Palm Launch is one of my favorite features of the Spark and I noticed today when I got my Mavic Air that there is a button on the rear of the Drone. I wonder if it would be possible to add the palm launch take off controls to this button.

Thats interesting - is it true the drone can take off from the ground using gestures?

A CW Posted at 2018-1-31 14:46
Thats interesting - is it true the drone can take off from the ground using gestures?

Yes it is see video 4 right here https://www.dji.com/mavic-air/info#video

PS013 Posted at 2018-1-31 14:55
Yes it is see video 4 right here https://www.dji.com/mavic-air/info#video

Wow - thats cool

A CW Posted at 2018-1-31 14:56
Wow - thats cool

Yes, but you still have to set the drone in 'Gesture mode' with the controller ...
It would be nice if you could do that with the push button on the back ...

May be there is a way, but since there is no manual available .. I could not figure it out (yet)
will try again tomorrow

May be it’s something they have planned in a future FW update - I wouldn’t play around with hand launching until you know for sure and the elusive manual is released. Enjoy and fly safe!  

I thought the start button was positioned so you couldn't hand launch.  The Air has some pretty big ridged props with motors powerful enough to lift the fat drone.  How big do props need to be to flay a finger?  Word to the wise would be to always launch from your least favorite hand.

This is direct from the Mavic Air marketing material:

Mavic Air’s ActiveTrack intelligent flight mode has been improved to automatically sense multiple subjects,  following your subject and keeping it in the frame with more precision, especially during high motion activities like running and cycling.

Powered by machine learning technology, SmartCapture (It is recommended to use Mavic Air’s propeller guards, when using SmartCapture) is an ultra-responsive control mode that makes shooting photos and videos effortless. With a maximum range of up to 20 feet (6 meters), you can give hand gesture commands to launch, follow, photograph, record, push, pull and land, letting you capture the moment from any angle without the need for a remote controller.

The marketing material says it is supported, but this thread makes it sound like the features are not supported or implemented in the Mavic Air?

It does have hand gestures but doesn’t have Palm launch. i.e. launching the drone while holding it in your hand and tapping the rear button

Are there any news about this from DJI?

MA won’t have palm launch and landing because of safety concern. I don’t think you will see DJI add this feature to MA in future upgrade.

Piece of cake, make sure you set the RTH before tossing.

LordoftheFlies Posted at 2018-7-30 20:42
Piece of cake, make sure you set the RTH before tossing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP0MWI-4Lss

Nicely done!

Piece of cake, make sure you set the RTH before tossing.

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 2018-7-30 20:49
Nicely done!

The first time I did this I wore a football helmet and welding gloves, but if you let the drone get a lock, it will fly stable about 2' from your face. SIDE NOTE: Let the MA hover for a good minute after you toss it. It has to work out what just happened.

The drone thinks the earth literally just caved in under it. So, let her stabilize a little, get a home point and detect a payload.

ok, but there is some missunderstanding Lord
it's not a problem to launch MA from hand (as seen on vid, when connected with remote, phone etc.. )

and it's also posible on MA to use smart gestures (so start with no remote/phone)



but it starts from ground... question is - can we start it from hand directly to smart gestures (like spark does)?
(like You on small boat, or in 1m tall grass and there is no place to put it on ground for a smart gestures start)

You can start the gesture mode (smart capture) without a controller or a phone. All you need to do is double click the function button at the back of the drone. But I don't think you can hand launch this way as somebody in front (and probably up, as the craft assumes it is sitting on the ground) of the craft has to take control and do the launch sign.  Once airborne it is simple to use the drone only by hand gestures....

PS: This is in the manual by the way, although it could have been stated more elaborately.

PS013 Posted at 1-31 15:10
Yes, but you still have to set the drone in 'Gesture mode' with the controller ...
It would be nice if you could do that with the push button on the back ...

It is now possible to get your Mavic in Smart Capture mode without a phone/controller.
There is a button on the back of the Mavic Air; push it twice. It'll make a beep, and the camera will start looking up and down.
The drone is now in Smart Capture mode

i would like to have a hand launch mode that also stays in sync with the RC properly..   plenty of places i wish i could easily hand launched the drone then grabbed the RC to continue.  or atleast a timed feature..like 10 second countdown then launches..  i been in a few instances where only option for the dorne is hand launching and hand catching and easy launch method even if it required a pro/expert mode toggle would be great..