Hi,
I am interested in an follow me , active track drone to follow me for a dance projects. I would like to know the best drones for this.
But mostly i want to know if i can control the drone to follow me from the recommended 10 m and then get it much closer , such as 1-2 meters from me. How does it work in changing distances or modes… any thoughts. thanks!
The popular option for a follow-me project would be any newer foldable DJI drone, specifically an Air 2S or Mini 3 Pro (smaller, cost-effective drones). You could go with a Mavic 3, but that’ll push you over $2000USD easily.
The only thing is that with any DJI drone in follow-me/active track, you’ll need to have the sensors on. This creates an issue if you need to get the drone super close to you, as it’ll either stop or bypass you within a certain amount of feet.
Another option and a drone that is built for autonomous flight is the Skydio 2. Sadly, I do not have any experience with it. Perhaps someone here can go into its capabilities a little more, especially in regard to how close it can get to an option while filming.
HEre’s an article on Follow me drones that might have a bit more information for you to consider.
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Thank you Dan for this info, It is very helpful! I’ll look into all your suggestions.
Yes if anyone has other experience i would be grateful to know.
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You’re welcome. I’d love to see what you decide on for your project. Keep us posted!
Hi all,
I was going to post this in the beginner’s section but this post from ariell is aligned to my own question.
I am a complete novice when it comes to drones and only just beginning my research into this fascinating area. There is much to absorb. Anyway…
My partner and I are seeking drone technology to be able to record - with a high degreee of accuracy - the movements of an individual walking on sometimes rough terrain recorded by the drone from around 80-100 feet. So, it’s similar to tracking an individual dancing, but for our purposes it will be much higher and tracking over a relatively confined area initially.
Our objective is both historical and artistic. We are involved in a project to track pilgrmage “patterns” and what you might call “sacred energy lines” on and around ancient sites (Churches, Abbeys, megalithic sites) across Wales and England. We hope to publish visual renderings of these patterns which will then be accompanied with photos and text for a forthcoming book. If we can pull it off that is…
My question: Is it possible to have the software precisely track the individual walking in a given area, in real time, but as a visual line, which, upon completion creates a visual representation i.e. an accurate representation of the orginal movement which we can then print out? We hope to then transfer the 2-D visual image into a 3-D representation.
I had a look at the above article about ‘follow me’ drones and that seems a good place to start. I guess we need that extra software dimension that can provide instantaneous tracking visualised as a precise form of visual mapping.
Any suggestions?
@Rasrock1, welcome to the forums!
We will look into this, do some research, and see what can be done. Most, if not all, of DJIs newest offerings (Air 2S, Mini 3 Pro, Mavic 3 line, Air 3) do well at tracking individuals, with the Air 3 being the best from the information gathered online. The Skydio 2 seems to win hands down though. Regarding what you are trying to accomplish with software, that needs research, if we understand what you are wanting correctly. I’ll do some digging and drop back in within a few days.
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Hi Dan,
Thanks for the welcome and thank you so much for taking the time to look into this, I really appreciate it.
I do hope to purchase a drone sometime in the near future and as you mention, Skydio 2 does seem and excellent choice.
I’ll dig around as well and come back at the end of the week.
Thanks again,
R.
Any luck Dan? The drones seems to be available but that specific software I haven’t found yet.
Hello @Rasrock1 I believe Dan is attending a conference at the moment and perhaps the following information can be helpful toward making a decision on a drone and it’s tracking abilities given the scope of your project. After some research on this topic, the Skydio 2 is a rather expensive drone as Dan mentioned. The DJI Mavic Air 2s is more than half that price. Drone “follow me” software is built in to most commerical drones manufactured today for consumer use. Depending upon the choice you make in the drone manufacture, there are software applications that you can purchase compatible with the particular model. The best overall drone with built in “follow me” application capability would be the DJI Mavic Air 2s in my opinion. This drone has longer battery power than the more expensive Skydio 2 and is less expensive. The Skydio 2 does not track pets or animals, and the Mavic 2s *allows the drone to follow moving subjects such as vehicles, people, or pets (not that this is your intended purpose of course, but shows the capability at a more affordable price). Note: I do not work for DJI.
Here is some information on various drone models and their capabilities: 12 Best Follow Me Drones And Follow You Technology Reviewed - DroneZon Please let us know how you progress in your project. It sure is an interesting endeavor!
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Apologies for the late reply MavRik (life is hectic!) and thank you for your suggestions.
This is really useful. It’s a big ole’ area to research and I’ll admit I’m a bit at sea, but the the DJI Mavic Air 2s sounds the best bet so far.
Life seems to be presenting a range of obstacles to this project at the moment but we are determined to make some headway. We have only a modest bit of funding so your focus on price is extremely valuable. We will check this one out I think and I’ll certainly check back with an update on progress.
Many thanks again,
Best wishes,
J.
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@Rasrock1 Thank you, glad we could help indeed. Please keep us posted on your project and how that progresses. KInd regards! 
With the new Air 3 having been released, it has a very solid follow-me function (Active Track) as well as a built-in waypoint mission planner. The Air 3 is almost the same price as the older Air 2S (which I still have and love), with much longer battery times.
Wrote a few recent reviews on the subject:
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Thanks Dan - will take a look!
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