I have had a mini 3 for 3 months now....although 1 month of that it was missing in action whilst DJI and DHL took a month to deal with focus 'panting' issues. So yesterday I tried some 'Follow Me' which I had not really done before.....I have a motorcycle and I would dearly love the drone to follow me on some trails so I needed to understand the obstacle avoidance capabilities. With the drone trailing me as I was walking between widely spaced trees it all managed fine, then it lost me and then regained me as a target with me walking towards it....and it backed up right into a great big tree and crashed. No real damage done and I had a spare set of props but I am very dissappointed at the complete failure of the backward looking obstacle avoidance.......has anybody else experienced this?

HI,

Don`t trust the OA too much   ;-) It will probably notice a brick wall every time for 100%Trees are always nasty for the sensors...not all branches are detected.

cheers
JJB

JJB* Posted at 3-9 07:55
HI,

Don`t trust the OA too much   ;-) It will probably notice a brick wall every time for 100%Trees are always nasty for the sensors...not all branches are detected.

Well it certainly looks like that. I saw a youtube vid of a guy cycling through trees followed by a mini 3 Pro....it looked fabulous but maybe he faked it!

Hi, SpikeHuelva. Thanks for notifying us about this concern. We're sorry to read about the accident. To better help you understand the reason for such behavior, kindly post the recorded video showing the subject being lost and including the crash. And also, since the drone crashed, we recommend you continue to monitor for any abnormal behaviors or error messages. We hope to hear an update from you.

DJI Tony Posted at 3-10 22:06
Hi, SpikeHuelva. Thanks for notifying us about this concern. We're sorry to read about the accident. To better help you understand the reason for such behavior, kindly post the recorded video showing the subject being lost and including the crash. And also, since the drone crashed, we recommend you continue to monitor for any abnormal behaviors or error messages. We hope to hear an update from you.

Hi Tony, well here it is.....not very informative just a drone following an old guy (me) and then flying backwards into a tree....unedited of course! https://drive.google.com/drive/f ... xFyowho?usp=sharing

SpikeHuelva Posted at 3-11 06:56
Hi Tony, well here it is.....not very informative just a drone following an old guy (me) and then flying backwards into a tree....unedited of course! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CExAtMyjKNSzUGuo37MC2lVanxFyowho?usp=sharing

Thanks for your cooperation. We have forwarded the footage for review. Have a nice day.

My M3 failed to notice a 75' tall ham radio tower very close to it on return to home base. OA is not a perfect system. Since then I have been very reluctant to not carefully watch the RTH process.
Also, I think the OA while going backwards is not the best. Nor to the side.

GaryDoug Posted at 3-11 22:06
My M3 failed to notice a 75' tall ham radio tower very close to it on return to home base. OA is not a perfect system. Since then I have been very reluctant to not carefully watch the RTH process.
Also, I think the OA while going backwards is not the best. Nor to the side.

Thanks for this. The forward OA and backwards OA is meant to have the same capability...hence my post... but the sensors certainly look different to me and from what I have seen the backwards OA simply doesn't work! By the way, interesting to see another HAM interested in this stuff. My call is MM0MBH

SpikeHuelva Posted at 3-12 01:11
Thanks for this. The forward OA and backwards OA is meant to have the same capability...hence my post... but the sensors certainly look different to me and from what I have seen the backwards OA simply doesn't work! By the way, interesting to see another HAM interested in this stuff. My call is MM0MBH

Hi,

In the video at 45seconds drone followed you from behind , tree left of the drone only branches, no leaves. So drone flew along this tree = no problem.

At 1.29 drone flying backwards...does not move the into the way you walked before,,,just back ofcourse.  So this tree not 'seen'...needs only one branch from a tree to catch your drone.

IMO nothting to do with differeance between fwd and aft sensors, just because a different fly path flown.

Nice gardeb btw, oranges? on the tree looks great.

cheers
JJB

JJB* Posted at 3-12 02:04
Hi,

In the video at 45seconds drone followed you from behind , tree left of the drone only branches, no leaves. So drone flew along this tree = no problem.

Thanks for this! Oranges, yes, I am in southern spain the plot had 200 orange trees but all sick, now after my chainsaw had a go only 25 but same number of oranges as before because the trees are more healthy! The tree the drone flew into is a big pear tree....no leaves at this time of year I agree but it was not just an isolated twig. I have done more tests, today I walked a path fringed with almond trees, With the drone following there was no issue at all but as soon as I turned round the drone flew backwards and again I had to stop it flying into a tree.....this time I had my hands on the controller and the obstacle avoidance radar simply did not register anything.  So here is my 2 cents........Is it possible that flying forward the drone processes the main camera information for obstacles as well as the forward looking sensors? And a question for DJI......does the drone construct a wire grid using these sensor pairs?   Again, thanks for your advice, Mark

SpikeHuelva Posted at 3-11 06:56
Hi Tony, well here it is.....not very informative just a drone following an old guy (me) and then flying backwards into a tree....unedited of course! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CExAtMyjKNSzUGuo37MC2lVanxFyowho?usp=sharing

Hi, Mark. We just received feedback from our designated team. Obstacle avoidance scenes cannot refine the object to size, color, shape, etc. In theory, if the vision system sees the object (regardless of size) and meets the conditions for the vision system to take effect, it will normally avoid it. If you are uncertain about this behavior, you may consider sending the drone back and request for a Data Analysis. We apologize for the inconvenience.

DJI Tony Posted at 3-12 20:51
Hi, Mark. We just received feedback from our designated team. Obstacle avoidance scenes cannot refine the object to size, color, shape, etc. In theory, if the vision system sees the object (regardless of size) and meets the conditions for the vision system to take effect, it will normally avoid it. If you are uncertain about this behavior, you may consider sending the drone back and request for a Data Analysis. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Thanks for this but why can the data analysis not be done remotely? Please tell me what files to send you and where they are. Also, on a completely separate issue, the audio warnings and advice on the RC controller have stopped. This second issue is not just the customer not knowing where the volume controls are and so your colleagues have suggested a factory reset which will wipe all records. So please tell me where the data is to send to you before I reset the RC and drone.

SpikeHuelva Posted at 3-13 00:35
Thanks for this but why can the data analysis not be done remotely? Please tell me what files to send you and where they are. Also, on a completely separate issue, the audio warnings and advice on the RC controller have stopped. This second issue is not just the customer not knowing where the volume controls are and so your colleagues have suggested a factory reset which will wipe all records. So please tell me where the data is to send to you before I reset the RC and drone.

We understand. We have sent you a PM to further discuss this concern. Kindly check and respond at your earliest convenience.

Well I just found this on Reddit.......almost exactly what happened to me so it seems GarryDoug is correct and obstacle avoidance really not up to much in any direction

https://www.reddit.com/r/dji/com ... ontent=share_button

SpikeHuelva Posted at 3-15 03:14
Well I just found this on Reddit.......almost exactly what happened to me so it seems GarryDoug is correct and obstacle avoidance really not up to much in any direction

https://www.reddit.com/r/dji/comments/11rlmdf/how_to_break_a_drone_in_90_seconds/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

nice to watch!

Good job,  forward OA did a great job to see and avoid many branches!
Bad pilot performance in the way back... drone sideways flying into a tree.

Don`t know wich type of drone, must have been drone without side sensors.

cheers
JJB

JJB* Posted at 3-15 08:32
nice to watch!

Good job,  forward OA did a great job to see and avoid many branches!

Yes I saw the sideways movement and of course no sideways sensors on a Mini 3 pro....Is the obstacle avoidance algorithm excluding sideways flight? IMHO not so it wasn't the pilot flying sideways into the tree but rather the OA....very informative footage though as far as demonstrating the limits of the capability.....For me I think I am just going to give up on Follow me unless I am in a boat over open water!

it is almost impossible to avoide sideways flying into obstacles with no side sensors....algorithms can be made if drone does a 360 first and all data is computed to a 360 obstacles 'chart', but needs updated ofcourse every short distance flown by another 360....  hahaha    not on drones, not on DJI drones.

cheers
JJB

I have the air 3 drone, and the sensors haven't failed me yet! I'm just lucky that they won't fail!

djiuser_YpKvA8Jw1KJg Posted at 6-1 21:28
I have the air 3 drone, and the sensors haven't failed me yet! I'm just lucky that they won't fail!

You have tempted fate .................