We’ve identified a bug with flights that require more than one battery swap. The app can restart from an earlier waypoint than is correct. We have a fix that will be released in our next release, version 2.61.0, which will be available in the next two weeks. For now, please manually move the starting waypoint forward in advanced settings.
Cheers,
Christina and the DroneDeploy Team
EDIT 11/13
Hi everyone,
The update has begun rolling out for Android users and iOS will follow shortly later this week. Please let us know if this issue still persists for you after updating your DroneDeploy app to 2.61.0.
I’ll use this thread as it seems to be the closest one to a problem we just found.
Context: We’re evaluating DD for our particular need, and running several simulations, both on DD virtual sim and on air. Our work location is 200 km away, on a very restricted fly zone, so we need to fine tune everything we can to make sure (at least try to) everything goes as planned when on site.
While running a multiple battery test on DD simulator we noticed each time the flight is resumed after battery swap it skips one path altogether. Here’s the collage image to prove it:
The yellow V represents the last ending waypoint where the mission was supposed to resume, and the red X represents where in fact it does resume, skipping one full path represented in red lines in the first image with the full flight plan.
I don’t know if this is just an issue in the simulator, but I’m worried it will happen on the field as well, and it is NOT that easy to spot a missing flight path on such a large crosshatch area. And we’re going to need 5 battery swaps, so lots of lines could end up missing along with dozens of pictures…
Is anyone aware of this bug? Is it sim specific only?
We’re going to fly a Mavic Air in case that matters to the topic.
This thread is from 2 years ago and does not seem to be a problem for many if any recently, but I will definitely read your post more thoroughly and get back soon.
Now that I have read your post I can understand your reservations. I would definitely try it in the field before making any decisions. The simulator has never been quite accurate in my experience. To do a quick test just pick a small area that is convenient, set up a fairly dense flight plan and at some point in that flight plan initiate return-to-home. This will simulate the need for a battery change. The system now has precision return so you will be a lucky one that never had to experience returning to the previous waypoint far back at the beginning of a leg and wasting batteries and photos.
I just ran a test and in prod environment all is working well, this issue is limited to the sim.
I had never noticed the “precision return” in my previous tests, as whenever possible I would “stretch out” the battery to reach the next waypoint.
Now that I’ve ran the test I took the opportunity to also try the precision return and it worked well, at least apparently. Very nice!
When I have the photos loaded with all the GPS coordinates I will try to figure out if there was any missing, but I don’t think that will be the case.
In short: Fix the simulator, from unrealistic battery swaps that don’t take into account the real drone speed to this resume mission issue there’s a lot of work to bring this sim up to date.
I appear to have had this problem with a real flight today. Battery swap then continued mission but skipped an entire row a mile long. Not sure how to get round that… any ideas?
Is there any documentation re. “precision return” feature? I cannot find any, but the training Piloting: Level 3 - Large Project Mapping “Project Planning” just describes the feature, not how to use it.
I ask because after a battery swap, our birds start from the start of the leg, not the last point mapped/shot- in the field, not the sim.
What equipment are you using? I am not a 100% certain if Android has the capability or not but there shouldn’t be any special action required. Basically it should just return right to where it stopped. @Linda_Haris
Please email support. There is very little experience on this forum with that setup. Especially with specific problems. Hopefully someone will chime in but I wouldn’t count on it.
