I'm curious at what would happen if someone was to fly their drone in an elevator.  I'm assuming that if the elvator was going up the downward sensors wud just make the drone continue to hover in like a obsticle avoidance type maneuver.  But what if the elavator was going down, would it just slam into the ceiling?

I think both ways it will crash especially if the elevator is going up at a fast pace

The Mavic would almost definitely hit the ceiling if the elevator was going down. While going up, if Landing Protection is enabled then it should manage to prevent crashing.

Don't think it would take off magnetic interference, unless you do a compass calibration inside the elevator. Make sure you wear a suit of armour..

Please try it and tell us, very interesting!

I am seriously interested too!

Why would anyone want to fly it in an elevator?  But if someone decides to try it, please leave all OA sensors on, wear body armor and a helmet, and please record the whole 2-3 seconds of mass destruction on a GoPro. Oh, and make sure to post it on here for all of our entertainment.

Try flying in a closet first, then, if you survive, try the elevator.

Going up, the Mavic WOULD slam into the floor.  Especially since FW x.x.400, the downward sensors are even slower to react and do not detect the same as before.  I just tested the ground tracking yesterday...  Flying slowly sideways up a hill, it'll somewhat stay equidistant above the ground if you're flying extremely slow.  Mavic used to do this going 3 times faster (about 2MPH).  Hand catching is now a PITA since the Mavic does this.  IT ALSO LANDS JUST A BIT HARDER NOW with the increased descent/decreased slowing before touching (the rate at which it slows just before touching).

physics suggests that the craft will only move up or down whilst G is accelerating,   (unless the elevator was in a vacuum,  the mavic cant fly in a vacuum anyway though!)   i have flown quads in campervans while moving and the G acceleration is the thing to look for,   any over taking or rapid braking  would see the quad move a fair bit inside the vehicle,   but remember the air in side the vessel is moving mostly at the same speed as the vessel it self, so when g is zero its a piece of cake, i must add that was flying 150 and 250 race drones and not a mavic,  what the mavic will make of its environment moving is anyones guess,  after all it has difficulties when the ground stays still !  so if you start moving the ground and the craft i guess it will have a spaz momment LOL

what will  happen if you fly it in a bus?

Why anyone would want to be in a tiny enclosed space with a flying lawnmower, I cannot imagine.  But on a positive note,  if the elevator is in the Sears tower and you can get it going fast enough, you will be able to exceed the height and speed limits of the Mavic.  Good luck with that.   Post video.

Try it and you will see. {:4_177:}

Mavicator Posted at 2017-3-3 08:23
Why anyone would want to be in a tiny enclosed space with a flying lawnmower, I cannot imagine.  But on a positive note,  if the elevator is in the Sears tower and you can get it going fast enough, you will be able to exceed the height and speed limits of the Mavic.  Good luck with that.   Post video.

<upvoted for "flying lawnmower">

MikeQView Posted at 2017-3-3 05:59
physics suggests that the craft will only move up or down whilst G is accelerating,   (unless the elevator was in a vacuum,  the mavic cant fly in a vacuum anyway though!)   i have flown quads in campervans while moving and the G acceleration is the thing to look for,   any over taking or rapid braking  would see the quad move a fair bit inside the vehicle,   but remember the air in side the vessel is moving mostly at the same speed as the vessel it self, so when g is zero its a piece of cake, i must add that was flying 150 and 250 race drones and not a mavic,  what the mavic will make of its environment moving is anyones guess,  after all it has difficulties when the ground stays still !  so if you start moving the ground and the craft i guess it will have a spaz momment LOL

STOP making me laugh whilst I'm drinking coffee!!!  (the bit about it having difficulties "when the ground stays still").  I'm still LMAO typing this!!

Honestly, this could get you some good footage if you survive. Think of some of the films that use FPV to give the audience a view from someone's eyes.

jpno1 Posted at 2017-3-3 06:12
what will  happen if you fly it in a bus?

I had a long drunken argument about flying a drone in a moving train carriage, how fast would it be going, does the train get lighter when it lifts off the floor, if I flew it into the rear window would the train stop for a brief moment. Gave up and went hunting for a cat in a box

If you do try it please make sure you record it so we all can have a laugh

I'm with MikeQView. The air in the elevator would move with the elevator, so the drone would move with it as well. Plus the ground sensors would correct for the moving floor, if the drone ignored the moving air.
I'd say a similar thing would happen as when you'd throw a ball up in a moving vehicle. Since the air in the vehicle is moving with the same speed, the ball won't move to the back. I think Mythbusters or so tested this one actually. The ball in a car, not the drone in the elevator. But here the ball was already moving with the vehicle too. So...

not sure if op is trolling. cant think of any reasons why one would want to fly in an elevator

boostedford Posted at 2017-3-3 14:59
not sure if op is trolling. cant think of any reasons why one would want to fly in an elevator

I don't think he's trolling, nor does want to fly inside an elevator. It's just similar to asking a question what would happen if you'd trow a ball straight up in a moving vehicle: would it move with the vehicle, or "stay in place" which would look like moving to the rear. Just a thing to think over without ever properly trying it.

Nothing would happen, unless there magnetic interference etc, it will fly normal and up and down with the elevator. Same as if you were to throw a ball while flying in a plane, you don't expect it to shoot out of the plane at 1000km/h...

dirkjan82 Posted at 2017-3-3 14:45
I'm with MikeQView. The air in the elevator would move with the elevator, so the drone would move with it as well. Plus the ground sensors would correct for the moving floor, if the drone ignored the moving air.
I'd say a similar thing would happen as when you'd throw a ball up in a moving vehicle. Since the air in the vehicle is moving with the same speed, the ball won't move to the back. I think Mythbusters or so tested this one actually. The ball in a car, not the drone in the elevator. But here the ball was already moving with the vehicle too. So...

I have tested this with a tennis ball. It's easy to get it to hover next to you if you pull some negative G's.

i am wondering the same scenario. . .

what if i take off inside the moving train in atti mode?

don't ask why am i going to do this. . .
because it is kind of firmware logic assessment. . .

fansce9f006f Posted at 2017-4-22 14:43
i am wondering the same scenario. . .

what if i take off inside the moving train in atti mode?

I can confirm that if you enable the VPS and put the mavic in a train/bus/truck/ship with enough light and recognizable floor pattern,  it will move with it.

I am not sure about elevator though.

As this is a hyperthetical question you would assume that the drone has no gps  Signal. .  If it did, it would stay at the same height as it's gps lock had detected and would crash into the ceiling or floor. The downward  facing proximity sensors would struggle to cope with such a moving target. This is aside from air mass movement. I don't know how ATTI mode "fixes" height stability, but I guess the same would apply.

Don't forget to jump up the minute before the elevator hits the ground.

You'll be fine.

I've flown one of the tiny toy drones in a elevator , in a car and on a bus . It does fine as physics says it should . The only question is the Mavics sensors that allow it to fly itself might get confused with being in a metal box surrounded by tons of concrete and rebar .  Assuming this is an inside the building elevator and not one of the exterior glass ones it will have no GPS and be in Atti mode so if you turn off all OA and vision sensors and know how to fly , it will be fine . It will hover in place as the elevator moves except for drifting from its own prop wash .

My thinking is  that General Relativity would dictate that normal operation would be exhibited.  Of course, I could be wrong.

It would fly normally. Think of a fly in a lift, or even in a car...

If you dare then try it yourself, you will know the answer lols

You should ask the guy that makes these videos to try it:    ... pepe!

digitalintruder Posted at 2017-4-25 20:22
You should ask the guy that makes these videos to try it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0bsHZ4o00w   ... pepe!

This guy should fly the Mavic (same speed of the truck) then hand catch it, should be easier hehe

hungdang Posted at 2017-4-25 22:33
This guy should fly the Mavic (same speed of the truck) then hand catch it, should be easier hehe

After watching a few of his videos, I think he doesn't like his mavic.

digitalintruder Posted at 2017-4-25 22:32
After watching a few of his videos, I think he doesn't like his mavic.

OK i'll be the one to ask - what the hell is your avatar????

pigolato Posted at 2017-4-25 23:26
OK i'll be the one to ask - what the hell is your avatar????

I've always thought it was a female sex organ...
But now that i look closely at it, it may also be a man on a bike...

pigolato Posted at 2017-4-25 23:26
OK i'll be the one to ask - what the hell is your avatar????

It's a long exposure shot at night of me in front of my garage. The mavic at low altitudes kind of sucks for long exposure at night.

As for the the comment below (@K4Unl), it does remind me of that as well now that you mention it...

Mavicator Posted at 2017-3-3 08:23
Why anyone would want to be in a tiny enclosed space with a flying lawnmower, I cannot imagine.  But on a positive note,  if the elevator is in the Sears tower and you can get it going fast enough, you will be able to exceed the height and speed limits of the Mavic.  Good luck with that.   Post video.

Obviously a Chicagoan still calling it Sears Tower (Always will be to us).

Maybe a fun test if they ever start shipping the blade cages. Relative air speed should be the limiting factor in vertical climb rate. IE your ground speed down wind is > than upwind. Since the air in the elevator should be remaining largely at the same speed of the elevator, the MP should keep up with the climb. At least I don't recall a gale force wind when riding the  elevators but it's been eons since I went to the top.