Follow Recommendations for Kite Boarding Shoot

[jxo]

I have a shoot coming up for a Kite Boarding client. I just got my solo, updated the GPS with a new module and have both Solo and Solex apps running.

I would like to to tether the drone to the kite boarders in the best manner so the Solo follows them or follows with orbiting.

I have poured through the site and the manuals but am still unclear on the best way to utilize the Follow function and whether a smart phone or other devices can be used as a tracking device for the Solo.

Any recommendations?

thanks much,
Jim

 

[Mala Suerte]

As far as i know the copter follows the signal of the gps on the mobile device and the device has to be kept with the controler.

 

[wlyons]

Use solex target

 

[jxo]

Use solex target

What type of devices are best used with Solex target? Just android or can iPhones be used as well? Assume (probably incorrectly) that phones may be advisable for GPS purposes?

 

[wlyons]

Pretty sure it's android only, but I could be wrong..it works well, just be sure to calibrate camera angle first.

 

[andrew.baker.142]

I believe Solex Target only work on Android devices.
I recommend you practice practice practice. You will probably find that the auto follow mode won’t do what you are hoping for, mainly because of the delay. You will probably be best off flying the copter by hand and getting the shot that way.
Also don’t forget to avoid the kite lines. They will take down the copter in a heart beat.

 

[jxo]

I believe Solex Target only work on Android devices.
I recommend you practice practice practice. You will probably find that the auto follow mode won’t do what you are hoping for, mainly because of the delay. You will probably be best off flying the copter by hand and getting the shot that way.
Also don’t forget to avoid the kite lines. They will take down the copter in a heart beat.

Good advice. Have been practicing on a drone with no GPS or flight assist of any kind. Humbling.

I understand that Solex may work with a web-based app for iPhones acting as targeting devices. any experience with it?

 

[pyrate]

there is a java script version that runs on anything, you can try it on IOS using chrome

https://location-relay.herokuapp.com/target

 

[Vegasrobbi]

Solo follows the target excellent if conditions are right. Follow orbit is a piece of cake if executed properly.

Over water we do not have to worry about dynamic altitude control which is a big concern on land. Solo will only follow as accurate as the GPS in the device it's looking at. Make sure you use a device with a strong GPS signal. If the device has a weak GPS signal Solo will wander and not aim at the target properly.

I recommend you upgrade the GPS unit in your Solo do not run the factory one. With GPS follow it's all about the accuracy and signal strength of GPS for proper follow operation.

I often get within 10 feet of my vehicle when I follow, the closer I am the harder Solo has to work to keep my vehicle in frame. The further you go out the easier it is for Solo to vector and keep you in frame this is why many lesser drones require you to follow at a further distance.

With proper GPS signal, enough distance and altitude Solo will do an amazing job keeping you in frame. Maximum usable speed is about 30-32 miles per hour in my experience. If you follow orbit at a large distance remember Solo has to match the speed of the Target and exceed it in order to clock around the front so you'll have to experiment with different distances and speeds to get the shot you want.

I am not an Apple fan but I do find that my Apple devices seem to have better location accuracy and are equipped with a barometer for dynamic altitude control.

Here's my Solo follow/orbiting in a 30 mile per hour wind. For comparative purposes my P4 could barely hold its ground without blowing down wind on this day.

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[just_bruce]

I've done some kite surfer filming. Your best shots are decidedly not orbits. They are follows, approaches/flybys, and overheads that show the jumps, carving, and athleticism of the individuals.

The closer you can get, to a point, and keep the kite and surfer in frame, the happier I think you'll be.

It helps if you understand which way the lines can possibly move in a particular wind.

I've gotten a couple of amazing shots where the Kite Surfer managed to pass Solo between the lines of the kite- but that requires coordination and is mostly skill on their part.

Best of luck!

oh, one more thing - remember that kite surfers are nearly always tacking, so their speed can be up to 1.6x the wind speed at * kite level* . They can move FAST. Be ready to react if you're within reach of the lines. In general ascent is your best move in a surprise situation in my experience.

 

[jxo]

Much appreciated. great feedback.

 

[jxo]

Solo follows the target excellent if conditions are right. Follow orbit is a piece of cake if executed properly....
I am not an Apple fan but I do find that my Apple devices seem to have better location accuracy and are equipped with a barometer for dynamic altitude control.

I did the GPS upgrade and regularly see 20+ sats.

Are you using Solo or Solex when using these tracking devices? Not having tried it yet, I am unclear how the Follow function works.

Do you use an Apple device as a tracking signal? If so, what software goes on the iPhone?

Can the Solo also Follow based on visual mapping of the object you want to follow-- which would obviate the need for the subject to carry a tracking device.

Sorry for the dumb questions, just need to get prepared quickly.

JustBruce: great advice. do you use Follow in these circumstances or position the Solo on your own?

 

[just_bruce]

I fly the bird. They move WAY too fast for Follow to keep up. I end up using angles and cutoffs, or a descent+forward motion to get the speed I want to make shots.

The video can be pretty frickin sweet when you get right behind or in front and strafe along withe them, or when you do a swoop and pass right over the kite.

 

[jxo]

can't wait. Hopefully not another kiting disaster video for YouTube. Have you posted any of the footage?

 

[just_bruce]

Some clips, but none of my best footage. Work has done a stunning amount of getting in the way lately.

 

[Vegasrobbi]

I did the GPS upgrade and regularly see 20+ sats.
Are you using Solo or Solex when using these tracking devices? Not having tried it yet, I am unclear how the Follow function works.
Do you use an Apple device as a tracking signal? If so, what software goes on the iPhone?
Can the Solo also Follow based on visual mapping of the object you want to follow-- which would obviate the need for the subject to carry a tracking device.
Sorry for the dumb questions, just need to get prepared quickly.
JustBruce: great advice. do you use Follow in these circumstances or position the Solo on your own?

I use both Solex and the Solo app; I only use Solex on flat ground since my Nexus 7 does not support a barometer. For that reason I mostly use the Solo app on my Apple Mini 4 iOS 11.1.2. You do not need an additional app the Solo app uses the GPS and barometer data from the Mini 4.

I agree orbits can be drawn out and boring so mixing it up with diagonal fly by's and follow from the front and rear help.

You can set up a multi point cable cam to fly a predesignated path, you can manually control the gimbal or set the gimbal view at each way-point. Nice thing about CC is you can also set in a different altitude at each way point which helps when going uphill. I haven't used it but Solex has a CC Record function so you can fly the path you want then record it and play it back.

 

[jxo]

I use both Solex and the Solo app; I only use Solex on flat ground since my Nexus 7 does not support a barometer. For that reason I mostly use the Solo app on my Apple Mini 4 iOS 11.1.2. You do not need an additional app the Solo app uses the GPS and barometer data from the Mini 4.

I agree orbits can be drawn out and boring so mixing it up with diagonal fly by's and follow from the front and rear help.

You can set up a multi point cable cam to fly a predesignated path, you can manually control the gimbal or set the gimbal view at each way-point. Nice thing about CC is you can also set in a different altitude at each way point which helps when going uphill. I haven't used it but Solex has a CC Record function so you can fly the path you want then record it and play it back.

Sorry if I am appearing dense. So if I use Solo on an iPhone to use on my controller, are you saying I could use another iPhone running Solo as a tracking device that I could give to a subject and the drone would follow that second iPhone?

 

[Vegasrobbi]

Sorry if I am appearing dense. So if I use Solo on an iPhone to use on my controller, are you saying I could use another iPhone running Solo as a tracking device that I could give to a subject and the drone would follow that second iPhone?

Well since I do not do this type of tracking here is what I know. Applications like Solex and Tower will allow you to track a "target" GPS device separate from the controller, you essentially assign the GPS device to target. There are various tracking devices available. I do not know if the iOS devices support this but somebody else may chime in.

There is a second way of tracking a subject without a GPS device and that is optical tracking. Essentially you use the camera to identify the subject and no GPS device is required. DJI is big on this technology and it works, sort of IMO. Visual tracking has a fragile link to the subject as it can be affected by the sun, speed, trees..... VT is limited by distance, altitude... If walking through a park with a high contrast shirt it works pretty good(at least my P4 and Mavic) but not nearly as robust a a link as GPS tracking.

Solex supports VT but I don't know how far along they are with it. The Parrot Bebop uses a combination of VT and GPS to get the most robust link to the subject, I was impressed with my Bebop's ability to track; however, the camera sucks so....

In the meantime my good old Solo is the best Follow drone I own and I always track the device on the controller, not off-board tracking.