Rewind and Return to Me
With the press of a button, Solo will retrace its exact path for the last 60 feet of your flight (this distance will be user-definable in the app) to ensure it avoids obstacles on its way back home. And with the new “return to me” feature, Solo will come home to wherever you stand with your controller and mobile device.
Meet the new Smart Shots — Zipline and Pano
Zipline + Spot Lock
Set an infinite cable in any direction, just by pushing a button. Fly up and down this line, controlling speed and direction as well as the camera. Zipline also has a “spot lock” feature, which works like an Orbit point of focus, but instead of flying in a circle you’re flying in a straight line. Set your zipline, look at something, press spot lock and Solo keeps the camera fixed on it while Solo passes, for a dramatic flyby.
Pano
The perfect aerial panorama. Set up your shot, and Solo automatically pans and snaps the right photos at the right time, for cylindrical, spherical (“little world”) or video panos.
Augmented Reality
The Solo app will overlay visuals in real time on your mobile screen. You can see your home point, or make sure your Orbit point of focus is exactly where you want it to be before you fly your Smart Shot.
Custom Geofencing
Define a virtual fence around Solo at any time in flight. You create this virtual “safety net” by setting four points on your satellite view, which creates an area around Solo that the drone can’t leave. Set your fence before taking off, or set and adjust its location while flying, allowing you to easily block off nearby obstacles or entire areas at any time.
Comments
@Craig P.
I guess you need to win a contest to get one: http://diydrones.com/profiles/blog/show?id=705844%3ABlogPost%3A2141...
:)
Vu, hopefully you or anyone else who knows the answer to this will see this and clarify. I understand not all of the features are going to be on the android app, and that's fine (relatively). Android updates are also coming out later than iOS, that's bearable as well, but something I haven't seen addressed is the android compatibility list. Will it be expanded upon? Narrowed down? Or will future android updates only support the devices currently listed? To what degree is the scaling back of android support going to be? I currently have a unsupported device (s7 edge that I bought specifically to use with my solo) that I can't use. Will I ever be able to?
Gary, to chime in on the GPS Rev A phase out, I bought a Solo on 17/05/'16 and it has the black Rev B board. Maybe people's best bet right now is to buy straight from 3DR until this question of what rev you will be getting and the process to replace the older one is sorted out.
On a final note it was pointed out, and I find this only slightly ironic, that on 3DRs promo pictures for the new features not being brought to android, the tablets being used are androids...
Hi Craig,
Aside from my already stated concerns re reviews on web sellers sites (which may mostly concern rev As, I was also concerned that maybe some of these special sale deals were also rev As, now at least somewhat confirmed by you.
As long as I have been associated with DIYD (from nearly it's beginning) 3DR has seemed to hold relevant information close to it without immediately releasing it to us.
Sometimes, I am sure it is for perfectly legitimate reasons like they don't know if they can get a given feature working well enough to release it.
But many times it seems to simply cause problems for no reason at all or as in this case may be covering an explicit and intentional dump of sub-par Rev A Solos.
Without more information I will stop short of accusing 3DR itself of doing that, but the atmosphere of providing too little information too late, certainly leaves it open for speculation.
Between the spotty customer reviews (including Rob's) and underwhelming information regarding IOS v Android and the apparent considerable difference between revs (and indeterminate which rev you might get), it is really hard for me to convince myself that it is a reasonable act to purchase a Solo (And I really would like to).
Best regards,
Gary
Vu,
There are reports of people receiving brand new Solos this week from major partners under the great sale price - and opening them up and having the Rev A GPS board.
This is perhaps another place where 3DR can be clear.
Are they still selling the Rev. A?
If a customer receives the old board can they contact 3DR for a replacement GPS or copter?
This is very important because the original GPS was "not good enough" by just about any consumer standard.
Thanks for your answers!
Hi Philip,
If IOS is indeed the chosen platform then perhaps 3DR could respect us customers and publicly state it, put it on the website - make it known for sure. I know you have contacts from when you worked there but that is simply not good enough in my eyes - we haven't bought a toy - we have bought a platform. I back Rob's call for 3DR to give a definitive answer.
I will be extremely disappointed in 3DR if this is their chosen direction. I urge them to firstly state it clearly and update the website as it implies that AR is available on the android app (https://3dr.com/app/). If they choose to just go with IOS and Apple then they should own that decision and make it public - not just for those that have inside information. If they are intending to bring these items to the android platform then we'll understand if their is a delay, just communicate with us.
I've already had to pay the 'Australia Tax' on my Solo that is an additional $200USD compared to the US price, although I did get it on the 20% off sale. Now I'm expected to buy a iPad because of a change in 3DR's policy that wasn't communicated in a clear way. Most mature companies have a product lifecycle for this stuff and will say we will stop shipping updates for this product in x time. That x could be months or years, not just quietly hope nobody notices..... These sort of changes make business wary, DJI recently pulled a bunch of apps too but they communicated they were doing it. Now I'm no DJI fan that is for sure, just like I dont use apple products I dont use DJI products either.
Now on the just go to IOS, since public pressure appears to have made them rethink for some elements of this release then why wouldn't further pressure make them rethink the overall direction of just going IOS. I know it's a higher cost to have 2 development teams, but like it or not Android has a higher market share than Apple does - I'd love to know the Solo app user numbers for the two. I truly think they underestimated their Android numbers and realised they have to do something.
Chris
Philip, Its all good. Looking at what is becoming possible in the consumer drone market is impressive, and makes me a bit envious from my "home built" perspective. That gives me incentive to keep up with the changes!
DIY is alive and well, solo is actually a great example of what Ardupilot can do!
I understand this is Chris Anderson's baby, and its impressive.
However, As a DYI person, I am envious, and just a touch resentful, that these features, and others, are not available to the DIY community. I do understand that from a business perspective it is better to develop proprietary systems that are not offered to the community at large. Perhaps a companion computer with such added benefits could be offered to DIY pixhawk owners, not open source, but as an additional option to the Pixhawk FC. Lets not forget the Name of this Site, or give up building our own drones.
Rev A is just not great. That was known from day one. Rev B is awesome, 3DR engineering did really well on it.
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