3D Robotics SOLO Feature Set to good to believe? DJI INSPIRE FEATURES FINALLY UPDATED !

SOLO's POWERFUL FEATURE SET-Does it live up to it...Well see the summary at end of blog.

CABLE CAM

With Solo locked on a virtual cable in the air, you’re free to pan and tilt the camera without worrying about piloting the copter. Solo can even memorize the shot at each end point and fly itself from one frame to the next, while working the camera for you as smoothly and evenly as a seasoned pro.

With Solo locked on a virtual cable in the air, you’re free to pan and tilt the camera without worrying about piloting the copter. Solo can even memorize the shot at each end point and fly itself from one frame to the next, while working the camera for you as smoothly and evenly as a seasoned pro.

It’s this easy: Just use the live view on your mobile screen to guide Solo to your desired start and end points. Once those are set, Solo is automatically locked to the virtual cable between them. Now you can focus exclusively on capturing the exact shots you want as Solo moves up and down the tracks—or just push “play” and let Solo handle the camerawork. And really: Even professional pilots can’t get these kinds of shots.

ORBIT aka POV

Get an iconic wraparound shot by locking your GoPro® onto any object with the push of a button. Orbit mode puts Solo on a circular track with an adjustable radius. Fly around the circle in either direction and Solo will keep the camera locked on your subject. You can also adjust altitude and flight speed to create dynamic and sophisticated aerial shots.

It’s this easy: Once Solo is in the air, point the camera at the object you want to film. Press the assigned “Orbit” button and the camera stays fixed on the object. The copter is now locked into a circle around the object. Now control the speed and direction of Solo’s orbit and capture perfectly smooth wraparound shots with no uneven or jerky movements—or tap “play” and Solo will do it all.

SELFIE

Automatically put yourself in the middle of a scenic aerial pullout shot. As Solo flies itself up and back, your surroundings expand, building and revealing more and more of the world around you—it’s a portrait and a landscape all at once. Record the clip directly to your phone for easy saving and sharing.

It’s this easy: Put Solo on the ground in front of you with the camera facing you. Tap Selfie, press Fly and Solo will take off with the camera pointed at you, then fly back and up. When Solo reaches the peak of its flight, it will return to land right where it took off, getting an aerial zoom shot on the way back down. Now immediately save and share this unique selfie with others.

FOLLOW

Go completely hands-free. Whether you’re taking the road less traveled with your friends, cruising your boat around the lake or just out exploring the world, Solo will automatically follow along in the air. This mode keeps the camera centered on you at all times, capturing your every move.

It’s this easy: Launch Solo and choose Follow. Now Solo is locked onto your mobile device—which must remain with your controller—and you’re ready to film all the action. And since flight and camera control are fully automated, you’re completely hands-free to focus on the activities you love as Solo captures it all.

UPDATE:DJI has added Following and POI in addition AUTOPILOT has added even more functionality to Phantoms and the INSPIRE. So looks like DJI reigns supreme in the skies again!

Indoor Flight: STILL NOT STABLE, danger , danger...it drifts considerably and not only on position but it creeps up in altitude as well.  My test was shooting a music video on a soundstage with 16' ceilings and a concrete floor painted white...It was stable at 2 ft off the ground, every foot higher the instability went exponential. At 10 ft off the ground it would drift to the right, a constant drift. Never would it correct for positioning. Challenging to say the least.


DJI's explanation, "By using the sensors on the Vision Positioning system, Inspire 1 can perform precision hovering even when no GPS is available.Follow the steps below to use Vision Positioning:

1. Toggle the switch to “P” as shown the figure to the right:

2. Place the Inspire 1 on a flat surface. Notice that the Vision Positioning system cannot work properly on surfaces without pattern variations.

3. Power on the Inspire 1. The aircraft status indicator will flash twice in green light, which indicates the Vision Positioning system is

For best results please keep the below factors in mind:

Keep the sensors clean at all times. Dirt or other debris may adversely affect the effectiveness of the sensors.
The effective hovering altitudes of the aircraft is from 0 to 2.5 meters.
Vision Positioning system may not function properly when the aircraft is flying over water.
Vision Positioning system may not be able to recognize pattern on the ground in low light conditions (less than 100lux).
Do not use other ultrasonic devices with frequency of 40 KHz when Vision Positioning system is in operation.
Vision Positioning system may not be able to stabilize the aircraft when flying close to the ground (below 0.5 meters) in fast speed.




FLIGHT TIME:
INSPIRE:    Tested time was 14-17 min.
3DR SOLO:Tested time was actually 15-17 min.

SOLO boasts some incredible features . The biggest issues however are with the time it takes to pass all internal tests and get GPS lock. 7-12 minutes! SOLO also lacks the capability to fly from a moving surface such as a BOAT, no dynamic home, so if it is not on a level non-moving surface it fails its internal checklist and just blinks green and will not FLY in any mode.

Hmmm I think I should talk with Mr. DJI Inspire 1 spokes person Phillip Bloom and get his take as well!

Yo Phillip whats the scoop on SOLO vs INSPIRE...

PART 1 DRONES: DJI's INSPIRE PROMISES - PART 2:INSPIRE vs 3D Robotics SOLO follows

OK so some of you are seasoned drone or rather UAS pilots and by now you've pretty much experienced what's commonly called "VAPOR WARE" or "FEATURE FAILURE." The INSPIRE seemed to be the HOLY GRAIL from DJI as it feature list seemed endless. Many of us gambled on the new technology that DJI boasted about this bird! Well I would most definitely like to hear back from "Phantom to INSPIRE" owners and get your valuable input. AS for now I'll attempt to express my sentiment over the INSPIRE 1, mainly what was promised in the way of features and what the reality is today...

DJI INSPIRE 1

I will also draw some comparisons to 3DR's new SOLO coming in May. If it lives up to the feature set that they are describing than I would say the INSPIRE 1 is up for some steep competition.

Before taking a read on the dark side of the INSPIRE I do have to commend DJI on the concept and hopefully fully functional feature set that will one day become available with the INSPIRE 1. And yes of course for creating this incredible market space and products that have truly set the bar for enabling quality film making for those of us working in the entertainment field as well as the incredible data being collected for the industrial and agricultural market sectors.

Lets start out with the somewhat "lacking in function" features:

DYNAMIC HOME POINT
FOLLOWING: Wow this was a big one for those of us filming from moving platforms such as a car, boat, skateboard etc. Quite clearly attempting to set your RC Controller as the HOME POINT FAILS miserably. DJI's excuse, "Well the GPS antenna on your 650.00 controller is not strong enough to provide the signal to the INSPIRE...hmmm, really?

STABILITY
 OK here is a clear warning. NEVER TAKE YOUR EYE OFF OF THE INSPIRE for the first 2-3 minutes of flight or you can kiss it goodbye. For some reason it consistently will head to the right... REALLY! We have upgraded the firmware and this still has not been fixed. If you watch it and manually keep it in position than after about 2 minutes it will be stable. Yes it does this whether or not it has been GPS calibrated or you are flying indoors using it's built-in SONAR system.

FLIGHT TIME
I guess it's a bit like the Miles per Gallon sticker on those new cars you may be looking at. Strictly IDEAL conditions for a flight time of 17 min. In other words hover at 5 ft off the ground. Expect 13-14 min of flight time. Anyone out there with the larger battery please chime in on flight times.

GROUND STATION
Oh yeah that's one big reason I went to the Inspire, the ability to plot out your course and easily repeat a flight pattern especially when you are trying to get that big wide opening aerial scene for the film your working on. Sorry but not available yet. Time frame? Well no response on that from DJI

24/7 SUPPORT
Here today gone tomorrow. Wow that was such a great offering by DJI, um where did it go...Well they are in the process of shifting to U.S. based support so suddenly the very cool chat capability from your iPad or any IOS/Android device is no longer available. Time to use the phone and call and yes hopefully the QUALITY of their support, ie training personnel, will improve.

Regarding the new PHANTOM 3 PRO version: Well I have to say I need to get my hands on one. Seems like they are competing with their own product line as this little beefed up Phantom is pretty much the INSPIRE in a smaller footprint. Yep it will fit in your carry-on luggage.










NEXT UP PART 2 HIGHLIGHTS of the INSPIRE and THEN a REVIEW/COMPARISON of 3DR's SOLO !

DJI RONIN and the SONY F55 How to Mount it.

Well we've asked DJI for the XL Arms a few times and are still waiting, so in the meantime we got it working without them!

FOR STARTERS DO NOT RUN POWER FROM THE RONIN/DJI Battery to the F55. It will error out and drain the battery. Seems to work fine with an F5.

Anyway you look at it it is not a light rig to operate. Remember the RONIN does weigh in 5lbs heavier than the MOVI...We used a modified EASYRIG 500N with a 9" arm to replace the standard 5" arm. Price ouch:$3500.00 at B&H, $4230.00 double ouch,  from 16x9. The 5" arm that it normally comes with is TOO SHORT! Don't bother, PART# ERG500-3-89...The rig weighs in at 26lbs not too bad but too heavy for over 5 minutes for me! There is also a LESS EXPENSIVE rig called the Flycam Flowline for only $890.00 from who else but CINECITY! CAUTION the spec says it max's out at 16lbs but looking at their picture of a fully configured Red Camera on it I would guess the limits were pushed and closer to 20+ lbs (Gimbal weigh in at 9lbs) worth investigating with an F55 fully rigged and we'll let you know if we can get one in-house for testing.

BALANCING:To increase battery life you really want it calibrated no greater than -2 or -3 feedback via monitoring on  the DJI Assistant software. So it takes 10-15 minutes and mainly because the dovetail lock needs improvements on the locking mechanism, camera slips a bit during calibration. Cure:When you flip the lever forward the balance actually shifts so push it back a hair then flip the lever forward and tighten up the allen bolt on it as well to prevent slippage.

Aside from strapping a TERADEK Bolt to the top of the stripped down F55 you can put short 15mm rods on the rear of the dovetail and add counterweights. This brings the camera forward so it easily clears the rear of the gimbal. I used a couple of RED ROCK Micro mounts.Improvise here. Just get the weight up towards the rear of the F55, even washers bolted on top of the F55 1/4-20's worked.


BATTERY SETUP on handlebar:
Mounting a Battery was a simple task. Amazon had these and many more mounts available.
Use this link for Anton Bauer setup  $10.00
or this for link V-Mount-Sony/IDX  $10.00

Both of these battery mounts have a sturdy METAL backplate. Unscrew the backplate and drill a hole in the backplate for 1/4-20's then mount to DJI included handlebar mounts.

They have a ton of plates available for more $$ with power switch and multiple DTaps or barrel connectors from CINECITY. In my setup I have a DTAP on the battery and the one on the mount So I can run my ODYSSEY Monitor and just have one power point going down to the gimbal.

PS Checkout Jacek at OPTITEK if your using EF Lenses. Great stuff and enabled us to have a nice remote focus and iris pulling rig! No FIZ motors etc...

Star Trek Under the Sea

SEAORBITER 

UPDATE 9/21/14: This incredible project is now STALLED due to lack of funding so standby...

OK very cool technology, greenlighted and fully funded this incredible futuristic tool is just what our Oceans need now! It will allow us a better understanding of the impact that humankind has had upon it's underwater world and it's inhabitants!
I will definitely try and get a documentary in the works for this epic and innovative vessel. This may actually make it a reality to gain a better understanding of our oceans and the changes they are going through. As for it looking for the mythical city of Atlantis, I think that should be at the end of their TO DO list...

Even more fantastic news is that Liz Taylor, President of California based DOER Marine, informed me that they will be participating in some of the ROV/DSV design aspects of this incredible project! Sylvia Earle is a founder of DOER!

EL NINO APPEARS TO BE ON THE WAY...

Well once again it appears that El Nino is building but with one big difference. There are ocean temperature anomalies at 6 º Celcius that have moved across the Pacific at depth pushed by Kelvin Waves. These anomalous temperatures are just starting to rise to the surface in the Eastern Tropical Pacific and they rival or exceed the ocean temperatures that precipitated the 97-98 El Nino which was the strongest in the era of satellite , Argo float, and modern records.

So what's the impact to my neck of the woods here in Santa Barbara as well as the rest of the State? Well it would most certainly end the worse drought in California for over 100 years, NICE! Oh yeah the downside is so much rainfall that our watersheds and water delivery systems infrastructure could be destroyed. I don't know is it me or is it something in the wind that's been blowing our way for quite some time now, yep the infamous GLOBAL Warming wreaking more havoc.  Now days it is clear that the planet's weather in general has intensified and will continue to do so.

Can we be better prepared, certainly... I think our country's leaders and politicians need to step up to this real battlefield of the age we are clearly moving into and the one that our children and their children will be inheriting. We can't beat nature but we can be better prepared for it's consequences and not see a repeat of the aftermath that Katrina left in the Gulf. Let your representatives know and demand them to be accountable over your concerns for your safety and welfare...

Some relevant links:
Science, Tech and Environment
NOAA El Nino Prediction
Contacting your Senator
Contacting members of Congress

SONY F5-F55 OPTITECH Manual Optitron ProLock Mark II

Hello Sony F5 and F55 community. We made up a manual we edited from Jacek's notes for those of you with Optitron and ProLock Mark 2. Hope this helps!

 Optitek Optitron Manual

Pictures too!

A Greener Planet a Greener Conscience

Well it's been an interesting month and it all wound down with a few meetings involving some great alliances and great organizations. OCTOS, NOAA and DOTGREEN Foundation all came together and hopefully with a goal to improve communication as well as recognize and work with environmental hotspots on planet Earth and starting right here in the U.S.

The all too often scenario of environmentally concerned government agencies NOT WORKING TOGETHER is all to apparent these days and one of my missions is to end this paradigm. I firmly believe that 2014 will be a major wake-up call to the world's governments that it's citizens are outraged over the destruction and neglect of our planet.
DOTGREEN Foundation appears to be at the forefront of our planets needed mantra,  "Preservation, Restoration and Innovation" both in harmony with the philosophy of a Green and Sustainable world!


I feel as a natural history filmmaker that my mission is to not only capture nature's plight but also to promote, inform, demonstrate and motivate industry, government and the general public with meaningful films. The current events that have significant impact on the welfare of our planet and ALL that occupy it are the primary subject of the films that we set out to create!

Climate Change-Global Warming, Natural and Human-made disasters like the Gulf of Mexico, Fukashima and more are devastating our environment.

All of these events are disrupting our lives right now.  Radiation is in the food chain in the Pacific and on course for a worldwide tour... The Gulf of Mexico is experiencing health issues and more on the way due to the Deepwater Horizon spill. Rising seas are leaching toxins into our Oceans as well as breaking down the infrastructure along all populated coastal areas. Coral reefs are dying at accelerated rates! We have been warned for decades. The time to act is NOW. Procrastination is over!

Margaret Mead once said "look in your own backyard. " A great philosophy for our planet, a solid mantra for individuals to act and join hands through community efforts as well. One problem, we have gone far beyond a ground roots effort...We are running out of time. The mighty dollar will take a beating so there is no longer any excuse for the Governments and wealthy interest entities to sit back and say everything will be fine. That luxury is over, believe me, it's OVER. It's time to bring a world-wide united effort together to act!

Tropical Storm KAREN and the GULF of MEXICO and the OIL

OK OK, so whatever happened to "Deepwater Rising"with all the Gulf footage we shot. Well we are still reeling over it, no pun intended...had to throw that in to honor good ole Mike deGruy's sense of humour! I have been i contact with many activists in the Gulf including Trisha Springstead, Riki Ott and others still fighting the good fight on our behalf. Recent events ie Tropical Storm Karen
may very well stir up the muck if it hit's the area hard, especially down at Grand Isle. Fact is the OIL IS STILL DOWN THERE in the deepwater so says Dr. Samantha Joye and other notable scientists. It is NOT going away anytime soon as many would have us believe. There are still severe health risks to those who live and partake near the areas that were bombarded by dispersants. Yes it's old news but weather and currents may very well make it todays news so standby....

Hopefully the information we gathered and the footage will be used in a more informative documentary based on the the Gulf of Mexico's history so again standby for that info too and we'll keep you updated...

Heading back to Kauai for more footage on Reefs

Cyanobacteria killing off Brown Rice Coaral

Well it's been a world wind Summer and now Autumn rolling in already! Heading back to meet with locals regarding the latest reef ravaging by hmmm let's see:

1. CYANOBACTERIA
2. ATRAZINE
3. RADIATION ??!!
4. GLOBAL WARMING / RISING SEAS
5. LAND MISUSE-RIVER MUD
6. NAVY's LOW FREQUENCY TISSUE DISINTEGRATING SONAR

The flow of radiation from Fukashima

Looking for a rainbow in here somewhere and will help with a video to address the current situation and the need for testing, ie FUNDING! Looking at a music benefit as well to raise funds for testing. The sooner we determine the CAUSE(s), see list above items 1-6, the sooner we can figure out a remediation plan for the reefs.

Latest I heard was the EPA received over $7.25 million from fines levied against an offender on Kauai who basically killed off a watershed a couple years ago. So why is the EPA so incredibly non-responsive to what's going on with the Hanalei river and it's overdose of Mud? Why aren't they
removing all the HAU bush along the banks of the river?? For detailed info definitely click here.

I'll let you know how the trip goes...

UPDATE !! KAUAI's CORAL REEFS DYING OFF AT AN ALARMING RATE!

UPDATE: You can add the Big Island to the mystery as well! Check it out here. The situation that is taking place on the North shores of Kauai reads like a movie thriller or a Clive Cussler novel. Real bad guys, government officials turning a blind eye to subdue the story behind a real pathogen wreaking destruction in the tropics and most certainly it will become a health risk to humans. Anini's reef system is collapsing as you are reading this.

Check out this video:

Kauai's North shore coral reefs are in severe peril, they are under attack and losing the battle at an alarming rate.  The suspects range from the Navy's underwater sonar blasting to leaching and runoff of heavy metals, pesticides, fertilizers and chemicals from previously used agriculture lands to global warming and rising seas! Perhaps all combined and breaking down the Corals resistance.

Terry explaining the situation to me.

A Blue-Green algae, aka cyanobacteria is the organism that is currently destroying the corals and leaving behind dead zones and brown ocean water with a pungent odor. It was first discovered by our local hero, Terry Lilley, a biologist, marine critter "Whisperer" and eco-minded whistle blower! For his efforts he has been rewarded with a beating resulting in a broken arm, shots being fired in his vicinity and the latest a mysterious heart attack. Mind you Terry is an avid surfer and diver in peak physical condition! He has repeatedly subjected himself to daily dives and water excursions in now murky and perhaps toxic waters on the North Shore.

Terry's portable roaming Lab

Almost on a weekly basis now entire coral habitats once thriving with an abundance of sea life and clear blue pristine waters are morphing into dead zones, oxygen deprived regions of ocean due to the die off. The bacteria is pervasive, it has jumped species from one coral colony to another and it even has company. Another bacteria that appears as a black band on the leading edge of destruction mowing down coral as voraciously as the host it precedes! The amount of reef consumed in a month equates to over 10-15 years of natural coral growth!

The story has been in the news and you can see by clicking on the active links. L.A Times, Hawaii Reporter, Garden Island,  on radio, on several network news programs and both NOAA and the USGS are now involved...

Terry's home & HQ

There is far more to this story then proverbial "Meets the eye" and On the Wave Productions is moving forward to seek out the cause along with Terry, NOAA, USGS and more scientists who are coming onboard! So stay tuned for more details! We were there in April, July and August and will return again in October for more filming and investigating!


Please check out Terry's foundation at underwater2web.com and donate to this noble cause.