Your app appears to be incompatible with my Android smartphone. It's a fairly new, mid-range phone and I haven't had any issues installing other apps. Any idea why it might be incompatible?
Incompatible how? I'm testing using most poplar brands in the US, and haven't had an issue. Google Play also reports I'm compatible with most phone vendors but Android always manages to surprise me :) What vendor?
I'm not sure, Google Play just says, "This app is incompatible with all of your devices." Both devices are Xiaomi smartphones. My new phone is running Android 9.
> Again, UAVs are not computer-flown. They're remotely piloted. They are not completely autonomous (yet.)
This is incorrect. Most popular consumer-level autopilot systems used by companies like DJI and 3D Robotics have complete autonomous functionality (except sense and avoid capability) which allows the user to input a flight path and then watch the drone take off, fly through the checkpoints and then land, completely autonomously.
I don't think we agree on what "autonomous" means. Preprogramming a flight path to follow doesn't meet the definition of autonomous nor does autopilot following waypoints.
Autonomous, at least to me, means the drone takes off, searches out a sight ("drone, fine me a bridge and take pictures of it") and then makes the decision to fly to it and perform some kind of action whether it be photographic/videographic/some kind of monitoring (commercial drones) or a kinetic action (military drones).
Basically, when drones get AI then I'd personally consider them to be autonomous. YMMV
My startup (www.dronehire.org) connects commercial drone operators with clients for aerial photography, real estate photography, precision agriculture, surveying, mapping etc.
Do you think you could create a video that would help us do that?
There is a LOT of interest in commercial drone applications. We already have 100+ commercial drone operators in our directory at www.dronehire.org, with new sign-ups every day. Currently, the most commonly requested services are aerial photography and video for real estate and marketing clients, although we expect precision agriculture to be by far the biggest market in terms of revenue within a few years. Remote inspection of pipelines, powerlines and other infrastructure also has enormous potential, as does package delivery and border patrol.
>What is the range of a ~$5K drone? Payload? Battery life? Knowing these approximate parameters would be quite useful for putting one's thinking cap on. If anyone has a good idea, with payload and without payload, that could be helpful.
The answers to your questions depend firstly on the type of drone: multicopter or fixed-wing. With a multicopter you are looking at a maximum flight time of around 30 minutes, give or take depending upon numerous variables such as the payload and specific application (for example, hovering in one place uses less power than moving around). The payload capacity of a ~$5K multicopter would be in the order of 10 - 15kg, although carrying anywhere near this weight would severely limit the flight time.
A similarly-priced fixed-wing drone could stay aloft a lot longer and also have a greater payload capacity - the downside is the inability to hover or do vertical take-off and landing.
There are of course hybrid designs, usually tilt-rotors, that attempt to get the best of both worlds.
>Except it's not one million USD. Also it's only open to citizens and residents of UAE.
The one million USD prize is for the international category of the award, and it is open to anyone. Check the official website: http://dronesforgood.ae/
- National competition
- International competition
The National competition carries an award of 1 million AED. It is dedicated to rewarding the best, most practical ideas for using UAV technologies today for civilian government services in the UAE. Submissions must be readily deployable within 12 months, must function safely and effectively, and must fulfil a real citizen need or government service.
The International competition carries an award of $1 million USD. It is dedicated to exploring future prototypes of how UAVs might be used to improve the lives of humanity in general, focusing on what may be possible in the next 1 to 3 years. It is designed to stimulate innovation and accelerate the development of advanced prototypes, which could ultimately lead to practical solutions for improving people’s lives around the world."
