Fascinating and useful video. However, I fly a regular, very simple orbit mission in Autopilot. On one occasion (and one occasion only, a couple of weeks ago the
P4P just started to wander off course and away from the orbit. I paused the mission, took over to regroup then restated mid-flight. After this the mission completed successfully. Conclusion? Autonomous flights aren't foolproof (at least not in Autopilot) and the operator needs to concentrate and standby. It may relate to the different operating methods of the software. Autopilot relies on the device constantly updating the AC. I believe that MP and possibly GS Pro in waypoint or mapping modes, upload the complete mission which the AC then flies, no more RC input until you take over to land. Not sure on Litchi methodology.
Yes and no. As I stated in my video, "Depending on the software used and the settings...."
A quick rundown...
GS Pro uploads missions and flies completely autonomously. GS Pro offers options regarding connection status. But regardless of the option you choose, as long as a connection is maintained, GS Pro WILL finish its mission.
Map Pilot gives the user a choice of "Connected" or "Connectionless" flight. In the case of the former, the software controls the bird via the iPad via the Remote controller. So in this case, not only does the bird need to remain connected to the RC, but the connection has to be a good one. In the case of the latter, all waypoints are uploaded and the bird flies the mission regardless of connection status.
Autopilot, like Map Pilot, has options. Depending on your mission needs, Autopilot may depend on the app to control the bird, in which case connection must be maintained.
I have a fair amount of experience with Autopilot. Every month I fly a waypoint mission for a construction client. Autopilot also controls the camera, so I must fly with a solid connection. I have found that Autopilot is very resource heavy. This tends to heat up the iPad. Because iPads have no active cooling, they cool the CPU by throttling it down. This can cause Autopilot to crash (I have experienced this about 1/2 dozen times). MY experience has been that, when Autopilot crashes, the bird (an Inspire 1, Gen 2) just hovers. This only happens when outdoor temperature is above 75°. During cooler fall and winter months, app-crashing is not an issue. During the summer, I have negated this app-crashing anomaly by storing my iPad in the refrigerator for a few hours pre-mission, and then bringing it to the gig in a cooler with some ice. I then make sure I fly from a shaded area. This works for my Air Pro, but not so much my Air 1. Clearly, the Air Pro's faster CPU doesn't "strain" as quickly as the Air 1 does.
I find it interesting that your bird just drifts away. I've yet to experience that anomaly with any app under any condition with any of my birds; Inspire 1, Mavic Pro,
P4P. That said...
I utilize legacy firmware in all my birds, and legacy software most of the time. While I use the latest/greatest GS Pro and Map Pilot, I have locked Autopilot down to the original version that has worked for me for the past year. Once this construction job is finished, I may allow Autopilot to update. I use legacy versions of Go and Go 4.
D