Since today's announcement is nice, but a far cry from a Phantom 3 it got me thinking what is at the top of my feature request list.
A Phantom is just an iPhone with prop engines
DJI needs to start thinking about their drones as always-connected hardware just like an iPhone. This starts with...
1) Onboard cellular connection so you can maintain a live connection to your drone anywhere with 3G, 4G, or LTE cell coverage (which is lots of places) without worrying about range or obstructions. Should be able to buy a SIM card and plug it into my drone and then viola my iPhone and Android can talk to it and vice versa just like it's another iPhone. There are lots of benefits from adding onboard cellular connection: never lose your drone, FPV anywhere with 4G or LTE coverage, live flight telemetry anywhere with 2g coverage, and automatic over-the-air firmware updates to name a few.
Payload and Landing
2) Increase payload to 4 lbs so we can carry more equipment.
3) Improved landing gear so drone does not tip so easily during landing.
4) New 'Land' Waypoint so you can instruct your drone to auto-land.
Controlled Flight Range
5) Improved radio contorlled flight range - should be able to get 5 miles. (if #1 is done then this becomes less critical)
Easier to Use
6) Hot swap equipment - should be able to easily swap a Gimbal for another piece of equipment without lots of unscrewing and screwing pieces in. Should be much easier. I can swa
Things NOT to do
7) Camera -- I don't think DJI should play the camera spec game. There are already so many great cameras (GoPro, Canon, etc.) -- let somebody else do that. Built the best hardware + software combination for drones -- there is so much room to innovate on that front that trying to chase the camera spec game is a waste of time.
What's on your list?
A Phantom is just an iPhone with prop engines
DJI needs to start thinking about their drones as always-connected hardware just like an iPhone. This starts with...
1) Onboard cellular connection so you can maintain a live connection to your drone anywhere with 3G, 4G, or LTE cell coverage (which is lots of places) without worrying about range or obstructions. Should be able to buy a SIM card and plug it into my drone and then viola my iPhone and Android can talk to it and vice versa just like it's another iPhone. There are lots of benefits from adding onboard cellular connection: never lose your drone, FPV anywhere with 4G or LTE coverage, live flight telemetry anywhere with 2g coverage, and automatic over-the-air firmware updates to name a few.
Payload and Landing
2) Increase payload to 4 lbs so we can carry more equipment.
3) Improved landing gear so drone does not tip so easily during landing.
4) New 'Land' Waypoint so you can instruct your drone to auto-land.
Controlled Flight Range
5) Improved radio contorlled flight range - should be able to get 5 miles. (if #1 is done then this becomes less critical)
Easier to Use
6) Hot swap equipment - should be able to easily swap a Gimbal for another piece of equipment without lots of unscrewing and screwing pieces in. Should be much easier. I can swa
Things NOT to do
7) Camera -- I don't think DJI should play the camera spec game. There are already so many great cameras (GoPro, Canon, etc.) -- let somebody else do that. Built the best hardware + software combination for drones -- there is so much room to innovate on that front that trying to chase the camera spec game is a waste of time.
What's on your list?