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Can you combine gesture control mode with controller?

RandyH

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Mar 3, 2018
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I'd like to hand launch and land every time, and from what I've seen in video tutorials, this seems to be most easily done in gesture control mode. However, I'll be mainly doing aerial photography, using the controller.

So my question is: can you take off from your hand in gesture control mode, fly it around with the controller, then land it on your hand in gesture control mode? If so, do you have to go into the controller to switch in and out of gesture control mode to do this? Thanks.
 
I'd like to hand launch and land every time, and from what I've seen in video tutorials, this seems to be most easily done in gesture control mode. However, I'll be mainly doing aerial photography, using the controller.

So my question is: can you take off from your hand in gesture control mode, fly it around with the controller, then land it on your hand in gesture control mode? If so, do you have to go into the controller to switch in and out of gesture control mode to do this? Thanks.
I do it like this every flight. Just change flight mode on my phone.
 
Not only is it possible, I think it should be required. If you just use gesture mode all by itself, without the remote control, or without a device in Wi-Fi, you cannot see any of the warning messages or know if anything is wrong, until it's too late.
 
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As far as I know, the DJI Spark can't take off using the RC to initiate palm launch???
The palm launch sequence is started when first turning on the Spark. A slow'ish double tap of the power button shortly after the initial powerup will start the Palm launch sequence.
(the trick to knowing it's working is to watch the camera scan up and down whilst it's looking for your face. Once it has acquired your facial image it will auto take off.)

You don't have to use either the RC or the phone for gesture control, but if you have either, or both, I would.
I always encourage any pilot to have them ready to take manual control of the flight.

The gesture controls mode can aslo be started from the phone
This gives the added benefit of voice confirmation of gesture actions via the phone speaker (at least it does on my iPhone 6s+ using OTG cable)
and will also allow video to be recorded using the 45degree single arm gesture (not possible using just the Spark)

Gesture controls can NOT be manually triggered using the RC only.

There is a technique to using these gestures and as always practice somewhere open and safe before you try to do it 'in the live'
 
I should add to this that Palm landing (or a forced landing using the RC with the stick held down) is fine, just take care. This action is heavily frowned upon by other RC hobbies for obvious safety reasons, but for the Spark it is very effective.
 
Yep, start up the Spark and RC as usual. Ensure Advanced Gesture Control is enabled in the app (need only do this the first time). Hold the spark in hand, double tap the power button, and it will launch.

Note: it will not launch if it cant detect your face, so if lighting isn't ideal, then take off normally.

Once you take control with the sticks, it will leave gesture mode into normal mode, so palm landing technically won't work. Just fly it close, and grab it from the air. Roll it over 90 degrees and it will stop spinning.
 
Yep, start up the Spark and RC as usual. Ensure Advanced Gesture Control is enabled in the app (need only do this the first time). Hold the spark in hand, double tap the power button, and it will launch.

Note: it will not launch if it cant detect your face, so if lighting isn't ideal, then take off normally.

Once you take control with the sticks, it will leave gesture mode into normal mode, so palm landing technically won't work. Just fly it close, and grab it from the air. Roll it over 90 degrees and it will stop spinning.
I’m not sure I explained the first part of my post clearly: the RC doesn’t have the ability to start palm launch, the method you described is the spark itself doing a palm launch which doesn’t use the RC (but you can to take control of the flight using the RC after launch)
 
I’m not sure I explained the first part of my post clearly: the RC doesn’t have the ability to start palm launch, the method you described is the spark itself doing a palm launch which doesn’t use the RC (but you can to take control of the flight using the RC after launch)
I described the method I use for palm launch.

Turn drone and RC on as if you are going to use the RC only. Then follow palm launch procedure.

True, there is no button or hotkey to assign to initiate a palm launch...you must start it via double tap of the power button. But you can still do that with the RC connected.
 
Note as well: you can initiate pal launch via the double tap any time you wish to take off, without needing a reboot.
 
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I'm a noobie so bear with me and let me try and explain what's been said so that I'm sure I understand it.

o Turn on Spark and RC and make sure the two are linked (green led on RC)
o Link your display device (smartphone, tablet, whatever) to the RC's internal network and load DJI Go 4
o Go to appropriate menu in DJI Go 4 app and turn on Gesture Control if it is not already enabled (I assume this is necessary to get the double-tap to work, correct?)
o Hold Spark with camera facing you and double tap. Wait for recognition and take-off
o Control the Spark using the RC just as if Gesture Control had never been activated and you had done a normal launch instead of a palm launch
o Now, assume you want to do a palm landing without using the RC. Do you go have to the DJI Go 4 Menu and enable Gesture Control? (this would presume that your original enabled setting was automatically changed to disabled when you started using the RC -- otherwise it would still be set to enabled). If it IS still enabled, how do I get the Spark to go back to gesture control so I can do a palm landing without having to use the RC control?
 
...
o Now, assume you want to do a palm landing without using the RC. Do you go have to the DJI Go 4 Menu and enable Gesture Control? ...
In my experience; yes. You can not fly the Spark with your RC, then fly it towards you and stck your hand out to have it land on your palm. If you want to do that, you have to fly the Spark to you using the RC, then initiate gesture mode in the menu. wait till it found your face and then stick your hand out... Having to do so makes the palm landing almost useless; too much effort.
 
I always use the following procedure:

- prepare spark for RC flying. All are connected, and go4 app running, you have video feed, and no errors.

- do a palm launch, using button double click. Go4 app will enter gesture mode automatically.

- disable gesture mode (choose"normal" mode) and fly spark with RC as usual.

- do a palm land. Bring spark in front of you, with back side facing you (obstacle avoidance will not detect you), put your hand under spark, and push left stick down. Keep left stick down, until spark is safely on your hand, and props are off.

- it's not necessary to grab it, or turn it, or put your fingers near props. Just make sure it lays on your open palm.

It is the easiest thing in the world.
 
I always use the following procedure:

- prepare spark for RC flying. All are connected, and go4 app running, you have video feed, and no errors.

- do a palm launch, using button double click. Go4 app will enter gesture mode automatically.

- disable gesture mode (choose"normal" mode) and fly spark with RC as usual.

- do a palm land. Bring spark in front of you, with back side facing you (obstacle avoidance will not detect you), put your hand under spark, and push left stick down. Keep left stick down, until spark is safely on your hand, and props are off.

- it's not necessary to grab it, or turn it, or put your fingers near props. Just make sure it lays on your open palm.

It is the easiest thing in the world.
That makes sense! I just started getting into the habit of doing palm landings (hovering in front of me, then grabbing and turning over), when li'l sparky drew blood! I was being stupid, not concentrated enough, and when the spark dipped when I grabbed it, the props hit my thumb halfway the nail. It looked like my thumb was mauled by a tiny grizzly, blood all over the place. Luckily nothing too serious, but I have had my warning. Will try your approach next time! :)
 
Indeed. Spark may be tiny, but it can still bite if mishandled.

If I want to palm take off/land, I press the battery button and have the rc in my left hand whilst holding the spark in my right. Once Spark has woken up fully, got the GPS and is already to fly, press the battery button twice and watch the lights flash and turn green. You get a voice prompt from the app and the spark lifts off.

I then fly as normal with the controller. Don’t need to press anything, just do it.

Once it’s time to land, I bring Spark in close by until the collision sensors start bleeping. Press the gesture control on the phone, and get it to lock on to my palm. Watch for the green lights to show it has worked. Close fist and drop arm to side deliberately so spark understands what I’m doing. Then, put palm underneath spark and let it land by itself.

No bother, and keeps fingers away from the props.
 
I have my custom button (Fn) on rc setup as launch and land so once everything is on and ready to go hold spark with 1 hand and press Fn on rc with other hand and away it goes ready for normal flight no stuffing around with modes etc and landing just as easy, works for me anyway
 
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I have my custom button (Fn) on rc setup as launch and land so once everything is on and ready to go hold spark with 1 hand and press Fn on rc with other hand and away it goes ready for normal flight no stuffing around with modes etc and landing just as easy, works for me anyway
Exactly what I was going to point out. Makes landing easier too.
 
I hand catch land my spark most of the time so it becomes 2nd nature to me. My hand is the best landing spot for my spark.
 

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