What the FLIP? (off topic news from DJI )

[NEO 317]

DJI Flip drone confirmed by the FCC

A new drone named the DJI Flip has been confirmed by the FCC. More details can be found here.

mavicpilots.com

I'm not sure what it is, but we'll find out.


Thank you msinger for posting.


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[Chrislaf]

I saw that too. Puzzling! What’s the intended market/use?

Chris

 

[Starz]

Acrobatics?

 

[NEO 317]

Hello Starz.

Welcome to the NEO Forum.

 

[LilReaper]

Acrobatics? I just learned how to do curves and turns. Omg I am so far behind the power curve.

So I Assume a FPV then?

 

[NeoNeo]

Maybe the next gen version of the DJI FPV?

The wishful dream. If an acro, immersive only version of the Neo. Sub 249gm. Between the Neo and Avata2 weight. Size of Neo. Minimum 10 minutes of flight time at full on manual mode. Priced sub $300 to make crash and trash less painful. Current Neo camera, sensor, GPS systems would be fine with me. Delete the autonomous flying hardware to save a few grams and milliwatts of battery consumption. DJI would probably get a few more of my $$$s.

 

[spacewizard]

In the linked thread they mention a 3-axis gimbal

 

[NEO 317]

Possibly a LiDAR system too.

Class 1 laser?

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[Droning on and on...]

My bet is the target is FAA compliant OOP stuff. 3 axis gimbal, good camera (probably the M4P camera), heavily caged props for no-questions safety, <250g.

Oh, and the key feature: Available everywhere in the world but the United States.

 

[NeoNeo]

My bet is the target is FAA compliant OOP stuff. 3 axis gimbal, good camera (probably the M4P camera), heavily caged props for no-questions safety, <250g.

Oh, and the key feature: Available everywhere in the world but the United States.

Your bet is probably correct. DJI's strength from inception to now and probably into the future has been high quality stabilization and image capturing platforms. Probably first big money maker was the stand alone, bolt it to whatever "gimbal tripod mount" that utilized their flight stabilization concepts into the hardware. Interesting to see with time and funds how DJI has developed models that are basically constructed of components designed and manufactured by them. Remember the exclusive that GoPro had during the early Phantom era. Then the American guy(?Gunn or Guinn or ??) got a bit greedy. Wang Tao cut ties. DJI developed their own Phantom action cam. Not a company to offend.

My hope is they will continue to expand their hanger of immersive flying platforms. Especially in the sub 250gm models.

 

[NeoNeo]

Just watched a YTube video leak of the FLIP. Folding, 2s +3000mAh, gimbal mounted camera, maybe LIDAR, probably non-FPV quad.

Definitely a quad I have zero interest in. But for those who primarily purchased the Neo for image capture and selfie modes. Maybe the "better" quad?

Host noted carbon fiber propeller guards. Great if weight and stiffness are goals. Crap for point load impact strength. Prior life Nordic ski racer for a couple decades and Windsurfer since the pre-carbon days of fiber glass and Aluminum masts and Aluminum booms. Carbon arrived. High strength to weight ratio. Great flex profiles in masts. Uber stiff and eventually "aero" shaped nordic poles. Basically if not for UV damage and unlimited life span. Problem is point impact damage that sometimes is not noticed until you have a catastrophic failure. Seems like someone was always breaking pole at mass start events. Broken one too many windsurf mast. CF for prop guards sound more like a sales gimmick. Probably end up saving 2-3gm. over plastic.

If a video capture quad I hope it succeeds for the intended purpose and the Neo v2 or whatever they call it is an improved immersive quad. Maybe a +3000mAh 2s battery with more powerful motors all at sub 250gm and Neo size?

 

[Droning on and on...]

I'm even more convinced this is an event filming drone. Too much protection for people to be anything else, and the price point will definitely be out of Kaden and Cristel's selfie budgets.

 

[spacewizard]

The Youtube I watched speculated that it was going to be at a low price point like the Neo, but that's probably too much to hope for.

This thing looks/sounds amazing though. I want one so bad already.

Might be a "sell my Neo secondhand to get one" situation

> Problem is point impact damage that sometimes is not noticed until you have a catastrophic failure.

Ask the Titan Submersible folks about catastrophic carbon fiber failures!

 

[NeoNeo]

FLIP for cine, image capture? Unsure if FLIP will have the autonomous modes of the Neo. Definitely looks to be less robust design. I can see hard impacts damaging the swivel points in the folding design. Friend did that with his folding Mini 4 Pro. He had to source "used" parts to repair. PITA. The one thing I really don't like about DJI is the pita to get parts and diy repair.


Neo for immersive flying and "selfies"?

Wonder with the Neo and now FLIP (Flying, LIDAR, Imaging, Platform?) if DJI's focus for the consumer market is on sub 250gm. Makes sense to expand their already dominant market share. And if USA Legislators pass some sort of anti-DJI/China bill it would be difficult and maybe not possible to register your +249gm quad in the USA. Unsure if DJI even needs the USA market to remain a highly profitable company.

If a betting person. Would put my money on Wang Tao and DJI masterminds v. our "leadership" in DC when it comes to future UAS plans.