Category: https://dronomania.ru/xiaomi

Introduction

Xiaomi Funsnap iDol is a joint creation of two giants in the field of high technologies Xiaomi and Funsnap, on the example of which the developers prove that a high-tech device does not have to be expensive and difficult to operate, even when it can fly. The release of the model took place in September 2018. The iDol selfie drone is built on a foldable frame with an anti-scratch coating, which contains four brushless motors, it shoots well, is fully controlled from a smartphone, recognizes gestures, intelligently tracks objects, and is friendly with social networks. nets, and when folded fits into the size of a medium format book.

Funsnap was founded in 2016. At the heart of a group of scientists and engineers with a successful 20 years of experience in their industry. The high-tech company integrates several cutting-edge technologies, including AI deep learning of artificial intelligence and computer vision, providing various ready-made solutions for UAVs.

Peculiarities

• Weight 360 gr
• Portable and lightweight
• Aerodynamic design and presentable appearance
• Foldable frame with anti-scratch coating
• Magnetic fixators of the flight position of the frame
• The frame acts as an annular protection of the main rotors (safe flight)
• Brushless power plant
• Positioning: GPS/Glonass + optical + ultrasonic + barometric sensors
• FHD camera built on 1/3-inch CMOS matrix
• Image stabilization: EIS (Electronic Image Stability) + 3D noise reduction algorithm
• Remotely adjustable camera angle (-90° to +30°)
• Built-in 8GB storage
• Piloting in FPV mode (video link via Wi-Fi at a frequency of 5.2 GHz)
• Control: Smartphone or Tablet/Remote (5.8GHz Wi-Fi/2.4GHz)
• 5 × intelligent flight and selfie modes
• Automatic return to home (RTH) mode in case of low battery/communication loss.
• Manual activation of return mode (RTH)
• 2 × activity modes (50/100%)
• Headless Mode
• Gravity mode (smartphone tilt control)
• Ability to manually limit the removal distance
• Max. removal distance 60m
• Max. horizontal flight speed 18km/h
• Max flight time 10 min
• Front LED status indication
• The FUNSNAP mobile application is adapted for interaction with social networks. networks
• Ready to fly out of the box
• Adapted for running indoors and outdoors

Equipment

The developer offers iDol in two trim levels:

1. iDol Drone Deluxe Set (Drone/Battery/Charger/Power Supply for Charger/Spare Propellers/User’s Manual in English + accompanying illustration).
2. iDol Drone Platinum Set (Drone/2 × battery/Charger/Power supply for charger/Spare propellers/Remote Control/Transport case/User’s manual in English. language + accompanying illustration).

Specification

Drone

Brand:

Xiaomi & Funsnap

Model:

idol

Dimensions (folded / unfolded):

226×144×48mm/226×268×43mm

Weight (with battery):

360gr

Motors:

Brushless

Max. height above sea level:

4000m

Working temperature range:

5-40°C

WiFi range:

5.8GHz/5.2GHz

Max. horizontal flight speed:

18km/h

Satellite positioning:

GPS/Glonass

Touch positioning:

Optical + Ultrasonic + Barometric sensors

Food

Capacity:

1800mAh 13.68Wh

Voltage:

7.6V

Battery type:

LiPo 2S

The weight:

93 gr

Working temperature range:

5-40°C

Max. flight time:

10 min

Camera

Matrix:

1/3 CMOS

Lens FOV:

FOV 77.5°: 28mm (35mm equivalent format)

ISO range:

100-3200

Camera Angle:

-90° to +30°

Max. image resolution:

1920×1080

Video resolution:

FHD:

1920 × 1080 at 30 fps

Storage formats:

JPEG/MP4

Memory size:

8GB

FPV Removal Distance:

60m

Remote Control

Frequency range:

2.4GHz

Food:

3 × AAA

Working temperature range:

5-40°C

Current:

0.14A at 4.5V

Max. controlled distance:

100m (no wind; electronically limited to 60m)

Max. controlled distance from app:

60m

memory

Max. input. voltage:

12V 2A

Max. exit. voltage:

8.7V 1.6A

Appearance

Motors

The selfie drone has four downward-facing brushless motors, coupled with three-blade propellers with a diameter of 3 inches (7.62mm). The developers do not specify information about the performance and the regulators used. In practice, in calm weather, the power plant provides smooth and balanced operation, there is enough thrust to confidently fulfill the declared qualities of the model. Flying in windy conditions is more difficult due to the portable design, which creates noticeable windage, but the motors generally manage.

The user has two drone activity modes “Fast (Fast) / Slow (Slow)” (100/50% power).

Camera

Xiaomi Funsnap iDol quadcopter is equipped with a FHD camera built on a 1/3-inch CMOS matrix working in tandem with a lens consisting of 5 optical elements. Field of View (FOV): 77.5°. The camera is built into a 1-axis servo gimbal allowing the user to remotely change the tilt angle from -90° to +30°. According to the specification, the camera provides video recording in resolution: 1920 × 1080p at 30 fps. Max. photo resolution: 1920 × 1080. Electronics (EIS) and 3D noise reduction algorithm are responsible for image stabilization. In practice, the shooting quality corresponds to the declared, the picture is clear, without jelly, with good color reproduction. For a camera that does not have a mechanical multi-axis suspension, the work of the stabilizing electronics and the power plant deserves respect.

The developer does not recommend changing the angle of the camera manually!

FPV

Piloting in FPV mode for the iDol selfie drone is implemented via Wi-Fi in the 5.8GHz / 5.2GHz frequency range. The picture from the drone’s camera is displayed in real time on the display of the paired smartphone (IOS / Android) through the Funsnap mobile application. The quality of the video stream is 720p. Max. video transmission distance 60 meters. In practice, this distance corresponds to the declared one.

The removal distance can be limited from a maximum of 60 meters to 50/40/30 meters. To change the distance, you need to go to the mobile section. application “Flying setting”.

Flight modes

There are four flight modes available to the user. Activated automatically and manually through the mobile application in the “Flying setting” section:

1. GPS

   – when the sticks are released, it provides the drone with an accurate position retention even under the influence of external factors. It is activated automatically when there is a sufficient number of captured satellites (7 or more).

2. optical

   – when the sticks are released, provides altitude hold using ultrasonic, optical and barometric sensors. The mode is sensitive to external factors causing horizontal drift. Requires user control in management. Activates automatically when satellite positioning is not possible (eg indoors).

3. headless

   – allows a novice user not to worry about where the quadcopter is in front and where is the back. Activated manually through a mobile application.

4. gravity

   — activates the control of the copter by tilting the smartphone/tablet (tilt forward — flies forward, tilt towards yourself — flies backward, etc.). Activated manually through a mobile application.

Intelligent Modes

There are 5 intelligent flight and selfie modes available. Access via mobile application in the “Intelligent mode” section:

1. Intelligent Tracking

   – the drone is fixed in the set position and intelligently tracks the movement of the specified object in the “tripod mode” at a distance of up to 15 meters.

2. Gesture control

   – Gesture control. When activated, the following gesture commands become available: Landing – by moving the hand from top to bottom. Take a photo – with a gesture of the index and middle fingers of the hand, pointing up in the shape of the Latin letter “V”.

3. Rocket

   — when activated, the drone will automatically start filming and perform a dynamic vertical takeoff to a height of 20 meters. After the aircraft reaches its maximum altitude, the recording will stop and the aircraft will hover waiting for the next commands.

4. Dronie

   — when activated, the drone will automatically start filming and dynamically remove at an angle to a height of 20 meters. After the aircraft reaches its maximum altitude, the recording will stop and the aircraft will hover waiting for the next commands.

5. Surround

   – starts video recording in automatic mode and the rotation of the drone around its axis by 360 °, after completing the rotation, the recording stops, the drone will hang waiting for the next commands.

Based on the quality of the gesture recognition technology, it can be noted that its presence is generally for informational purposes and is unlikely to be used by the user in the future, since activation is available exclusively through the application, and the list of gestures for the selfie drone itself is unforgivably small.

RTH Mode

Return to Home (RTH) mode – can be activated automatically when the battery is low / connection is lost, or manually (in the application by tapping on the corresponding icon / button on the remote control). The mode returns the drone to the place of take-off with subsequent auto-landing. It is performed automatically, but under the direct control of the user, who must control the flight altitude and encountered obstacles.

Food

The drone is powered by a 2-cell (7.4V/2S) lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 1800mAh, 13.68Wh. Made in a kind of box to ensure quick replacement without wires and plugs. Provides max. flight time 10 minutes. In practice, this time was 6 minutes 50 seconds (in full operation mode) and 9 minutes 40 seconds (in altitude hold mode). Charges with the included portable docking station. Battery charging time is about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Control

Since the main purpose of iDol is selfie shooting, the priority control method is a smartphone / tablet based on IOS / Android with mandatory support for Wi-Fi frequency range 5.2 – 5.8 GHz. The interaction of devices is implemented through the free mobile application “FunSnap”.

FunSnap mobile application interface:

The second control method is the classic analog control equipment (included in the Platinum Set) that allows you to control the copter both separately from your smartphone and in tandem. Operates at a frequency of 2.4GHz. For sharing, a retractable holder is provided (Max smartphone width 78 mm). Max. distance is limited for both control methods to 60 meters (adjustable 30/40/50m). Power is supplied from three elements of the AAA format (purchased separately).

Assignment of buttons and switches

First start

Launching after unpacking is always associated with the pre-flight setup of the drone. After the batteries of the quadcopter/smartphone/tablet were charged, the mob was downloaded. the Funsnap application (use the QR code in the instructions), and new batteries are installed in the remote control; unfold the drone in the pre-flight state and install it on a horizontal surface:

Smartphone

• Step 1:

  Turn on the drone by long pressing the on / off button (pressed for 2-3 seconds) and set the copter to the horizontal. surface. The drone will play the launch melody.

• Step2:

  Activate Wi-Fi on the paired smartphone/tablet. Select from the list of available Wi-Fi networks, connection: “DY-XXXXX (where X is the serial number and each drone has its own)”. Default password: 123456789 (can be changed in the application settings). Launch the Funsnap mobile app. Wi-Fi connection established. The procedure is one-time, then auto-connection (or until the next password change).

• Step 3:

  Gyroscope calibration. The procedure is one-time. In the mobile application on the main screen, tap on the “gear” icon (in the upper right corner), then go to the “Calibrate Sensor” section. Make sure the drone is on a level surface! Start gyroscope calibration by tapping on the “Got it, start calibration” icon in the app. Wait for the activation (green color) of the “COMPLETE” icon. The horizon calibration is completed, tap the COMPLETE icon to go to the procedure below “Compass calibration”.

• Step 4:

  Compass calibration. It is carried out after each power outage, away from places with an enhanced magnetic field (parking lots, building sites, metal structures; keys, mobile phones, etc.). It is implemented in two stages horizontal and vertical: Start the horizontal calibration of the compass by tapping on the “Got it, start calibration” icon. Take the drone in your hands (as shown on the smartphone screen), and start rotating it in a horizontal position around its axis (about 5 revolutions) until the image on the screen asks you to proceed to the next vertical calibration step “Step 2”. Move the drone from horizontal to vertical (camera up) and rotate around its axis (about 5 revolutions) until the green “COMPLETE” icon appears on the display, which you need to tap to complete the compass calibration procedure and exit to the main application screen.

• Step 5:

  The drone is ready to take off and shoot. Tap the “Start flying” icon to enter FPV mode to the digital control interface. The picture from the camera will be broadcast in real time on the display of the paired smartphone.

Remote controller

To pair the drone with the remote control, you must:

• Step 1:

  Turn on the drone, then the remote controller (the three LEDs on the remote controller will flash).

• Step 2:

  Move the left stick/joystick of the remote control up and down in one motion. The LEDs are on constantly, the pairing process is over (if a Wi-Fi connection has already been made, the information will be duplicated in the mobile application as “Controller Connected”). You can start calibrating the gyroscope.

• Step 3:

  Gyroscope calibration. The procedure is one-time. To calibrate the gyroscope without the help of a mobile application, place the aircraft on a horizontal surface. Then move the left and right sticks down and left at the same time. The LED on the quadcopter will start flashing quickly, and then turn back on to a steady glow. The procedure for calibrating the gyroscope is completed, you can proceed to the calibration of the compass.

• Step 4:

  Compass calibration. It is carried out after each power outage, away from places with an enhanced magnetic field (parking lots, building sites, metal structures; keys, mobile phones, etc.). To calibrate the compass without the help of a mobile application, move both sticks down and to the right at the same time with a second hold in the extreme position. The aircraft power button blinks white. Start rotating the aircraft around its axis in a horizontal position (about 4 revolutions) until the aircraft power button starts flashing with twin flashes. Next, bring the drone to a vertical position (camera up) and start rotating it around its axis (about 4 turns) until the drone power button starts blinking with a single blue flash. Calibration completed. The drone is ready to fly indoors. After the copter finds enough satellites (outdoors), the single flash will change to a solid green LED.

Recommendations and remarks

1. The developer does not recommend changing the angle of the camera manually!
2. Shooting in selfie format is recommended to be carried out at minimum costs (in the “Slow” mode).
3. Due to the inverted arrangement of the motors, the developer does not recommend launching the drone from the hands and landing on the hands, in order to avoid injury from the rapidly rotating elements of the power plant.
4. In practice, it was found that gesture recognition technology from time to time malfunctions and refuses to execute commands.
5. The iDol selfie drone software as well as the mobile app are updated over the air. To check and start the update, you need to start the drone and connect through the application. On the main screen, tap on the icon in the form of a “gear” (in the upper right corner). The “APP Upgrade XXX” section (“X” is the current upgrade version) is responsible for checking and upgrading the mobile application; the “Firmware Upgrade” section is responsible for checking and updating the quadcopter firmware. Before updating, it is recommended that the drone’s battery charge be at least 50%. The update process takes about 5 minutes. During the update, the status indicator will blink blue. After a successful update, the drone will automatically reboot.
6. Do not leave rechargeable batteries unattended. Do not charge the drone battery for more than 1.5 hours. After charging, unplug the charger from the outlet and remove the battery.
7. If the battery is not used for a long time, it may malfunction. Recharge the battery regularly to maintain its performance.
8. If, during the charging procedure, the battery temperature goes beyond the operating range (from 5°C to +40°C), the charger will stop charging it until the temperature returns to acceptable values.
9. In addition to the indication in the mobile application, the low battery level of the drone will be indicated by the status indicator of the power button of the copter. It flashes red frequently.
10. When the power of the remote controller is running out, the equipment LED indicator will flash and an audible warning will be heard.
11. Before launching, make sure you are away from airports, military units and other sensitive facilities that may be included in the “No-Fly” zones. Then, check the integrity of the main rotors and the drone itself. Clean the camera lens if necessary.
12. It is not recommended to fly in bad weather (rain, snow, strong wind). Stay away from high voltage lines, sources of electromagnetic radiation, water, trees and large crowds.
13. It is recommended to fly in an open area away from buildings (especially tall ones) to avoid problems with GPS.
14. When launched at an altitude of more than 4000 meters above sea level, flight problems may occur.
15. When flying indoors, for the correct operation of the ultrasonic and optical sensors, it is recommended that the floor has a clear texture, and the room itself is well lit (> 15 lux). When taking off, it is necessary to take into account the 2 meter height that the drone reaches when performing the auto-takeoff function. The sensor system may not be reliable during dynamic flight at an altitude of less than 5 meters.
16. If the launch is carried out at a distance of more than 100 km from the place of the last flight, it is recommended to calibrate the compass before takeoff. Do not perform the compass calibration procedure near magnetic fields or metal objects. If the calibration fails, restart the aircraft and re-calibrate the compass again.
17. Please note that the aircraft does not fly around obstacles during the Return to Home/RTH mode.
    The aircraft will not return to the takeoff location if the signal is weak. If there is no GPS signal between the drone and the remote control at the time of loss of connection, the copter will not fly to the take-off site, but will make a soft landing.
    If the RTH mode is executed due to low battery voltage, then it is not possible to switch to manual control mode.
18. For those whose mobile device does not support the 5.8GHz / 5.2GHz Wi-Fi band, but only 2.4GHz, the developer has published a video with step-by-step setup.
19. Located (under the rubber seal) on the left side of the iDol micro USB port is designed to connect the drone to a computer.

Price

The Xiaomi Funsnap iDol selfie drone is sold through various Internet trading platforms at a price of $140-200 (depending on the seller’s configuration).

Conclusion

Xiaomi Funsnap iDol from $140

Functionality

8/10

Flight time

5/10

flight qualities

8/10

compactness

8/10

Equipment

7/10

Reliability

7/10

Price quality

10/10

pros

• Design/Quality
• Foldable design
• Satellite and sensor positioning
• Well tuned power plant (stable in flight)
• Automatic selfie modes
• Auto takeoff/landing/hold position/altitude
• Camera (capture quality)
• Quality FPV/Mobile Application (operation, simplicity and convenience, social networks)
• RTH Mode
• Price

Minuses

• Operation of Gesture Recognition Technology and Intelligent Object Tracking
• Flight time
• No mechanical stabilization
• remote control distance
• Carrying case only in the top configuration

A great portable solution for beginner drone hobbyists with a focus on aerial selfie photography. For a quite sane price tag, the developers offered the user a simple and high-quality product with working functionality in the spirit of modern trends. AI elements and gesture recognition technology are more like a marketing ploy than actual and working functions (maybe corrected in future firmware updates). We note the quality of shooting, which is indicative for a budget niche. As a selfie drone, it shows all its best qualities only in complete calm. For selfie lovers, the remote control is not needed, the drone is perfectly controlled through the application, which is adapted to interact with well-known social networks. networks; instead of the remote control, it would be better to buy two additional ones. battery. The remote control will be relevant for fans of dynamic piloting in first-person mode within 60 meters. In general, the model will perfectly serve as the first drone, so that later, without fears and fears, move on to something more technologically advanced and expensive. Age limit 14+.

A photo

Photo with Xiaomi Funsnap iDol quadcopter.

Video

Developer video Xiaomi Funsnap iDol.

Video filming of the Xiaomi Funsnap iDol quadcopter.