Nidge
Captain
United Kingdom
Offline
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I think one of the primary reasons why there is no Spark2, or any new consumer grade drone announcements from the main manufacturers, is due to the current uncertainty with regards to regulations around the Globe (or across the plain for you Flat Earthers out there).
In the UK currently there are some of the most strict, and highly contested, proposals due to take effect this coming October/November. These include:
1. A mandatory online test.
2. An annual registration fee of around £17 ($20 odd)
3. Age restrictions.
To highlight a few. There is even talk that at a future date ALL flying models will be required to carry an ADSB beacon, this isn’t even a requirement for General Aviation, along with the ability for the authorities to be able to take control remotely of said model.
If I were to be honest with myself I think the consumer drone bubble has burst. Many bought into the craze not knowing the restrictions they would face and so the novelty soon wore off. Many companies have either limited their product range, diversified into other markets, or pulled out of the drone market altogether. The money is now in the commercial, agricultural, and military markets with the three main manufacturers - DJI, PARROT, and YUNEEC - along with other more specialised manufacturers, vying for these more lucrative markets.
However I do think there will always be a market for the technically minded hobbyist, evidenced by the still regular output of firmware builds for opensource hardware such as the Pixhawk and other STM F4/7 based hardware platforms.
Regards
Nidge
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