit as strong and sturdy as the P4, which
remains among the most attractive and drones available.
It’s impressive that DJI has managed to outfit the drone with so many new features, while still maintaining an identical form factor. The additional sensors have been tucked into the drone’s legs, while infrared and optical sensors are fitted into the drone’s left and right sides. Even the camera, which is drastically better than the one found on the original P4, is just a bit larger than it was before. Unless you familiar with DJI’s drones, the P4 and P4 Pro are as good as identical, despite Phantom’s numerous enhancement.
It’s impressive that DJI has managed to outfit the drone with so many new features, while still maintaining an identical form factor. The additional sensors have been tucked into the drone’s legs, while infrared and optical sensors are fitted into the drone’s left and right sides. Even the camera, which is drastically better than the one found on the original P4, is just a bit larger than it was before. Unless you familiar with DJI’s drones, the P4 and P4 Pro are as good as identical, despite Phantom’s numerous enhancement.
DJI Osmo+ Camera Mount Gets Zoom Lens
DJI's Osmo handheld camera stabilization system now comes with integrated zoom up to 7x.DJI tipped 3.5x optical and 2x digital lossless zoom (when shooting at 1080p), which gives it "a focal length ranging from 22mm to 77mm without sacrificing HD quality," the company says. "It is similar to, but not interchangeable with, the new Zenmuse Z3 zoom camera recently launched for the Inspire 1 drone system."
"The Osmo+ opens up entirely new capabilities for creators who love the Osmo's ability to deliver crisp, sharp and detailed handheld imagery," Paul Pan, senior product manager, said in a statement.
"The Osmo+ opens up entirely new capabilities for creators who love the Osmo's ability to deliver crisp, sharp and detailed handheld imagery," Paul Pan, senior product manager, said in a statement.
2017年2月23日星期四
Fox Invades Comic-Con With Drones
Comic-Con, the 2014 iteration of which kicks off Thursday in San Diego, has seen an increasing amount of outlandish stunts over the years — stadiums full of zombies, entire pop-up houses devoted to movies.But Fox is set to kick it up a notch this year by bringing along a bunch of drones to promote the show 24 — and giving attendees instructions on how to pilot them. (What could possibly go wrong?)
We're told that the drone promotion, revealed exclusively to Mashable, includes lessons from a FAA-licensed drone pilot. Each DJI Phantom Vision 2+ quadrocopter comes equipped with a camera that will record the flight. Participating pilots will be encouraged to share the resulting video on social media."Should any drones go missing, we have received reports that Jack Bauer will be in the area to recover them," a Fox rep told us.
The drone flight lessons will be available at Petco Park in downtown San Diego Thursday through Saturday. The whole promotion ties in to the upcoming release of 24: Live Another Day on DVD and Blu-Ray.
The show featured hackers who hijack combat drones — somewhat larger than these quadrocopters — and turn them into terrorist threats. We're hoping attendees won't take matters that far.
We're told that the drone promotion, revealed exclusively to Mashable, includes lessons from a FAA-licensed drone pilot. Each DJI Phantom Vision 2+ quadrocopter comes equipped with a camera that will record the flight. Participating pilots will be encouraged to share the resulting video on social media."Should any drones go missing, we have received reports that Jack Bauer will be in the area to recover them," a Fox rep told us.
The drone flight lessons will be available at Petco Park in downtown San Diego Thursday through Saturday. The whole promotion ties in to the upcoming release of 24: Live Another Day on DVD and Blu-Ray.
The show featured hackers who hijack combat drones — somewhat larger than these quadrocopters — and turn them into terrorist threats. We're hoping attendees won't take matters that far.
Report: Walmart could start using drones to start delivering things to your house
According to Reuters, which saw a copy of a Walmart's Federal Aviation Administration application for drone use. The application would allow Walmart to use drones at its warehouses and around customers’ homes, and the reports suggests the giant retailer is ready to start flying drones as soon as the FAA settles on its new rules for commercial drone use.
Earlier this month, the FAA unveiled a new set of rules for private drone use that include registering many of the drones with the FAA before consumers start flying them. For commercial drones, which could be used in everything from filming movies to delivering groceries, the FAA has been considering some line-of-sight provisions that could make it virtually impossible for Amazon and now Walmart to use drones in home deliveries.
According to the report, Walmart plans to use drones from DJI to monitor inventories outside their warehouses, deliver packages to customers, many of whom live within five miles of their local Walmart, and to deliver groceries to pick up locations for customers.
DJI is one of the most popular drone makers on the market, with a line of Phantom drones, including the Phantom 3 Standard, which Mashable recently test drove (or flew).
"Drones have a lot of potential to further connect our vast network of stores, distribution centers, fulfillment centers and transportation fleet," Walmart spokesperson Dan Toporek told Reuters.
Of course, no one — not Amazon and not Walmart — is delivering anything by drone until the FAA finalizes its commercial plans, something that won't happen until next year, at the earliest. That's way late for your last-minute Christmas shopping plans, which could reasonably be assisted by drone deliveries.
2017年2月16日星期四
Share !Drones may one day save your life: European responders to use drones for rescue missions
Drones are opening up a world of new possibilities for consumers. They may have started off as aerial cameras, but now, as the technology has matured, they're finding applications far outside the realm of photography. Nowadays we've got drones that deliver goods, fight deforestation, and even patrol our coastlines to warn swimmers of nearby sharks -- but this is just the beginning. In the not so distant future, drones will also be used to save lives.
Staring very soon, DJI, the world's largest drone manufacturer, will be supplying drones to the European Emergency Number Association for use in high-impact situations like rescue missions -- a deal that could fundamentally change the way first responders operate.
Related: Dubai's Waste Management Department will soon use drones to catch litterbugs
"Drones are transforming the way first response and civil protection missions operate by not only helping commanders make faster, smarter and better informed decisions, but also by providing first responders with more detailed information from an aerial perspective," said Romeo Durscher, director of education at DJI, in a statement.
The partnership will involve the use of DJI's Phantom, Inspire, and Matrice 100 drones, which will be equipped with the company's Zenmuse XT thermal imaging system. Pilot programs will begin in May and September in Denmark and Ireland.
In the Denmark pilot program, the Greater Copenhagen Fire Department will be trained to use drones for things like firefighting, chemical accidents, and car accidents. The Irish Donegal Mountain Rescue Team is already using DJI-built software to coordinate rescue missions, however going forward they will also be working on improving real-time networking techniques and crowd-sourcing capabilities.
The program could open the door for other teams to incorporate drones into how they operate. At the end of the pilot programs, teams will "share insights and best practices with the broader international emergency-response community to promote the safe integration of drones in emergency situations," according to the statement.
The EENA has representatives from over 1,200 emergency services in 80 countries, so it's certainly well-positioned to implement drone use for emergency situations around Europe.
Staring very soon, DJI, the world's largest drone manufacturer, will be supplying drones to the European Emergency Number Association for use in high-impact situations like rescue missions -- a deal that could fundamentally change the way first responders operate.
Related: Dubai's Waste Management Department will soon use drones to catch litterbugs
"Drones are transforming the way first response and civil protection missions operate by not only helping commanders make faster, smarter and better informed decisions, but also by providing first responders with more detailed information from an aerial perspective," said Romeo Durscher, director of education at DJI, in a statement.
The partnership will involve the use of DJI's Phantom, Inspire, and Matrice 100 drones, which will be equipped with the company's Zenmuse XT thermal imaging system. Pilot programs will begin in May and September in Denmark and Ireland.
In the Denmark pilot program, the Greater Copenhagen Fire Department will be trained to use drones for things like firefighting, chemical accidents, and car accidents. The Irish Donegal Mountain Rescue Team is already using DJI-built software to coordinate rescue missions, however going forward they will also be working on improving real-time networking techniques and crowd-sourcing capabilities.
The program could open the door for other teams to incorporate drones into how they operate. At the end of the pilot programs, teams will "share insights and best practices with the broader international emergency-response community to promote the safe integration of drones in emergency situations," according to the statement.
The EENA has representatives from over 1,200 emergency services in 80 countries, so it's certainly well-positioned to implement drone use for emergency situations around Europe.
2017年2月13日星期一
DJI unleashes under-$1K Phantom 3 4K drone
LAS VEGAS—DJI has added a new Phantom to its line of consumer-friendly drones. The Phantom 3 4K delivers the same quality video as the Phantom 3 Professional
— that is, 30fps 4K footage at a 60Mbps compression rate—and it looks
almost exactly the same. But while the Professional will set you back
around $1,200, the Phantom 4K is priced at a friendlier $999.
So, what's missing? The answer is simple one that may be a nonissue for some and make the drone a nonstarter for others: operating range. The Phantom 3 Professional—as well as the $1,000 Advanced and pricey Inspire 1 and Inspire 1 Pro models all use DJI's LightBridge system to stream video back to the screen of a table or phone. In our tests we've found that LightBridge delivers solid video streaming at distances of up to 4,000 feet under the right conditions with the Inspire 1, and about 3,150 feet with the Phantom 3 Advanced.
The Phantom 3 4K relies on Wi-Fi to transmit the video feed back to the controller. This limits both resolution—the stream is 480p—and distance. DJI states that Wi-Fi transmission is good for a 3,937-foot operating range, but my tests of a pre-production Phantom 3 Standard unit didn't nearly match that. At its best, in a rural area, I was able to fly about 1,200 feet away before the video feed started to cut out, and I only managed 400 feet in the suburbs. Of course, that was a pre-production unit, and may not be indicative of the final product. When I flew a production model of the older Phantom 2 Vision+, which also uses Wi-Fi for video transmission, I was able to go 2,000 feet in a rural area with clear line of sight—still, that's only half of what DJI claims is possible.
The lack of LightBridge also means that you won't be able to connect an HDMI device to the remote, so don't expect to use it with FPV goggles. Aside from those differences, the Phantom 3 4K offers the same flight features as the Advanced and Professional models. It supports intelligent flight modes, including Point of Interest and Return to Home, and has the vision positioning system to help prevent crashes when flying low to the ground.
It's up to you whether the low-resolution video feed and limitd control range are worth a $200 savings. But DJI certainly does offer you options. If you want 4K video and don't mind a lower quality video feed to aid you while flying, this is it. You could spend the same amount on the Phantom 3 Advanced, which records 40Mbps 2.7K footage, and can fly much further, or you can spend a bit more for both 4K and LightBridge with the Phantom 3 Professional. And for drone videographers who are happy with both a fairly short control distance and 2.7K video, there's the $800 Phantom 3 Standard.
Pricing is set for the Phantom 3 4K at a reasonable $999, but there's no word on when the aircraft will be delivered. Like the other members of the Phantom family, the 4K is heavy enough to require registration in the United States.
So, what's missing? The answer is simple one that may be a nonissue for some and make the drone a nonstarter for others: operating range. The Phantom 3 Professional—as well as the $1,000 Advanced and pricey Inspire 1 and Inspire 1 Pro models all use DJI's LightBridge system to stream video back to the screen of a table or phone. In our tests we've found that LightBridge delivers solid video streaming at distances of up to 4,000 feet under the right conditions with the Inspire 1, and about 3,150 feet with the Phantom 3 Advanced.
The Phantom 3 4K relies on Wi-Fi to transmit the video feed back to the controller. This limits both resolution—the stream is 480p—and distance. DJI states that Wi-Fi transmission is good for a 3,937-foot operating range, but my tests of a pre-production Phantom 3 Standard unit didn't nearly match that. At its best, in a rural area, I was able to fly about 1,200 feet away before the video feed started to cut out, and I only managed 400 feet in the suburbs. Of course, that was a pre-production unit, and may not be indicative of the final product. When I flew a production model of the older Phantom 2 Vision+, which also uses Wi-Fi for video transmission, I was able to go 2,000 feet in a rural area with clear line of sight—still, that's only half of what DJI claims is possible.
The lack of LightBridge also means that you won't be able to connect an HDMI device to the remote, so don't expect to use it with FPV goggles. Aside from those differences, the Phantom 3 4K offers the same flight features as the Advanced and Professional models. It supports intelligent flight modes, including Point of Interest and Return to Home, and has the vision positioning system to help prevent crashes when flying low to the ground.
It's up to you whether the low-resolution video feed and limitd control range are worth a $200 savings. But DJI certainly does offer you options. If you want 4K video and don't mind a lower quality video feed to aid you while flying, this is it. You could spend the same amount on the Phantom 3 Advanced, which records 40Mbps 2.7K footage, and can fly much further, or you can spend a bit more for both 4K and LightBridge with the Phantom 3 Professional. And for drone videographers who are happy with both a fairly short control distance and 2.7K video, there's the $800 Phantom 3 Standard.
Pricing is set for the Phantom 3 4K at a reasonable $999, but there's no word on when the aircraft will be delivered. Like the other members of the Phantom family, the 4K is heavy enough to require registration in the United States.
2017年2月8日星期三
{Share } In Case You Missed It: Live at DJI Headquarters
recently visited DJI headquarters to go Behind the Brand of one of
the hottest drone makers and OEMs developing tools for filmmakers and
video creators.
The highlight was definitely the new Mavic Pro. It's is a small yet powerful drone that turns the sky into your creative canvas easily and without worry, helping you make every moment an aerial moment. Its compact size hides a high degree of complexity that makes it one of DJI’s most sophisticated flying cameras ever. Twenty-four high-performance computing cores, an all-new transmission system with a 4.3-mile range, five vision sensors and a 4K camera stabilized by a three-axis mechanical gimbal are at your command with just a push of your thumb or a tap of your finger.
Helping you fly farther.
Inside the Mavic’s pocket-sized remote controller is DJI’s brand-new OcuSync transmission technology, with a range of 4.3 miles and full HD 1080p video streaming.
No bumps and scapes.
An unprotected drone could hit obstacles during long-distance flight or when descending from an inadequate height in "Return to Home" mode. The Mavic uses FlightAutonomy technology to sense obstacles up to 49 feet away. It can then bypass these obstacles or brake to hover, reducing accidents even when flying beyond visual range.
The highlight was definitely the new Mavic Pro. It's is a small yet powerful drone that turns the sky into your creative canvas easily and without worry, helping you make every moment an aerial moment. Its compact size hides a high degree of complexity that makes it one of DJI’s most sophisticated flying cameras ever. Twenty-four high-performance computing cores, an all-new transmission system with a 4.3-mile range, five vision sensors and a 4K camera stabilized by a three-axis mechanical gimbal are at your command with just a push of your thumb or a tap of your finger.
Helping you fly farther.
Inside the Mavic’s pocket-sized remote controller is DJI’s brand-new OcuSync transmission technology, with a range of 4.3 miles and full HD 1080p video streaming.
No bumps and scapes.
An unprotected drone could hit obstacles during long-distance flight or when descending from an inadequate height in "Return to Home" mode. The Mavic uses FlightAutonomy technology to sense obstacles up to 49 feet away. It can then bypass these obstacles or brake to hover, reducing accidents even when flying beyond visual range.
{Sharing}Russia sends Syria its largest missile delivery to date, US officials say
Russia has just sent Syria the largest shipment of missiles between
the two countries to date, the latest delivery between the two allies
that could further change the stakes in the Middle East, U.S. officials
told Fox News on Wednesday.
TOP PUTIN CRITIC CONVICTED IN FRAUD RETRIAL, VOWS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT ANYWAY
The shipment of 50 SS-21 short-range ballistic missiles arrived at the Syrian port of Tartus along the Mediterranean Sea in the past two days, the officials said.
"For someone winding down a war, that’s a big missile shipment," one official said.
PUTIN CRITIC ALLEGEDLY POISONED IN 2015 FALLS INTO COMA, REPORT SAYS
The SS-21, which comes in different types, has a range of roughly 100 miles.
Russia has fired two SS-21 missiles and four longer-range SS-26 Iskander missiles in the past two days into Syria’s Idlib province against "opposition" fighters, according to those officials. It was not immediately clear whether the U.S. was backing any of those fighters.
TOP PUTIN CRITIC CONVICTED IN FRAUD RETRIAL, VOWS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT ANYWAY
The shipment of 50 SS-21 short-range ballistic missiles arrived at the Syrian port of Tartus along the Mediterranean Sea in the past two days, the officials said.
"For someone winding down a war, that’s a big missile shipment," one official said.
PUTIN CRITIC ALLEGEDLY POISONED IN 2015 FALLS INTO COMA, REPORT SAYS
The SS-21, which comes in different types, has a range of roughly 100 miles.
Russia has fired two SS-21 missiles and four longer-range SS-26 Iskander missiles in the past two days into Syria’s Idlib province against "opposition" fighters, according to those officials. It was not immediately clear whether the U.S. was backing any of those fighters.
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