Russian Postal Drone Crash

[GlassKnees]

Okay, it's not a quadcopter - looks like a hex with dual motors on each boom:

https://dronedj.com/2018/04/02/russian-postal-drone-crashes/

Looks to me like it toilet-bowled at high speed - wonder if the compass was properly calibrated.

 

[Spork]

20K? Someone's getting a big markup.

 

[Gyro Doctor]

... For $20K you'd think they'd have incorporated at least some rudimentary collision avoidance sensors.
Any cheap and simple ultrasonic transceiver would've prevented this from happening.

 

[GlassKnees]

Don't know. If the GPS/compass was not calibrated properly I don't know if collision avoidance sensors would have helped much. I think they should have programmed a waypoint very close to the launch area where it drone would loiter in place for a few seconds - this would confirm that the autopilot is indeed working and that the GPS and compass are too. If anything goes awry, such as it not going to that 1st waypoint and hovering then the pilot should IMMEDIATELY take over manually and abort the mission. At least that's what I do on my waypoint mission flights.

 

[Jackson]

​

 

[GlassKnees]

Good luck with that - doubt that customer support will be very responsive!

 

[Gyro Doctor]

... They're going to want pictures or a video of what the problem is ... lol ... but since it's too late now, the warranty claim will be denied.