AUTEL ROBOTICS!: Ready to meet Max?

[Dave Pitman]

There really needs to be a focus group with NDA's to give candid feedback where they can improve public facing product positioning by avoiding these contradictions.

My understanding is that there are employees that have emplored Max to focus. And he does for a week or 2 and then back to chaos. He is a young man that is inexperienced and who happens to have a financial backer (his father) with great knowledge of Chinese manufacturing. It's likely that if Max would have provided Warnas with actual CEO decision making authority, Randal would still be there and Autel would be in a better place. But who knows for sure.

 

[CactusJackSlade]

Where like the latest DJI coming.

This is actually a DJI fan's 3D CAD concept video with their "wish list" There has been no verification of this at all as of today.

 

[herein2021]

It sounds like Autel has now stated publicly that the current "enterprise software" is a dead end and not worth working on any longer. If this "new" software is not going to be available on the brand new Evo.2 v.3, it demonstraits that Autel still has no idea what they are doing. Just pumping out more ... stuff.

Really disappointing that they (he, Max) can't figure it out. I wouldn't touch this bird until reviewed by someone operating drones for a living rather than someone making youtube videos for a living.

Nothing to see here folks, just Autel releasing another "enterprise" drone that is "enterprise" in name and price only; kind of like the EVO II 6K that is not capable of producing 6K video and not actually being able to fly for 40min. I do think enterprise customers have probably caught on by now and won't be fooled for a 3rd time.

I think we all would have preferred if "Max" actually had been a competent software developer or at least the name of their new top notch customer service department. How Autel can continue releasing HW products considering the dismal state of their support and software ecosystem is beyond me.

 

[Anzacjack]

They don't list the price. I think it's like Dragonfish, the Enterprise customer needs to request more info and one of the things gone over by phone is the price once it's decided what the customer needs.

If it is anything like the dragonfish I would steer very wide on this one

 

[Eagle928]

If it is anything like the dragonfish I would steer very wide on this one

What experience do you have working with the $100k Dragonfish?

 

[Brock Inspector]

OK, the DJI trolls have already had their crack at this thread. Reality is that DJI had zero presence at last week's Consumer Electronics Show because they were banned for being on the Entities List (companies believed by US intelligence agencies to be under the direct or indirect control of the Chinese Military Industrial Complex-- not the years-old human rights abuse narrative but the October US government ban).

Autel Robotics has a larger worldwide market share than anyone besides DJI and they have NOT landed themselves on the Entities List, to date. This $9000 Evo Max 4T at first blush seems several light years ahead of whatever sophistry most Blue UAS offerings have under $50K. If I was the IT guy for a regional SAR, city first responder or SWAT team anywhere outside of FL, Autel would right now have my rapt attention.

Autel seems poised to carve out a larger slice of this lucrative Enterprise market. Even if it was complete vaporware, the sizzle of those teaser clips suggest they may have already generated enough buzz to bring it to fruition. Software and firmware developers can and will be lured away from other tech section companies that are not weathering the tech sector downturn as gracefully. Third-party mapping integration will follow the money trail. This looks to be Autel's big moment. It's their's to lose, as they say.

(Could they lose their moment? Sure, but even Randall Warnas seems to be back singing Kumbaya)

 

[Anzacjack]

What experience do you have working with the $

What experience do you have working with the $100k Dragonfish?

The one i have is unstable in flight and in C2 link and control. It was purchased for long range coastal work and training but i would not trust the bird to fly more than a 100 ft from me. We had many software issues setting it up and recieved NO backup from Autel. At the coast of a high end sportscar, it sites in the hanger, unsafe to fly and not trusted. We no have 3 other equivalent craft from another company (not DJI)
that operate flawlessly after intitial setup.

The bottom line, is that i need to be comfortable that my airframes will operate safety as its my *** on the line. I am not so and have discussed the shortcomings of this craft with CASA. I doubt anyone in this country will get BVLOS endorsements using the Dragonfish.

What is your experience. Please share

 

[Eagle928]

The one i have is unstable in flight and in C2 link and control. It was purchased for long range coastal work and training but i would not trust the bird to fly more than a 100 ft from me. We had many software issues setting it up and recieved NO backup from Autel. At the coast of a high end sportscar, it sites in the hanger, unsafe to fly and not trusted. We no have 3 other equivalent craft from another company that operate flawlessly after intitial setup.

The bottom line, is that i need to be comfortable that my airframes will operate safety as its my *** on the line. I am not so and have discussed the shortcomings of this craft with CASA. I doubt anyone in this country will get BVLOS endorsements using the Dragonfish.

What is your experience. Please share

Well that's not good. Have you spoken with Jon McBride about this yet?

 

[Anzacjack]

Nope. We cut our losses about 6 months ago and went to another platform for these operations. We went to significant effort getting this bird imported to Australia, and once we took ownership, Autel wanted nothing to do with the Dragonfish or ourselves. We were planning on having this craft set up, with all the CASA hoops jumped through, so we could start work on BVLOS operations. But after months of effort and attempts to get Autel assistance, it just wasnt viable to waste anymore time, nor risk our reputation by showcasing such a platform. We now have an arrangement with a company that has been amazing with their support and have been operating and training other operators for BVLOS in Australia.

 

[jaja6009]

I will play a wait and see with the Evo Max. As mentioned by others Autel is lacking in software and firmware, but I will judge it after and if I see it.

I do love the pricing. It is shaking up the Medium sized Enterprise models. It is similar to the M30 series from DJI and boasts some features that DJI is lacking, but their pricing is $4,000 less! This is exciting and we will see how DJI reacts.
The Blue sUAS have pricing that ranges from lower to much higher, but none of them can touch the M30 series and Evo MAX in hardware.
The FLIR Siras is at a similar price point, but I had serious issues with it and since its announcment there hasn't really been any more information or full flight testing of it. It really needs to go back to the design table and address serious issues that public safety would have with it.

I hope the MAX lives up to its potential and DJI, what is your nex move?

 

[bartkemper]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1608447877260386313

OK, so you have a new drone that produces IR images that cannot be processed unless you have the same computer setup as the Autel staff? There are a LOT of comments on the Dual boards about trying to processes the IR imagery to get the thermal data usable.

 

[jaja6009]

OK, so you have a new drone that produces IR images that cannot be processed unless you have the same computer setup as the Autel staff? There are a LOT of comments on the Dual boards about trying to processes the IR imagery to get the thermal data usable.

If the IR images for the Max are similar to the IR images from the current 640T then they have options.

• Autel's Thermal Imaging Tool for report and anlysis
• Drone Deploy can currently make a radiometric ortho
• Agisoft should be able to make a radimetric ortho if someone figures out the Raster Transform formula
• Thermal Converter Tool (2 Available to make into Flir spec RJPEG or tiff
• Can currently make a very nice looking RGB ortho with the thermal images.

If the Max uses the Flir Boson 640 (Highly unlikely) then Flir Tools and Studio can be used, Pix4D can be used and Drone Deploy will most likely be able to be used. Agisoft again will need the formula for Raster Transform.

 

[bartkemper]

DD can process the files from the Dual? The Autel tool does not install on any of my computers -- it never gets to the boot screen and seems to be trying to open a camera.
"

• Can currently make a very nice looking RGB ortho with the thermal images." -- What is "Can"? Does it give you the radiometric data?

I love flying the drone. Just want to be able to process the thermal data and frustrated with the lack of support in dealing with the Autel thermal tool, which is over 2 years old and I cant tell why it won't boot once installed.

 

[jaja6009]

DD can process the files from the Dual? The Autel tool does not install on any of my computers -- it never gets to the boot screen and seems to be trying to open a camera.
"

• Can currently make a very nice looking RGB ortho with the thermal images." -- What is "Can"? Does it give you the radiometric data?

I love flying the drone. Just want to be able to process the thermal data and frustrated with the lack of support in dealing with the Autel thermal tool, which is over 2 years old and I cant tell why it won't boot once installed.

Please note, unless things have changed, radiometric maps in Drone Deploy are Enterprise only accounts.

Drone Deploy Radiometric Map from Evo 2 Dual R (Flir Boson)

DroneDeploy

I had a radiometric ortho from the Evo 2 640T but deleted the project. The thermal converter tool was used to convert the images and then processed in Drone Deploy Enterprise account.

All photgrammetry software that I have tested can make an RGB image ortho with the thermal images, non-radiometric.

For Agisoft to make a radiometric, someone will have to figure out the Raster Transform formula and this again will be with images converted in the converter tool, a separate purchase of third party software.

Can't help you with Autel's software. I installed it no problem. Maybe other will chime in.

Autel is not alone in this. Flir RJPEGS and R-tiffs seem to be the most recognized, but only the Evo 2 Dual R uses this format.

DJI has the same problem with any new thermal sensors. The XT and XT2 were Flir Tau2 cores while the new offerings are non-Flir Chinese sourced solutions.

Maybe look at the new Flir SIRAS sUAS as that has a Boson.