Drone News & Articles

Drone hire has many benefits, including cheaper upfront costs, greater flexibility and dynamic scaling, and providing the option of try before you buy. Find out how Drones for Hire's rental service can help you.

It enables you to acquire aircraft on a short-term basis for a significantly cheaper upfront cost and removes the risks associated with purchasing, such as being left with old or redundant equipment.  

Drone hire also provides great flexibility, allowing you to only access the technology when you need it or dynamically scale your fleet based on demand or for a specific job. It also presents a great try before you buy option and enables you to always fly with the latest kit.

This blog explores the benefits of drone hire and why rental could be the option for you.      

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DRONE HIRE?

Hiring a drone has multiple advantages compared to an outright purchase. It is a very flexible option and works out significantly cheaper.

In many ways, drone rental opens up the technology to more people and makes it even more accessible.

FLEXIBILITY: ON-DEMAND AVAILABILITY AND DYNAMIC SCALING

Renting enables you to access the drone only when you need it - meaning you don't have aircraft sitting unused for months.

Got a specific job that requires a certain drone or payload? Then rent your desired piece of hardware on a short-term basis, and then hand it back when the job is done. This is perfect for dynamic scaling, helping you cater for periods of high demand.

 This option is also attractive for pilots who are starting a drone business. Rather than committing to the full price of hardware upfront, rent a drone and see if the business is viable and the technology works for you, before forking out the full cost. This is invaluable for the proof of concept stage and represents a reduced-risk option.  

Going on holiday for a week and fancy capturing some unique footage? Then rent a drone for the period of your break, shoot content to help remember your trip, and then return it after your vacation. 

Buying a drone for a fortnight's holiday doesn't make sense. Renting a Mini 2 for a week suddenly becomes a much more viable and enticing option. 

ACCESS THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY

Renting is a truly flexible option. Not only does it allow you to have the kit only when the need it, but it also means that you can always access the latest technology.

This will give you the competitive edge for commercial operations, or enable you to enjoy the most up-to-date model with upgraded camera specs and flight safety systems if you are flying recreationally.

Why be lumbered with an older drone you have previously purchased, when you can get your hands on the newest model on a short-term basis, whenever you want or need it, and take advantage of its enhanced specs. For instance, the M300 RTK is superior to its older sibling, the M200 V2. 

And let's face it, technology moves fast.

The Air 2S, for instance, was released just a year after the Mavic Air 2, with vastly superior specs. If you'd bought the Air 2, you might be feeling a) annoyed that your $1500 investment has been trumped just 12 months later by a newer model, and b) be reluctant to buy the newest model because of your previous outlay. Renting takes away this headache.

DRONE HIRE - SUMMARY

Depending on your situation, hiring a drone can make a lot of sense.

It's not to say that buying one is a bad decision; far from it, and for some operators - commercial and recreational - purchasing an aircraft outright is a sensible one.

But drone rental provides another option, which for other people can represent better value for money and reduces some of the risk associated with buying.

For more details and to view the rental range, contact us with the chat button on the bottom left of the page!

Many drone companies trying to pinpoint their marketing efforts have asked how drones are used on jobsites. Now, the latest report from Drone Industry Insights (DRONEII) has the answer: from surveying to security, the Drone Application Report 2021 lists 237 different commercial application examples.

Some companies focus on sectors: public safety, energy, or construction.  It’s an approach that makes sense: enterprise companies often purchase from partners that they know.  Within those sectors, however, are a wide variety of ways that commercial drones can be applied: and some require different features and accessories to be performed optimally.  How exactly are enterprise customers in each sector using UAV?  Pinpointing those applications could help manufacturers and partners develop the right sensors and software for each job. “Whether it’s Germany, Sweden, Brazil or Malaysia, drones are innovating business development in a similar way to what smartphones started to do in the early 2000s, and the key is neither hardware nor software but a combination of these into a valuable application,” writes DRONEII’s Ed Alvarado.

The Top Commercial UAV Applications

In the energy industry, DRONEII finds that the top UAV applications center around inspections: in construction, surveying and mapping is the primary use.  Both sectors use the technology for both purposes, however – as well as a variety of other uses, including the emergence of drone delivery on some construction jobsites.

“In the Energy sector, roughly 83% of the time drones are used to carry out inspections that could be life-threatening to a human or would cost companies millions of dollars in lost revenue…. Another industry where drones are mostly used for inspections is Real Estate, Rental & Leasing, and Industrial Plants (67%),” Alvarado writes.

“Meanwhile, in Construction, drones are mostly (80%) used for mapping and surveying (e.g. aerial planning, inventory management, topographic mapping, 3D reconstruction of sites or ongoing construction projects). This enhances worker safety, provides digital data that was not available before, makes project management more efficient, and speeds up projects while decreasing cost in terms of time and money.”

While UAV technology and sensors are often multi-purpose, more and more sophisticated software allows industries to integrate drone technology into their existing workflows.  The data indicates change- the once absolutely dominant “Photography and Filming” now is the central application for only a handful of industries.  As the ecosystem of AI-powered software, lightweight sensors, accessories and automated hardware expands, so will the number of commercial applications.

Written by Mirian McNabb | 6 May 2021

Star Wars is a cult phenomenon that belies all pop culture norms. Its appeal transcends generations, political affiliations, hobbies, interests, everything. The franchise just knows how to cater to everyone – from 5-year-olds to 75-year-olds. So, when it comes to dissecting, debating, and discussing every little detail in every little scene from the galactic saga, it’s not just the hardcore fans who can’t get enough. It triggers excitement in just about all of us.

You’re probably aware that Disney is working on a 12-part original series set in the Star Wars universe. It’s called Andor, supposed to be a prequel to the hit film Rogue One, and filming is already underway at London’s Pinewood Studios.

This month, the production crew moved into a beachfront resort café in a small English town called Cleveleys. And an enterprising drone pilot, Craig Newman, caught all the deets on video.

Newman is a professional cinematographer who has worked with the likes of BBC and Sky TV. He has been keeping an eye on the Star Wars production set with his Mavic 2 Pro for almost a week now, putting out short videos of the production trucks rolling in and set pieces being offloaded.

Newman says that he is a fan of the movies and loves all kinds of behind-the-scenes footage. His motivation for shooting the video that you’ll see shortly is to get fans hyped about the “new Star Wars stuff.” He says:  

More trucks have been arriving and dropping off new set pieces including some really cool giant palm trees which I presume are going to be placed either around the Cove Cafe or placed along the promenade when shooting other scenes, or maybe both. My best guess at this point as to what the Cove Cafe set is going to be is, some kind of market or a village maybe?

Okay, enough talk already. Just watch and tell us what you think.

Written by Ishveena Singh | 4 May 2021

Since last week, a drone housed on Pulau Seringat has been making its rounds over islands linked to and near it, reducing the need for physical inspections of the islands and facilities by about three times.

The places covered are Pulau Seringat and Kias Island; Lazarus Island; St John's Island; Kusu Island; and Pulau Tekukor.

The successful roll-out of the drone follows a series of trials that began in 2018 to ensure the safety and effectiveness of inspections by beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drones.

An SLA spokesman said videos from the drone will be analysed by a machine learning algorithm to pick up potential security and maintenance issues, including litter and damage to roofs on buildings located on the islands.

Mr Vincent Aw, head of the authority's land development and asset management division, said that with drone inspections, his team of about 10 SLA officers have more time for their other responsibilities.

These include maintenance of utilities and campsites, liaising with contractors, repair and improvement works, and responding to public feedback.

With a team about half the size of that used by Sentosa Development Corporation, which managed the islands until 2017, SLA had to find a way conduct the labour-intensive inspections more effectively.

With the drone, officers now spend about one to two days a week on the ground for inspections, compared with four to five days previously.

The drone, which complies with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore's BVLOS regulations, is housed in a pod on Pulau Seringat, from which it is launched and returns to after each flight.

The pod contains five spare batteries, and battery swops and charging are automated. Each battery allows a flight of about 30 minutes.

Pre-flight safety checks are also automated and take place within the pod, before the drone is launched.

Twenty-nine flights on pre-determined paths are required by the drone to cover the entire cluster of islands, and video footage is fed over a 4G cellular network in real time to SLA officers' devices, allowing them to keep tabs on inspection progress.

Mr Vincent Aw, head of SLA's land development and asset management division, monitoring the drone on Pulau Seringat. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Mr Aw said the drone also makes work safer for officers, as it covers areas that were previously difficult to reach. These include forested areas, seawalls and rooftops.

He added that the drone allows for the early detection of maintenance issues, which may result in cost savings of up to 40 per cent.

Plans are in place for a second drone to inspect another two-island cluster by April 2022.

The two islands - Pulau Hantu Besar and Pulau Hantu Kechil - are about 10km away from Pulau Seringat, and SLA is exploring ways for the second drone to be more energy-efficient, such as by running it on solar power.

Written by Ng Keng Gene | 17 April 2021

Cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and wireless communications are on the verge of revolutionizing well-established industries — and among the most remarkable examples is “smart agriculture,” which has seen a tremendous increase in the use of drones for various tasks.

Drones, or “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAVs), have been the focus of extensive research for agricultural applications. For example, they can take aerial images of a field and, through subsequent image processing, identify problems in specific areas of the crop fields. Another notable use case for UAVs that has been quickly gaining traction is the spraying of pesticides. In Japan, the number of hectares sprayed by drones saw a stunning 45-fold increase from 2016 to 2018. Similarly, the number of registered UAVs for agricultural spraying increased to 1,552, up from just 227, between those years.

While UAVs could be used to either replace or complement traditional pesticide spraying methods, it remains to be proven whether UAVs are superior to conventional methods in many regards.

But research channels are working on it; for example, Delaware-based DuPont worked for years with student engineers at Virginia Tech in a partnership that helped guide the students toward the creation of a scouting and application drone, one that could have a modular payload to allow an imaging system to be put on for scouting while later allowing a sprayer to be attached and used for the targeted application of pesticides.

“Following recent technological demonstrations and verifications at field sites, there is an increasing need for farm management research of smart agricultural technology including cost and efficiency analyses; this is essential for its implementation in farms,” explains Yuna Seo, who is Junior Associate Professor at Tokyo University of Science, Japan.

In an effort to address this knowledge gap, Seo led a recent study published in MDPI’s Sustainability in which she, with her student Shotaro Umeda, compared different pesticide spraying technologies using realistic data. More specifically, the researchers evaluated and compared the costs, working capacity, and management efficiency of drones versus remote-controlled (RC) helicopters and tractor-mounted boom sprayers for preventively spraying pesticides over rice paddies. They made these comparisons for seven different paddy field areas to take into account differences in scale for each method.

In terms of pest-control costs, the UAVs were only slightly less expensive per unit area than the boom sprayers, mainly due to the low price of drones and savings in fuel. In this regard, the RC helicopters were much more expensive.

“Although the purchase cost of boom sprayers is almost double that of UAVs, the fixed costs of both end up being similar because of the high operation, maintenance and repair costs of drones, which are notorious obstacles in UAV introduction and adoption,” remarks Seo.

As for the working capacity, RC helicopters could cover much more area per hour than both drones and boom sprayers. Still, drones had a slight advantage in daily area coverage over boom sprayers. Finally, to explore the management efficiency of each method, the researchers used a technique called “data envelopment analysis,” which is widely used in economy and operations management to benchmark the performance of manufacturing and service operations. The results indicated that both boom sprayers and UAVs reached maximum or near-maximum efficiency for most paddy areas, while RC helicopters were much less efficient.

Overall, this study showcased the benefits of drones as tools for rice production and compared them to other well-established technologies. But, the use of drones in agriculture is not without limitations, which should be addressed in the future, such as the modification of aviation laws that forbid higher pesticide payloads on drones, as well as maintenance costs.

Written by AGDaily | 19 April 2021

It’s well known short traders are atop the many, many things Tesla honcho Elon Musk hates in this world. But it’s a safe bet mischievous drone geeks now populate that list ­– especially after a pair of pilots hacked one of his luxury rides open from the air.

 

Pushing Tesla’s buttons

In a video shown during their April 29 presentation at the virtual CanSecWest security conference, the daring duo described the manner they went about hacking a Tesla Model X from a hovering DJI Mavic 2. They said multiple test runs using a Wi-Fi dongle allowed them to compromise the car’s command system in three minutes or less. They demonstrated their exploit with elevated footage of an empty blue Tesla obediently flapping its doors open and shut on command.

Jump to minute 36 in the admittedly unspectacular video for views and a brief description of the aerial hack. And if the no-drama delivery seems too staid to be entertaining, just imagine how massively cheesed off Musk must have been seeing it.

In exposing the accessibility hole, German security researchers Ralf-Philipp Weinmann, CEO of Kunnamon, and Benedikt Schmotzle of Comsecuris made it evident just how valuable the flaw could be to geeky thieves.

Almost as an after-thought, they also dished how a hostile Tesla hack could be exceedingly annoying to boot. Use of the same command codes, they said, would have allowed them to move the car’s seats, blast its air conditioning, and crank the stereo system from the drone. And some people call restless kids in a car the paragon of distractions.

Crime (well, Tesla) pays

The hack targeted the (in this case, deliciously ironically named) ConnMan component managing Tesla network connections. The researcher perpetrators say Musk’s company has fixed the bug since their infraction. But in a paper posted describing their so-called TBONE operation, the pair say the potential for hacks ­– including via drones as autos are being driven ­– is considerable.

The affected components were also widely used in infotainment systems of other car manufacturers… It would be possible for an attacker to unlock the doors and trunk, change seat positions, both steering and acceleration modes – in short, pretty much what a driver pressing various buttons on the console can do. This attack does not yield drive control of the car though.

The drone-powered coup was the third time cyber-security firms hacked Tesla cars in 2020. One of those successfully boosting a Model X in two minutes using just $200 in electronics equipment.

But if the one-upsmanship infuriated Musk, he did a commendable job hiding it. Tesla paid Weinnman and Schmotzle a $31,500 award as part of its security bounty program.

(Skip to 27.18)

Written by Bruce Crumley | 30 April 2021

Take a moment and grab a cup of coffee or whatever you like to drink. Find yourself a comfortable spot to sit. We’re going to take you on a tour, with some of the best drone video production we have ever seen.

There’s never a shortage of drone videos on the internet. We see them every single day we’re at work, and even on days off. As the number of pilots grows and people hone their skills, we’re also starting to see more very good videos compared with the old days. But there are still some standouts that are truly off the charts when it comes to content, skill, editing, and the visceral and artistic impact of the final product.

So settle back while we check out some of the latest from the geniuses at Russia’s Timelab Pro.

Pilots, artists, pros

We don’t know the people at Timelab Pro. We’d noted one of their videos previously, but never looked up the company. Recently, however, DJI has promoted an absolutely gorgeous film shot in Istanbul using the Inspire 2. We actually own one of these drones, and know many cinematographers who love the device.

But there are very few production companies that can produce this kind of next-level content. So here’s the first stamp on your passport – Istanbul:

Timelab Pro

We had to check out the website and learn a little more about the company. As you no doubt figured out, it specializes in really polished video productions. Here’s how Timelab Pro describes itself on the company’s About page.

At Timelab, we create films about the most magnificent cities and events of the world, work in tough conditions and make art, which shows the beauty of human creation and nature combined. We have worked since 2010 and want to leave our print in the global history of videography. Our videos are loved by millions of viewers from around the globe and praised by other professionals. Some of our partners for the videos are The New York Times, BBC, National Geographic, FIFA and many more. As DJI official ambassadors, we create films with their professional equipment. We are a company from Russia; so some of our creations are made in collaboration with the biggest and internationally known Russian companies such as Gazprom and Yandex. We are known to make any commercial projects look like works of art.

Location, location, location…

The company’s website goes on to say that it’s working on traveling the planet, with its immediate focus being African wildlife and the mind-blowing architecture you’ll find in China’s cities. We were in Shenzhen a couple of years back and were stunned by many of the skyscrapers.

With that in mind, pull out your passport and we’ll stamp you after this visit to Hong Kong:

Written by Scott Simmie | 5 April 2021

There are many good reasons why people don’t want to live in the frozen ghost village of Severny, but that just makes the northern Russian community a great destination to visit with a drone. 

The Moscow-based drone photographer Maria Passer visited Severny this February. Temperatures were -40 degrees F. It’s not ideal for drone flying, but it’s a good thing for us she did, since we get to see these other-worldly images. And Severny is just one of several ghost towns towns surrounding the coal-mining center of Vorkuta.

It used to be infamous for its labor camps where convicts worked the mines, but when the camps closed, people enthusiastically moved to the area for work. It was a short spree, however. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the mines began to close. Faced with no job opportunities, many people just packed it in.

“To attract miners to live in hard climate conditions the salaries here were really good,” Passer told CNN Travel. “It’s really a tragedy that many people have to leave their houses and to go to live somewhere else. But these locations, they have an abandoned beauty. I’m trying to see this, and to show this, in my pictures.”

The frozen ghost village of Severny, Russia

“Wandering these forgotten spaces is really atmospheric, and really impressive,” says Passer. “Some of the entrances were completely blocked by these cascades of frozen snow. I have never seen something like that anywhere.”

“When I explored this iced building, I had two thoughts: ‘Oh my gosh! It’s disastrous’ and ‘Oh my gosh, it’s breathtaking!'” she said. “I would like people who see the pictures to feel the same way. “

It’s interesting how drone photography can give a dreamy, fairy-tale quality to places that at ground level are just… sad.

Written by David MacQuarrie | 17 April 2021

If you liked the Mavic Air 2, you’re going to love the Air 2S. It’s a substantial improvement on what was an already-great drone.

If you’re looking for a package that has pretty much everything at a reasonable price, this may well be the ticket for you. DJI has packed a lot of upgrades into this drone, including a significant boost to camera specs, sensors and automated features. It weighs in at 595 grams, so you’ll need to register it in North America (and some other countries).

It won’t be for everyone, but at $1299 for the Fly More Combo and $999 for the basic drone kit, it has a lot to offer.

Oh, for those of you who had plans to buy more than one, you’ll be out of luck. DJI’s site says: “Due to limited new product availability, each customer can only purchase one unit. Additional orders after one unit have been purchased will be cancelled.”

With this drone, however, one is enough.

The ‘Big Picture’

This drone can take one, with its 1″ CMOS sensor and 20MP stills, a previously-leaked feature that has prompted many to sell their Mavic 2 Air drones in order to buy the latest and greatest. And make no mistake, this really is a great little drone for a number of reasons: It combines size and performance with advanced safety and imaging options. All that, in a package where everything you need fits in a small case that would be easy to sling over your shoulder for a day of shooting.

Here’s what the company says:

Every creator remembers what it felt like to fly a drone for the first time, and they’ll feel the same sense of wonder and possibility when they first experience DJI Air 2S’s unparalleled mix of astonishing flight capability and gripping image quality. DJI Air 2S is a wish list come to life for everyone who demands more from a drone, showcasing upgrades that truly elevate the system into a highly versatile drone. From content creators, to drone enthusiasts and travelers, we are confident that a lot of people will be excited about this drone.

Ferdinand Wolf, Creative Director, DJI Europe

Now, you’d expect the company to say something like that. After all: Marketing. But about a month ago, a source of ours in China told us he was really excited about this product launch. Why? We’ll let him tell you:

He meant “expensive,” not “expansive.” But many pilots will indeed see this as “probably the best drone of the year.”

Snapshot of key improvements

We’ll be exploring in more depth below, but for those of you itching for the highlights (many of which have been leaked) here they are again:

• New 1″ Sensor with “true” 20MP stills
• 5.4K video: The most compact drone on the market (says DJI) to achieve this resolution
• Additional obstacle detection sensors
• Low-latency O3, a new version of OcuSync
• “MasterShots” – an automated cyberpilot/video editor that works in conjunction with DJI FLY

And more. Yes, much more.

Camera

This is the biggest overall feature of the new drone – and why some have already been selling their Mavic Air 2 models to get the latest and greatest. The tagline for the product is “All for One” – a reference to the new 1″, 20 MP sensor.

This might confuse some of you. Wait a minute, you might think: Didn’t the Mavic Air 2 have a 48MP sensor? It should be better, right?

Yes, it does have – on paper – a higher resolution. But the Air 2’s Quad-Bayer filter sensor doesn’t produce what purists would call a “true” 48MP image, at least not when compared with the images that come from a 48 or 50MP sensor found in, say, a DSLR camera. So in this case, rest assured, the 20MP sensor in the new Air 2S is better than its predecessor. (If you really want to geek out on this topic when you’re done the story, come back to this link for an explanation).

The pixels on the new sensor are larger, at 2.4µm – compared with the 0.8µm pixels on the Mavic 2 Air. So what does this mean? Well, larger pixels capture more light – which in theory reduces overall noise levels. But the arguably greater advantage is better sensitivity in low-light conditions. (As an FYI, a micron is one millionth of a meter. The thickness of a human hair is about 70 microns.)

Of course, the greater the number of pixels, the greater the resolution. So if you want to use larger pixels you’ll need a bigger sensor. DJI opted to put a 1″ sensor into the Air 2S, and that’s good news.

Hasselblad?

The information on the sensor provided by DJI at launch makes it appear to be the same sensor used in the Mavic 2 Pro. Both are 1″ sensors with 2.4 micron pixels. But the camera does not contain the Hasselblad name featured so prominently on the Mavic 2 Pro, indicating that while the sensor might be the same, some of the other Hasselblad secret sauce is not included in the Air 2S. There’s much more to a camera than just a sensor.

The lens is slightly wider when compared to its predecessor – 22mm vs 24mm. There’s the slight distortion you always get with a wide-angle lens, but we actually like the look of the wide in the stills we captured. Like the Mavic Air 2, the new drone also features an f2.8 fixed aperture, which may disappoint some who’d hoped for a variable aperture.

The Mavic Pro, in addition to whatever Hasselblad secrets are in the recipe, features a variable aperture (f2.8-f11). So for professional aerial cinematographers, the Pro 3 (which we anticipate will have a variable aperture) will likely be a better choice when it’s released, presumably later this year. But the Air 2S FlyMore Combo ships with a set of four neutral density filters, so you’ve at least got those to help you out.

The dynamic range is 12.6 stops for RAW photo, and of course features bracketing options (three or five exposure stops). We didn’t test HDR photos yet, but we did get through nearly everything else.

Photos

The quality of still images straight out of the box is impressive. The colours seems accurate and its dynamic range capabilities ensure it doesn’t struggle too much with scenes that run the gamut from deep blacks to brighter areas. There’s plenty of detail and for the majority of drone pilots, this camera will be more than good enough – and a significant jump from the Mavic Air 2.

We were fortunate in that our friend and fellow pilot Patrick Morrell got some great shots while evaluating the drone. He was kind enough to share some of them with us. Take a look:

Video

This is probably the second biggest improvement of the Air 2S, and why it’s likely to be popular with cinematographers looking for a compact flying camera. Video resolution jumps from 4K/60 fps to 5.4K, 30fps (reminder to self: buy larger capacity Micro SD cards).

But do you really need 5.4K? Well, it’s great to have the option. If you’re working on a project where you know your final output will be 4K, you’ve got some flexibility for cropping while still maintaining a true 4K output.

Video transmission uses OcuSync 3.0, now renamed as O3. It’s capable of broadcasting 1080p back to your phone or tablet over a distance of 12 kilometres. Given that legal flights should be carried out within Visual Line of Sight of the pilot, that kind of range ensures any missions you carry out in VLOS should have rock-solid video transmission.

O3 is the same transmission system used with the DJI FPV drone, and is lower latency than OcuSync 2.0.

Intelligent functions, new features

Drones are getting smarter. And DJI has made this one pretty brainy. It has a host of core intelligent features and functions that take what came with the Mavic Air 2 and up the ante considerably.

In addition to the QuickShots feature that feature in the Mini 2 and Mavic Air 2, the Air 2S – in conjunction with the latest version of the DJI FLY app – is like having a cinematic autopilot and video editor all wrapped up in one tidy bundle.

MasterShots

Select MasterShots in a drop-down menu under Video, and you’re in for a surprise. If you want the drone to proceed, it heads off on a flight lasting roughly three minutes. During that flight, it shoots the chosen subject or object (which you define onscreen) from a variety of angles, and appears to even use its digital zoom as part of the game.

Once it’s done, DJI Fly offers you a multitude of choices for templates and music. You can preview the templates on your phone or tablet, then select one. Got it? Great. Give the app the okay and it will create an edited video that goes with music and is ready for export or social media sharing.

At first, to be honest, we thought this was slightly cheesy. But once spent some time with it, we realized it’s actually a pretty great tool for people who want to capture a quick video on the fly without having to really do anything. No pulling cards, no video editing software, no finding Royalty-Free music. You simply make a couple of clicks and the software does the rest.

What’s even cooler is that you can export one version, and then select a different template if you’d like to try another video with the same captured content. It’s a great way to produce a quick video that looks good, and we think it will resonate with a lot of people who want to capture some memories without having to spend a lot of time capturing shots.

It’s a fully automated, end-to-end process. All you have to do is select the template you like.

APAS 4.0

APAS stands for Advanced Pilot Assistance Systems. It’s a combination of hardware (sensors) and software that allow the drone to map its environment and avoid obstacles in real-time. DJI has added two additional sensors to the Air 2S, and the company says APAS 4.0 (some other DJI drones are equipped with APAS 3.0) is suitable for flying even in complex or narrow environments.

We didn’t have a chance to test that part of APAS 4.0, but we can tell you APAS saved us from hitting a branch we didn’t see: The drone simply stopped in the air and hovered (though you have option within the app to have the drone bypass obstacles rather than simply brake).

You’ll notice, if you haven’t, that those additional sensors on the top are angled. They’re positioned so that if you’re in forward flight, with the nose pitched down, they are “seeing” directly in front of the drone’s path. It’s a somewhat unusual looking combination, but they get the job done.

Intelligent Shooting Modes

The drone has three modes worth touching on: Spotlight 2.0, FocusTrack 4.0 and POI 3.0.

Spotlight 2.0 is pretty cool. Select the person or object you want in the “spotlight.” Once engaged, you can go ahead flying the drone without worrying about the gimbal. The gimbal will stay locked on the subject and makes pulling off a spectacular shot a lot easier.

ActiveTrack 4.0 also allows you to select a person or vehicle. Once locked on, the drone will autonomously follow them while maintaining a safe distance. In conjunction with the additional sensors and the APAS 4.0, DJI says you can be confident this will safely and intelligently track a moving object. We had hoped to try this out with a cyclist or runner, but had to settle for following ourselves. It worked great, but we’re not as speedy as a mountain biker. We found that the Mavic Air 2 sometimes had trouble staying locked on a moving target, but it was using a previous generation of this feature. We have high hopes here.

Point of Interest 3.0: Pick something – anything. A person, a car, a building. Tell DJI FLY you’d like to use the POI feature. The drone will fly circles around your heart’s desire while keeping a steady gimbal lock on the subject.

Safety

In addition to the overall safety features we’ve come to know and love (and which some find restrictive), the Air 2S also features Air Sense, its name for ADS-B detection. ADS-B is like an electronic megaphone that most manned aircraft are equipped with. Should a Cessna or helicopter equipped with an ADS-B transponder approach your area, you’ll receive a warning on the app. This is a tremendous safety feature that we truly applaud.

Overall impressions

We liked the Mavic Air 2 a lot, so we had high hopes for the Air 2S.

We weren’t disappointed.

First and foremost, this drone has a much more capable camera than we saw with the Mavic Air 2. The addition of a 1″ sensor, 5.4K video resolution and 20MP stills, is huge. If you’re someone who’s into the quality of the images and video they capture, you’ll notice the difference. It can still struggle on occasion with highlights, but with the included Neutral Density filter kit in the Fly More Combo and a bit of care, you’ll be fine.

DJI has significantly upped its automation game with this drone, allowing it to carry out cinematic, autonomous flights while being aware of its environment and avoiding obstacles. Its AirSense will warn you of potential conflict’s with ADS-B equipped manned aircraft, and the drone appears to be fully ready for Remote ID.

Plus, the thing folds up in a convenient size that’s perfect for travel, camping, or simply a day at the park.

One of our sources in China told us, long before we’d seen this drone, that it was the best thing yet from DJI this year. Having seen it and flown it, we tend to agree. We really like this drone.

And we’re confident many of you will, as well.

Written by Scott Simmie | 15 April 2021

Parrot, the French drone manufacturer, has partnered with Israel’s High Lander, a company known for its exceedingly smart drone fleet automation software.

We’ve seen a live demo of High Lander’s Mission Control platform. And while we didn’t see all of its many features, what we did see was very impressive: A system that allows a pilot to remotely program and execute a mission – even involving multiple drones – from a remote location that could be virtually anywhere on the planet. It also integrates with other data to ensure there’s no conflict with manned aircraft in the mission area.

So it’s a powerful tool.

Partnership

Now, it has teamed up with drone manufacturer Parrot to enable fleets of Parrot ANAFI USA and ANAFI drones to fly safely and remotely, all dispatched and monitored using the High Lander system. This means a single person could be sitting at a laptop hundreds – even thousands – of kilometers away from the mission site and still have complete control over operations.

In fact, the person sitting at the dashboard has far more options and flexibility for drone missions than if even a highly experienced pilot were performing such missions manually.

As one of the top players in the field, we are proud to partner with Parrot to pair our Mission Control platform with ANAFI USA and ANAFI drones and deliver broader hardware options to our customers. As a hardware-free system, Mission Control is compatible with leading drone manufacturers’ solutions, now including Parrot, to provide our customers with the freedom of customizing their drone fleets with best-in-class UAVs.

Ido Yahalomi, High Lander CEO

Advantages for Parrot Enterprise customers

This is the kind of product partnership that will appeal to Enterprise customers and First Responders. And, as Parrot points out, this method of operating drones will be the future for many applications.

Parrot is continuously striving to provide our professional users with extended capabilities — allowing them to rapidly adapt their drone operations to fit their changing and urgent needs. Drone automation and intelligence are at the heart of our product and software developments. This new partnership with High Lander represents another step towards enhanced automation and control capability of our drones.

Jerome Bouvard, Parrot director of strategic partnerships

What does it do?

A lot. The software is very sophisticated, providing real-time telemetry and other information about drones. Missions can be planned and dispatched within moments, and there’s even an option for a drone nearing the end of a battery to hold position and pause until a replacement drone gets nearby to continue the mission.

And High Lander also has some features that allow for landing accuracy within about 2.5 centimeters – even on drones that are not equipped with RTK sensors. We watched a live demo of this product recently with High Lander’s team in Israel. Sitting in an office, they were able to program and dispatch automated drone missions in minutes, while we were able to see all the flight data – and the drone’s view – in real time.

The Mission Control suite can even generate a quick and secure live link that can be shared with other decision makers or First Responders down the line. Just think of how useful this feature might be for Search and Rescue operations, natural disasters, and more. But it doesn’t have to be an emergency: The Mission Control suite is also useful for use-cases like mapping, surveying, surveillance, and more.

Gotta tell you, what we saw was pretty impressive.

Written by Scott Simmie | 14 April 2021