Maui Farm to Table via drone - Drone to Table
|
Farm to Table via Drone Delivery
This project was an experiment to see if drone to table might be a viable concept and I think it could with more development. The S900 is not a simple rig to operate and maintain and when they start doing this regularly, I will need to train someone to operate and maintain the drone. DJI has still not standardized larger batteries for their larger drones so you have to be careful and take your time loading batteries. I nearly crashed my s800 into a pond because of the battery attachment method on the S800 and it is basically the same on the s900. It's a challenging drone to operate even with the stable A2 flight controller - bigger drones are just more stressful. |
Automation will be the final solution, which is why a dedicated landing pad and take off zone at the restaurant and at the farm have been created. It is always windy on Maui, and that decreases the precision of the GPS holding of the flight controller, so you would need to have a larger space to take off and land from (or have someone who has some hours on the drone sticks.) I still have not experimented with automation so I do not know its limitations and draw backs.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This was a fun project, and I felt lucky to be able to work on something like this. Exploring the uses of drones has always been one of the reasons I started this website, and this was the most unique thing I've done yet. Now we can all add "Drone to table" to the things drones are good for!
This was a fun project, and I felt lucky to be able to work on something like this. Exploring the uses of drones has always been one of the reasons I started this website, and this was the most unique thing I've done yet. Now we can all add "Drone to table" to the things drones are good for!
Comments
There is nothing that can help you more in aerial photography than having a good background in remote control airplanes and helicopters. If you are new to RC vehicles and have developed an interest in aerial photography, you have probably felt a little confused or overwhelmed the first time you take the controls on your new quadcopter. Many people like to run before they walk and they immediately start flying their expensive Phantom or other advanced copter before they have developed enough RC flight skills. Do not be fooled by the amazing GPS stability these offer you, you still need to be a good pilot!
If you are just getting into aerial photography and have your eyes set on a Phantom, you should budget in a micro quad for training. I really like the Hubsan X4 because it is cheap (sometimes as low as $35 on Amazon!!) and is challenging to fly. If you master the Hubsan X4, the more advanced copters used in aerial photography will be a breeze to fly!
If you are just getting into aerial photography and have your eyes set on a Phantom, you should budget in a micro quad for training. I really like the Hubsan X4 because it is cheap (sometimes as low as $35 on Amazon!!) and is challenging to fly. If you master the Hubsan X4, the more advanced copters used in aerial photography will be a breeze to fly!
I have written several blog posts with some different tips and techniques for learning to fly and recently conglomerated all of these into a short eBook in case you do not feel like going back through my blog. Basically, It is just short collection of 10 different exercises to practice over 7-14 days to quickly improve your line of sight flying. If you follow the program, you will be ready to safely fly your DJI Phantom or other advanced photography drone via line of sight. Once you have mastered line of sight flying, you will be ready for FPV as well. The underlying lessons in the book are simple - they walk you through flying tail in and progress through nose in forward flight and advanced maneuvers. If you want to start capturing really cool aerial content, you really have to work on your RC skills. There are also many other things you can do with your new found RC talents like exercise your dog (See the youtube video below).
This short book is $2.99 but most of the content is available elsewhere on my blog if you don't want to buy it. If anyone has other practice routines they used to improve their flying, please post them in the comment section so others can learn from you as well!!
I use my RC skills to exercise my big white dog because he loves trying to chomp my RC stuff. This is also a great way to improve your skills because it becomes so dynamic. This can get a big expensive if you are just learning to fly so I recommend this once you have gotten pretty good at fast forward flights and figure 8's. My dog is old and lazy so a 5 minute session of full bore running after this usually makes him sleep all day!! If you happen to watch the video below, you will notice he managed to shoot it down once but the Hubsan X4 just kept on flying without any damage. I really do love this little quadcopter.
I use my RC skills to exercise my big white dog because he loves trying to chomp my RC stuff. This is also a great way to improve your skills because it becomes so dynamic. This can get a big expensive if you are just learning to fly so I recommend this once you have gotten pretty good at fast forward flights and figure 8's. My dog is old and lazy so a 5 minute session of full bore running after this usually makes him sleep all day!! If you happen to watch the video below, you will notice he managed to shoot it down once but the Hubsan X4 just kept on flying without any damage. I really do love this little quadcopter.
I am excited to announce the release of my new ebook, Drone Photography Tips and Techniques! I have been filming from a drone for awhile now and I wanted to compile my knowledge into an easy to read book to help those who are starting out get a head start on their filming. In this book, I cover:
I am planning on updating this book periodically, so if there is something I missed or would like to learn more about, please let me know below and I will make sure to include it in the next version. If you purchased a previous version of this book, just let me know and I will be sure to send you the newest version for free! Buy "Drone Photography Tips and Techniques" for only $9.99!
- How to think about and plan your shots
- Different types of aerial shots to try
- How to film from a moving vehicle
- How to film over water
- How to film dynamic subjects
- Working in the field
- Photo and video editing tips
- Specific tips and tricks for the DJI Phantom 2
- And much more!
I am planning on updating this book periodically, so if there is something I missed or would like to learn more about, please let me know below and I will make sure to include it in the next version. If you purchased a previous version of this book, just let me know and I will be sure to send you the newest version for free! Buy "Drone Photography Tips and Techniques" for only $9.99!
Archives
June 2017
May 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
May 2016
January 2016
December 2015
October 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
September 2012
August 2012