Research pathways edited on the 3rd of October 2024
1) Did a search using google Gemini AI on the key functions and features of the DJI N3 flight controller.
2) Visited the DJI product information website to research on specifications of the flight controller.
3) visited DroneDeploy website to understand the function of an IMU Intertial Measurement Unit and the importance of calibration before flight.
4) Formulate thesis statement.
5) Visited the strait times website to look up on past drone incidences.
6) Relate on my own experience as a drone pilot for the protocols and procedures the pilot needs to follow.
The DJI
N3 flight controller is a reliable, robust, safe and upgradable platform for
custom built drones, and it is highly recommended in operating in a densely
populated country like Singapore.
The
DJI website (n.d) features the N3 flight controller which is part of the NAZA
series of DJI family of control units that caters to both industrial and
hobbyists drone applications. The N3 system consists of a flight control unit,
GPS compass antenna and Power Management Unit (PMU). On the website DroneDeploy (n.d) the Inertial Management
Unit (IMU) serves as a sensor that detects the movements of the drone such as
its acceleration, rotation and orientation. Calibrating the IMU is imperative
to ensure a safe and stable flight in every drone operation.
The
flight controller contains a dual IMU for built in redundancy which is a unique
safety feature if one of the IMU is down the secondary unit can regain control
which prevents the UAS from crashing or moving in an undesired direction. The
FCU can be upgraded with the A3 package which adds an industrial grade IMU to
the already robust dual-IMU system for triple redundancy during flight. This
significantly reduces the risk of IMU failures and increase the reliability of
the system.
In addition, the flight control unit also has a
robust 8GB industrial black box that records performance and real time flight
data. This allows pilot to troubleshoot potential issues and fine tune the
aircraft for a safer flight. The aircraft can be configured using software such
as DJI Assistant 2 or phone application DJI GO.
The
N3 system also takes its GPS reference from the GPS GNSS antenna which requires
a lock on at least 16 satellites for a good GPS signal. The Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) can use the
GPS GNSS antenna to gain a reference to maintain a stable flight path during
operations. The customizability of the
N3 would also allow pilots to add other GPS compasses as a redundancy feature
so that if the first GPS compass loses signal, the secondary unit can quickly activate
to prevent the drone from deviating for its flight path.
The
PMU functions as a regulator that supplies the correct thrust for operator
induced thrust and compensates for adverse weather conditions. The PMU can be
tuned to accommodate various flight modes such as GPS, altitude and sports
mode.
The
N3 flight controller supports a wide spectrum of upgradability with DJI’s eco
system of products such as camera gimbals like the DJI Ronin-MX series and
flight devices such as Lightbridge 2 and TAKON™ series
for electronic speed controllers.
The
Roning-MX is a professional gimbal for movie grade cameras that is built for
man portable operations and optimize for filming on a drone. The gimbal has algorithms
that would stabilize according to the flight path of the drone instead of compensating
for the pilot’s movement.
Lightbridge
2 is Radio Control receiver that transmits and receiver signals from the
transmitter for up to 5km. it is also able to stream and broadcast High-Definition
quality videos feeds back to the operator.
The
TAKON™ ECS is a module
that supply continuous power to the drone motors for longer flight endurance.
It is compatible with 4 to 14 cell Li polymer batteries.
The N3 features
advanced vibration dampening, which allows input sensors to read more
accurately, reducing sensor-induced control oscillations and improving overall
performance. Its software features include various fail-safe protocols such as
fault tolerance control that allow UAS to execute a controlled decent in an
event of an imminent crash. This makes the N3 flight control a robust and
reliable package.
A Straits
Times news article reports a drone had deviated from its planned route due to a
faulty positioning sensor which resulted in a crash on the grounds of One-North
Residences.
Lim, K.
(2024, July 24). Company suspended from drone operations after device
crash-lands on one-north condo grounds. The Straits Times.
Being a
drone operator myself incidents like these deeply resonates with me as this
undesired situation can happen to both new and highly experienced pilots. DJI’s
N3 flight controller has a feature called fault tolerance control which allows
the drone to execute a controlled decent in an event of a crash due to propulsion
lose with one or two of its rotors. The caveat is that this feature would only
work on hexacopters and octocopters as these drones have sufficient rotors to
stabilize themselves in an event of a propulsion failure.
If the
pilot experiences a propulsion failure while flying a quadcopter, he or she
would experience an inevitable crash. As drone systems get progressively
sophisticated packed with features like autonomous flying, tracking and the
ability to avoid objects with its sensors.
Safe operation and flying of the drone boil down to the skill of the
pilot. A drone may still lose GPS signal due to interference from jammers or
metal structures of the building that causes the drone to switch from GPS mode
to altitude mode.
Flying in
altitude mode would mean that your drone would be easily influence by wind conditions
which would flying more challenging. This makes the skills of the pilot the
difference between a successful flight mission or a crash incident. As the
saying goes its not the plane but the pilot.
References:
1.
Lim, K. (2024, July 24). Company
suspended from drone operations after device crash-lands on one-north condo
grounds. The Straits Times.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/company-suspended-from-drone-operations-after-device-crash-lands-into-one-north-condo-grounds
2.
DJI. (2019). N3 Flight
Controller. [Website]. Retrieved from https://www.dji.com/n3
3.
Google
AI. Gemini AI. Language Model. Accessed September 16, 2024.
4.
https://deepmind.google/technologies/gemini/
5.
N3 designed
for reliability and upgradability” by DJI 2024
6. Source: Conversation with Copilot, 17/09/2024
7. DJI website
8. N3 - DJI. (n.d.). DJI Official. https://www.dji.com/sg/n3
9. (3) DJI N3 product information -
GetFPV. https://www.getfpv.com/dji-n3-flight-controller.html.
10.
UAVFordrone. (2020, May 17). DJI N3 flight
controller DJI N3 flight controller for agriculture drone. https://www.uavfordrone.com/product/dji-n3-flight-controller-naza-series/
11. How do I calibrate my drone’s Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in DJI
fly?(n.d) – IMU https://help.dronedeploy.com/hc/en-us/articles/13805047676823-How-do-I-calibrate-my-drones-IMU-in-DJI-Fly#:~:text=IMU%20(Inertial%20Measurement%20Unit)%20calibration,acceleration%2C%20rotation%2C%20and%20orientation.
12.
DJI. (2024). N3 - product information - DJI.
DJI Official. https://www.dji.com/sg/n3/info#video
13.
DJI. (n.d.). Ronin-MX - DJI. DJI Official.
https://www.dji.com/sg/ronin-mx
14.
DJI Lightbridge 2 - DJI. DJI Official. (n.d.). https://www.dji.com/sg/lightbridge-2
15.
Takyon z14120 - DJI. DJI Official. (n.d.-c). https://www.dji.com/sg/takyon-z14120
