Also known as DJI Phantom Manufacturer DJI | Developer DJI Generation 4 | |
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Type Unmanned aerial vehicle Release date January 2013; 4 years ago (2013-01) | ||
The Phantom (Chinese: 精灵; pinyin: Jīng Líng) is a series of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) developed by Chinese technology company DJI. It is widely regarded as the company's flagship UAV line, as it is the most widely used and known product DJI has released currently.
Contents
- Features
- Phantom 1
- Phantom 2
- Vision
- FC40
- Phantom 3
- Professional
- Advanced
- Standard
- Phantom 4
- Phantom 4 Pro
- Applications
- Reception
- References
The Phantom is targeted toward commercial, amateur, and hobbyist use.
Features
Add on
Phantom 1
The Phantom 1, originally known as Phantom, was released in January, 2013. It was commonly equipped with a GoPro camera for amateur film making or photography. Its battery life was around 15 minutes with a GoPro.
Phantom 2
The Phantom 2 was released in December, 2013. Upgrades include auto-return, increased flight speed, increased flight time and controllable range, increased battery capacity, smartphones, tablets and even some smart glasses compatibility, Wi-Fi module and is available in different performances. Its configuration allows users to remotely tilt the camera and adjust its orientation on two axes for a better level shot.
Vision
Released in October, 2013, it features a 4 GB micro SD card, a built-in anti-vibration mount, advanced Wi-Fi module, a GPS-enabled position holding, return-to-home capability, an improved flight control system, self-tightening propellers and flight time. It is compatible with a ground station and iOS or Android devices.
Vision+
The Vision+, released in July 2014, adds a three-axis stabilizer package-included. It has a new control system, and an increased range. It received a no-fly zone software-implanted, warning the user of places where not to fly. (ex. airports).
FC40
The Phantom FC40, released in January, 2014, is an intermediate model between the Phantom 1 and the Phantom 2. Like the Phantom 2 Vision and the Phantom 2 Vision+, it is equipped with an iOS/Android app control, Wi-Fi and GPS modules. Using a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection, it helps its pilot follow in real time via aerial pictures on a mobile device. The camera angle is manually set before the flight and tilted by remote control.
Phantom 3
The Phantom 3, released in April 2015, adds built in lightbridge downlink, that gives the controller a maximum range of 2,000 meters (1.25 miles), and the visual positioning system, that allows the Phantom 3 to better maintain its position at lower altitudes and even indoors where GPS is weak or unavailable.
The controller features a plastic front plate and lacks a HDMI out.
There are three models of the Phantom 3:
Professional
Records in 4K, and includes a 100 W fast charger.
Advanced
Records in 2.7K and includes a 57 W charger.
Standard
The Standard was released in August 2015. Currently, it is the cheapest and features 2.7K video recording. The standard is the basic model without lightbridge, with a limited range compared to the Advanced and Professional models, and no vision positioning systems. It includes features, as the other models do, such as Point of Interest, Follow Me, GPS Waypoints, Course Lock and Home Lock.
Phantom 4
The Phantom 4, released in March 2016, improves upon usability by adding obstacle avoidance and an ability to track movement, thanks to its many sensors. Some of its features include GPS, GLONASS, sonar, five separate cameras, a camera gimbal, gyroscope, and more. It is slightly bigger and heavier than the Phantom 3 due to larger battery, but it still maintains a longer flight time and greater top speed. It has a top speed of 20 m/s in 'sport mode'.
The controller and camera are very similar to the 3's.
The range on the Phantom 4 is impressive compared to most on the market. Based on real world testing of the Phantom 4, the Phantom 4 has proven to fly over 4 miles away without obstruction and still continue to have a decent video stream.
Phantom 4 Pro
DJI Phantom 4 Pro, released in November 2016, has Camera with 1-inch 20 MP CMOS sensor. Five-directions of obstacle sensing remote controller with built-in screen (Phantom 4 Pro+). The Phantom 4 Pro controller integrates an upgraded Lightbridge HD video transmission system that adds 5.8 GHz transmission support.
Applications
Although commercial use is still a legal gray area, several segments of industry are open to its usage. Among their many applications: drone journalism, hurricane hunting, 3-D landscape mapping, nature protection, farming, search and rescue, aircraft inspection, tornado chasing, and lava lake exploration. Drones are also in entertainment and business. The Fox Broadcasting Company used Phantom 2 Vision+'s to promote 24 during San Diego Comic-Con International 2014.
Reception
The Phantoms has been popular with hobbyists because of its consumer-friendly appearance and ease of use. Drones have made dramatic appearances at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for several years.
A drone enthusiast community called SkyPixel has been created to help drone users. Worldwide, drones are the subject of regulations for safety . For example, a number of incidents - such as a Phantom crashlanding at the White House, has prompted authorities in the USA (FAA), the UK (Civil Aviation Authority) and Europe (EASA) to ban them in some locations (ex. airports) or regulate their use and require permits for commercial operators However, the FAA has granted exemptions for production in Hollywood, aerial surveillance, construction site monitoring, crop scouting in agriculture and photography in real estate.