DJI Goggles

[Hurricane]

This isn't really the place to discuss this kind of kit but I regard taking good photos or videos as a boating accessory.
To this end, I've been playing with various different drones over the last few years with the aim of getting good videos and photos of our cruising.

Last year, I invested in a DJI Phantom 3 Advanced drone which was a huge leap in technology from my previous DIY attempts.

A recent addition has been the DJI Mavic Pro drone.
This wonderful little device folds quickly away thus allowing me to take it everywhere with me.
Recently we captured some excellent footage at our daughter's wedding in Helsinki.
The Mavic has proved to be even easier to fly than the Phantom.
Not cheap - with extra batteries and cases etc, it is the best part of £1400.
For those that want to take aerial photos/videos, there are cheaper alternatives and DJI have just released the Spark - even smaller than the Mavic but with fewer features.

Now to the point of this thread.
I have always found it difficult to see the screens that are controlling these drones.
The new Phantom 4 Pro Plus comes with its own "built in" screen but all the others (including my new Mavic) use smart phones or tablets to help control them.
The smart phone/tablet receives live transmissions from the aircraft thus enabling you to frame/focus etc the videos and photos that the drone takes.
Avionics and other useful information is also presented on the smart phone/tablet.

When I received my Mavic earlier this year, I quickly realised that my existing smart phone was too full of apps and created problems when it connected to the Mavic.
So, I browsed Ebay and found a second hand Nexus 7 tablet which has now been dedicated to the drone - for drone use only.
It appears that the old Nexus 7 is the largest tablet that will fit into the Mavic's remote controller.
This was a great step forward to control the Mavic - the only problem is that the old Nexus 7 is short of memory so it quickly runs out of cache memory to store the live transmissions.
I always download from the Mavic after its flight anyway - to get the highest resolution images.
So this shortage of memory isn't a big problem.

Unfortunately, the dedicated tablet doesn't resolve the problem completely.
Especially on a boat when the sun is shining.
I don't know of any mobile phone display that can be seen clearly in direct sunlight.
So - enter the DJI Goggles.
These Goggles are, essentially, a Virtual Reality Headset.

This is DJI's Promotion video


My main reason for purchase is to be able to see the images that the drone is taking.
By covering your eyes completely, you don't get any direct sunlight reflecting on the mini screens inside the unit.
And - yes - it works.
But it goes far further than that - Although I've not used these extra modes yet, it is possible to control the drone by tilting and turning your head.
There is also a "touch pad" and buttons that enable further control of the drone.
The other great feature is that the signal is transmitted directly from the aircraft to the headset so you can operate then completely independently from the remote controller.
They do work with other DJI drones although with some reduced functionality - (not the Phantom 3 though)

So thats the good points.
These new Goggles are very difficult to buy at the moment.
I got mine earlier this week.
When I opened the box, I was a bit disappointed.
The headband (which contains the batteries) doesn't fit my head very comfortably - I think a few extra soft pads might help.
But the big problem was my eyesight.
DJI have made no provision for diopter adjustment.
All they have as Interpupillary Distance adjustment.
That means that the internal lenses can adjust for how close your eyes are together but there is no allowance for focusing your eyes to the internal displays like you get with binoculars.
They have made provision for the operator to wear reading glasses.
I suppose I haven't realised quite ho bad my eyesight is but I couldn't see a crisp display - even whilst wearing my reading glasses.
Also, I find that my reading glasses get caught up in the goggles when removing them.
I found it better to not wear reading glasses at all.
And, in fact, I have taken some good footage whilst watching a blurred display.
Anyway, as we all know "Google is your Best Friend" and I soon found other people with similar problems.
The solution is quite simple - a fixed set of lenses velcro'd to the inside of the DJI Goggles.
I bought a pair of these from Ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carson-2-...809584&hash=item46650f3d5a:g:LXQAAOSwrhBZOHgS
and fitted them like this
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=37604714&postcount=842
BINGO
Wow - what a difference

There are a few other things that will need considering (for example max resolution and frame rates need careful consideration) but I think that these will give me what I want to fly the drone this summer in bright sunlight.

 

[vas]

interesting!

Mike, can't you simply get a cardboard equivalent and fit a 6inch mobile in there and still control it using the sensors of the mobile?
Talking about a 10-15euro solution, would it work? Would also include a bluetooth joystick with a hat (or is it hut?)
Anyway, you wont get stereo vision either way as the input in both cases is mono.

cheers

V.

 

[Hurricane]

interesting!

Mike, can't you simply get a cardboard equivalent and fit a 6inch mobile in there and still control it using the sensors of the mobile?
Talking about a 10-15euro solution, would it work? Would also include a bluetooth joystick with a hat (or is it hut?)
Anyway, you wont get stereo vision either way as the input in both cases is mono.

cheers

V.

I did a refined version of that last year.
It worked but was too fiddly.
With these new Goggles, you just put them on your head or not - they don't interfere with the rest of the kit.
So, for take off and landing, I don't use them.
But when flying, I can now frame the subject better/easier.

 

[Paul&Ness]

Hi Guy's. I am a qualified UAV/RPAS operator and unless there has been a recent change in the regulations FPV goggles such as those you are talking about are illegal to use here in the UK. The UAV pilot must keep a visual line of sight on the UAV/RPAS when in flight. Not sure what position other countries take on the use of goggles.

 

[Hurricane]

Hi Guy's. I am a qualified UAV/RPAS operator and unless there has been a recent change in the regulations FPV goggles such as those you are talking about are illegal to use here in the UK. The UAV pilot must keep a visual line of sight on the UAV/RPAS when in flight. Not sure what position other countries take on the use of goggles.

All the regulations that I've seen seem to suggest that you have to have a spotter.
However, these goggles are also used by people other than the guy flying the drone.

 

[Paul&Ness]

The person in control of the UAV, the person flying the machine must maintain eye contact with the machine at all times. Even if the aircraft has a POV camera, with a downlink to a screen on the Pilots controls, they should only use the screen to read the aircraft telemetry: altitude, distance from launch site, battery voltage, number of satellites etc. If the UAV has a remotely operated camera, a second person could use goggles for that purpose as far as I know. Obviously a pilot using googles would not be aware of objects infringing his airspace as the on board POV camera has a limited field of view. The CAA, for commercial users, prefer a two person crew: pilot and observer, though the observer can be at the main camera operator.

 

[Hurricane]

The person in control of the UAV, the person flying the machine must maintain eye contact with the machine at all times. Even if the aircraft has a POV camera, with a downlink to a screen on the Pilots controls, they should only use the screen to read the aircraft telemetry: altitude, distance from launch site, battery voltage, number of satellites etc. If the UAV has a remotely operated camera, a second person could use goggles for that purpose as far as I know. Obviously a pilot using googles would not be aware of objects infringing his airspace as the on board POV camera has a limited field of view. The CAA, for commercial users, prefer a two person crew: pilot and observer, though the observer can be at the main camera operator.

Yes - I hear what you say.
But the authorities have got to "get real".

As I said above, I recently took my Mavic to Finland.
The Finnish are very "Liberal" (their words) to these types of drones.
I even wrote to their aviation authority and had a really sensible reply - effectively giving me permission but at the same time advising me how to be careful.
Other countries should be doing the same or the market will overtake them.

And anyway, some of the best photos and videos that I've taken have been close to the subject.
But even without these goggles, I suspect that most of the videos that have been posted on this forum were flown with the aircraft out of sight from its operator.
And I bet this happens most of the time - at sea, it is very difficult to distinguish a drone from a bird in flight anyway.

Yes, there needs to be regulation but the authorities have to realise that this kit exists and adapt their regulations accordingly.
It is safety that is required - not regulation for regulations sake.

 

[Paul&Ness]

You're preaching to the converted Hurricane. The regulations that we, as commercial operators, have to abide by are well intended but cause more problems than they correct. It can be an admin nightmare at times just to do a quick flight. It's all good and well until something goes wrong, and when it goes wrong it can be both expensive and or dangerous. The regulations are supposed to driven by safety so if we need to exceed altitude, distance restrictions we can apply to the CAA for an exception. We submit a safety case and all being well the exception is granted by the CAA for the purpose of that flight. I think that the problem is that these things are considered as toys, sold online and by stores like Marlins and the users, in general, have no interest in observing regulations that may apply to their use. If their lovely Phantom just fly's off into the distance, totally out of control; as they sometimes do (called a flyaway) , heading towards the motorway they will just pack up and go home hoping that the mews that night doesn't report an accident. The RTH function doesn't always work... Enjoy flying your UAV

 

[Bouba]

I hope these goggles don't make you fall overboard