New firmware for a safety airspace for all DJI drones named AEROSCOPE FIRMWARE WILL BE RELEASED SOON. This new firmware will work with officer ground station to help identifying the drone id and location for public safety.

Possibly another mandatory update.

Where did you see this?

http://www.zdnet.com/article/dji ... g-system-aeroscope/

Also here

Thanks for the link.
This is a great idea, hopefully making flying much safer by catching the people who keep flaunting the rules and putting us all at risk of being grounded. One thing I have noticed around by me is that the "idiots" that fly recklessly seem to only be flying £40 knockoffs that have no safety features. Nothing to prevent them flying into restricted airspace. The worst part is they probably wont be able to identify these because of how cheaply they are made.

The overall idea is quite good, but as far as I understand it, it will requiere internet access on the remote or Go App side.
So far, I'm flying with a dedicated phone without SIM card... There are also plenty of areas without cellular connectivity.

Matioupi Posted at 2017-10-16 01:16
The overall idea is quite good, but as far as I understand it, it will requiere internet access on the remote or Go App side.
So far, I'm flying with a dedicated phone without SIM card... There are also plenty of areas without cellular connectivity.

I think you will find this sounds like a system that the drone broadcasts its details, like a transponder, across wifi, not a data connection.
My guess is the system uses the drones BSSID to tie in to the Aeroscope system.
Basically they have a link between your account and all of your drones details, including the BSSID. When your drone is broadcasting its wifi, no matter what you name the wifi, the BSSID will always be the unique identifier. Their system just listens for the broadcast of this signal to capture the identity of the drone, then if they use three or more receivers they would be able to triangulate location based on signal strength.

Reading the articles with more details makes it clearer... There is indeed a dedicated receiver, and those will be  located on/near airports.

Good article here:
https://fstoppers.com/aerial/ove ... ntify-drones-199736

Only a FYI, http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/16/technology/drone-passenger-plane-canada/index.html

Interesting post.  Thanks for sharing this info.

Hope it will prevent some (user error related) accidents to happen

Yeah I read about it, it sounds good in one way but its more like BIG BROTHER is watching you...freedom? privacy? we are getting less of that...

its flawed system.. and it invades privacy, and negatively impacts usability.  im all for identifying the idiots that actually causing real trouble.. but doing this is for one lazy because all its doing is flagging every single user at once, then allowing infractions to be monitored..  which is entrapment, but i bet dji and legal team will make you sign (or agree to) a no sue waiver when you upgrade.. so when they do get caught nothing can be done..

second of all, what about all of use who fly without wifi/internet connections, are we suddenly going to have to connect to internet every time?  because if so, im out...  even beyond the potential privacy and entrapment issues.. some places i fly or plan on flying..im just not going to have data...period.. either be complete deadzone area or im traveling and im not going to pay for data in the field..

then ontop of all of this...nothign here to stop people from buying $200 drones on ebay and crashing those into planes and traffic and stuff...  or even $50 walmart drones that impossible to fly.. which i mean.. pretty easy to crash into stuff..  then u got $150 racer POV quads... you can do some damage with those, i actually seen some built with best parts for $300 and can do nearly 100MPH and go for a couple miles... and can easily climb  several thousand feet within seconds.. even if you get 4150 those things can be nuts!  those things can do some damage..


infact i have a friend who is helping me design a hexicopter to carry things around, if that goes well, and this dji stuff gets enforced and rediculious, ill just burry my mavic soemwhere and get $1500 check cut out from statefarm and put iit towards this hexicopter..

HereForTheBeer Posted at 2017-10-16 13:31
its flawed system.. and it invades privacy, and negatively impacts usability.  im all for identifying the idiots that actually causing real trouble.. but doing this is for one lazy because all its doing is flagging every single user at once, then allowing infractions to be monitored..  which is entrapment, but i bet dji and legal team will make you sign (or agree to) a no sue waiver when you upgrade.. so when they do get caught nothing can be done..

second of all, what about all of use who fly without wifi/internet connections, are we suddenly going to have to connect to internet every time?  because if so, im out...  even beyond the potential privacy and entrapment issues.. some places i fly or plan on flying..im just not going to have data...period.. either be complete deadzone area or im traveling and im not going to pay for data in the field..

Can you elaborate on "its a flawed system.. and it invades privacy, and negatively impacts usability."
I dont see how, its a passive monitoring system and there's no personal information captured other than the drones serial number and only DJI will release the link between the serial number and the registered owner if its officially requested. Sure it wont stop the cheapo drones but at least DJI are fighting to give us real drone pilots a fighting chance against all the incoming rules and regulations on where and when we can or cannot fly.

Malakai_UK Posted at 2017-10-16 14:44
Can you elaborate on "its a flawed system.. and it invades privacy, and negatively impacts usability."
I dont see how, its a passive monitoring system and there's no personal information captured other than the drones serial number and only DJI will release the link between the serial number and the registered owner if its officially requested. Sure it wont stop the cheapo drones but at least DJI are fighting to give us real drone pilots a fighting chance against all the incoming rules and regulations on where and when we can or cannot fly.

from what i have read.. currently being tested at 2 international airports.. i maybe wrong in assuming this, but Dji doesn own 2 international airports...right?  seoncd of all, we can only assume how the system will work... and what info will just be availble and tossed around in the open.  we can only assume that it will be a serial number or a custom generated UDID that only Dji can surrender info to.  but i rather assume the worst, since its the most likely..

like how much info do you even know or realize is in outbound HTTP header data of your mobile connection on your phone/tablet over your cell connection?  ill give you a hint.... A LOT of personal data..  your carrier adds it, injects it even if you attempt to filter it out, only way you can is with a encrypted VPN connection.  that data can include really identifying info like service and subscription ID, full name, and even subscribed address on account.  while no that data does not go to everyone, its behind the thinnest paywall ever with zero enforcement meaning subscribers to the data can share the keys..  

while i like to think dji will be a lot better about our personal data...but i doubt it..  lets pretend DJi does this serial number beaconing out that's it.. im 99% ok with that.. however, that is far from enough info to satisfy police and law enforcement.. they will demand more, that's how they are..  police will cry about it until they get their own system to identify and look up info themselves.. not have to reply on Dji reviews...  and while i am fries with police and even made friends with police... i do not trust police, they already have too much access to information and power and it causes too many problems as it is..



as for why it may cause issues with flights,  it is a theory based on a theory..  the current passive alert system used to alert you to flight zones and such, seems to be linked vaguely to certain drones misbehaving sometimes.. people have their own examples, specially with the spark, but .. while my mavic has been extremely well behaved i have had a few minor glitches where my mavic thrown up non sense airport warnings ..in middle of the ocean for example.. like my RTH will cross a NFZ, or when i has a small connection issue got a warning that i'm in area of unpaved airports.. i would accept both of those warnings..if..i wasn't on a deep sea fishing trip at the time and 25-50 miles off the coast at the time... and closest island was inhabited and marsh, and about 10 miles away.. and ya..idk, the glitches i had again minor connection based where aircraft disconnected for a split second and reconnected and also it was fairly hot at the time..     so my theory is if that is somehow vaguely connected to minor glitches.. i rather not pile more up onto of an already seemingly overburden processor....

HereForTheBeer Posted at 2017-10-16 16:49
from what i have read.. currently being tested at 2 international airports.. i maybe wrong in assuming this, but Dji doesn own 2 international airports...right?  seoncd of all, we can only assume how the system will work... and what info will just be availble and tossed around in the open.  we can only assume that it will be a serial number or a custom generated UDID that only Dji can surrender info to.  but i rather assume the worst, since its the most likely..

like how much info do you even know or realize is in outbound HTTP header data of your mobile connection on your phone/tablet over your cell connection?  ill give you a hint.... A LOT of personal data..  your carrier adds it, injects it even if you attempt to filter it out, only way you can is with a encrypted VPN connection.  that data can include really identifying info like service and subscription ID, full name, and even subscribed address on account.  while no that data does not go to everyone, its behind the thinnest paywall ever with zero enforcement meaning subscribers to the data can share the keys..  

Why would DJI need to own airports? They are testing a system that will allow them to monitor for their own drones in the airports airspace. Because the rules and laws on drones are getting tighter this covers the one where they want a "transponder" in every aircraft. DJI are being proactive with the incoming laws and rules. How would you feel if one of your loved ones was on a plane that came down because of a drone impact and they never located the pilot? It's about accountability.

In regards to privacy, I get what you are saying. But why do you fear losing your privacy? It already happened, privacy is just an illusion. We are all hemorrhaging our private information all the time. Why worry about what your drone is broadcasting or what information DJI have on you. Its already there and like you said, its not enforced and is behind a thin paywall. I have nothing to hide. I don't fly where I shouldn't.
Why would law enforcement not be satisfied that they can request information on known flights of (so far) DJI aircraft in areas that they shouldn't be flown? I have no reason to need to trust the police. They are paid by my taxes and should be doing their job, if they are doing things outside of their remit then that's on them. What are you doing that would even put you on the polices radar?

Your theory about the current passive alert system, claiming that its vaguely linked to drones misbehaving sometimes is flawed. Having a vague link to certain drones misbehaving sometimes doesn't really fit that the current passive alert system might be causing flight issues. The current alert system is just the aircraft and app having a database of known NFZ's, when the GPS coordinates of the aircraft match one of these the app/aircraft respond by prompting you about flying in this area. The glitches you are describing sound more like a problem with the GPS in your Mavic, you even claim that there were disconnection issues and it was fairly hot. Suggesting a problem with your Mavic.

I'm not attacking you, just curious of how the way you think about things.

Malakai_UK Posted at 2017-10-17 00:51
Why would DJI need to own airports? They are testing a system that will allow them to monitor for their own drones in the airports airspace. Because the rules and laws on drones are getting tighter this covers the one where they want a "transponder" in every aircraft. DJI are being proactive with the incoming laws and rules. How would you feel if one of your loved ones was on a plane that came down because of a drone impact and they never located the pilot? It's about accountability.

In regards to privacy, I get what you are saying. But why do you fear losing your privacy? It already happened, privacy is just an illusion. We are all hemorrhaging our private information all the time. Why worry about what your drone is broadcasting or what information DJI have on you. Its already there and like you said, its not enforced and is behind a thin paywall. I have nothing to hide. I don't fly where I shouldn't.

personally i do not trust companies in general with my data and privacy..   i do not trust law enforcement with my data and privacy..  

the argument i kept hearing elsewhere about this is "well police have your plate number and stuff with ytour car"  is not the same, your car is not beconing out to the police constantly and allowing them to monitor your activity even if they cannot see you with their eyes..  this will get out of control, and it allow abuse..

its a good idea on the surface, but my mindset as someone who participates in modding and hacking communities  on the side, this system is right full of holes that allow abuse..

So is this "soon" the DJI measure of time or how the rest of the world measures it?  It could be years.

HereForTheBeer Posted at 2017-10-17 06:52
personally i do not trust companies in general with my data and privacy..   i do not trust law enforcement with my data and privacy..  

the argument i kept hearing elsewhere about this is "well police have your plate number and stuff with ytour car"  is not the same, your car is not beconing out to the police constantly and allowing them to monitor your activity even if they cannot see you with their eyes..  this will get out of control, and it allow abuse..

First, I share some of your concerns.

I wanted to come back on your car example. For your info, ANPR cameras are tracking your movements and registered what and where you have been. Next your car communicates constantly with the manufacturer ( Tesla, Audi, BMW, Ford,... ). Next your phone is constantly with you and register itself to cell tower which allow private and states companies to track you...

This is the society we live in nowadays and that's mostly promoted by the USA : starting with more "freedom" and fight against "terrorism" and co...

Arnor Posted at 2018-7-5 00:00
First, I share some of your concerns.

I wanted to come back on your car example. For your info, ANPR cameras are tracking your movements and registered what and where you have been. Next your car communicates constantly with the manufacturer ( Tesla, Audi, BMW, Ford,... ). Next your phone is constantly with you and register itself to cell tower which allow private and states companies to track you...

in america though, not very many if any ANPR systems, in fact i think effectively zero outside of trial runs.   

my car does not communicate with the car makers, partially given its age but also because i have not installed the sim card, not required to.. this doesn't kill much functionality, mostly kills convenience side of things.

my Phone probably harvesting data, however i use an iPhone X, and i know Apple is very anal about security.  i have most my apps with disabled location either because they wasteful with battery or i just hate some apps become intrusive when you stop somewhere it starts pulling things up for you.  as for integrated security, apple handles that fairly well, so i leave core apps enabled for location and habits, as they use a resettable ID that is generated virtually, if i reset the ID those apps no longer have a solid suggestion list for me not do they remember where i been or will likely go next.

as for the way the world is going..maybe however america society/culture is fighting against a lot of these new things, even though may have moderate success elsewhere americans dont accept certain things and there is proof in this from things like speed trap cameras being shot out or lit on fire or spray painted over..