Freefly Systems - Synapse - Flight Controller

[ZAxis]

Details are now up for FreeFly's latest product...

Their Flight Controller, Synapse

View attachment 10883
http://www.freeflysystems.com/products/synapse.php

Time to start saving up ! ......... again

andy

 

[shco1t]

What's the price and will they be much better than the wkm , will be interested to see the difference before buying another fc. Every new one claims there the best but I know freefly are working hard at the minute so it could well be a quality fc.

 

[ChrisViperM]

The question is: how do you define "much better".....?


Chris

 

[DucktileMedia]

I tell you how I would define "much better." The size of the NAZA, the Wookongs GPS hold and altitude hold, Hoverfly's flight characteristics, better gimbal control, BUILT IN OSD!, a professional enclosure(which it does), and more than anything just dead reliable. Hopefully RTH is not a failsafe only. waypoints fr me dont matter but some seem to like all these crazy features like auto orientation and pirouettes. But I think thats where DJI went wrong was trying to add too many features. They now release a firmware update every few months and still cant keep people from crashing without knowing why. As this industry grows it is imperative that setup can be accomplished by a monkey since 75% of the users are going to dive into this thinking they can do in a day what most of us have spent years learning. So my hopes are to keep things simple and reliable. It's too bad you guys can't team up with Hoverfly and make the ultimate controller all made here in the USA. Regardless, I know they have the resources to make something impressive and they wont release it if they know they are going to have a customer service nightmare on their hands. After all, Freefly is NOT in China and cant get away taking everyones money without consequences like DJI has. But the very nature of these things can vary so much from setup to location. All I can say is that if this controller is a competitive price and even close to the wookong/hoverfly pro, Tabb is gonna be an overnight millionaire.

 

[ChrisViperM]

Each and every point you made is spot on (I would add true redundancy, collision control/detection and minimal flight height above ground), and -as you said - most important: reliability

I put my question here for a reason: There is lots and lots of new guys entering the MR business which have no clue of what they want...its always the hunt for " is this or that better...." without having any idea what EXACTLY they want. If you read this and other forums, the main questions lately are: what is the best quad...what is the best gimbal...what is the best video transmitter.....what is the best camera ?

Only if you know what you want, you can compare different "gadgets"....what is absolutely perfect for one guy, might be completely useless for somebody else...

I am 100% sure that the SYNAPSE is going to be a great product, but I won't make the mistake I did a few times previously and just jump on the wagon because it's new....I remember the pre-order bonanza when the Zenmuse came to the market and people would send heaps of money to China, just because of a few promising YouTube videos....now there is quiet a few people (including me) sitting on a piece of junk which sometimes works...and some times not ....

PS: Every little piece of business taken away from the Chinese is a little victory.....


Chris

 

[DucktileMedia]

I agree more strongly than words can describe. I hope between Hoverfly and freefly that they destroy chinas over bearing market share!

 

[3dheliguy]

Lets just see how much this thing costs. I'm guessing it will blow past the wookong, and enter the world of the elite users in the multi thousand dollar range. So bring on NAB... And lets see what's going on here.

 

[Kari]

@Chris coundn't agree more. But if it does not cost thousands i'm willing to try it very soon, i won't be missing any of current controllers available.

But One thing i don't get is the pricing of movi, if the $15 000 for mid version of handheld version is true, mr version won't be too far from that. Not sure if the final product will be different, but in this Laforets footage we'll see that it's same 25mm tube / clamp construction like cinestar gimbal. Just brushless motors, brushless controller and improved clamps. At same time we see these brushless things coming out every direction for fraction of a cost. Yeah 2 axis and for lighter cameras, but i don't think scaling bigger is so hard thing to do for talented people, and i know many are doing that already.

View attachment 10906

 

[q8khajah]

have you guys seen this video ?

https://vimeo.com/63067415

I know this thread is about the controller, and this video should also be related. That video is supposed to be a sneak peak on the `features` of their new heavy lift platform and controller's new "yaw mode" and the eco quad mode.

Problem is, if you look closely, and check out the comments, you'll find out the whole thing is a 3D Render video . I dont remember DJI posting 3D renders as REAL products..

I've been following up on freefly's upcoming equipment but I now have doubts.

 

[iscorama]

@q8khajah
It's 1. April joke...

 

[q8khajah]

Ah gosh i missed that.. That's actually professionally done joke!

 

[RTRyder]

. As this industry grows it is imperative that setup can be accomplished by a monkey since 75% of the users are going to dive into this thinking they can do in a day what most of us have spent years learning. So my hopes are to keep things simple and reliable.

There's one of the big problems in a nutshell, untrained users shouldn't be allowed to just dive in simply because they have the $ to make the purchase and think it's a cool thing to do. You can't just jump in a car and drive without a license, nor can anyone climb into a Cessna and go for a flight without some well defined training and proof that you can actually do it without killing yourself and anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby when you do. OK, so flying a big APV ship isn't as potentially lethal as either of those scenarios but there is plenty of potential to cause personal injury and property damage when the untrained user finds out way too late that they really can't fly this thing and it all comes crashing down at speed.

So making it easy for a monkey to setup is only enabling people that shouldn't be flying without first proving they have the knowledge and ability to do so safely. A couple nasty crashes with bystanders being taken away in ambulances followed by some mass media coverage and sensationalism and suddenly we all may be looking at a highly restrictive set of regulations imposed to keep these things from happening, do we really want to go there? Flying one pf these myself I know I wouldn't want one falling on me with props spinning...

At same time we see these brushless things coming out every direction for fraction of a cost. Yeah 2 axis and for lighter cameras, but i don't think scaling bigger is so hard thing to do for talented people, and i know many are doing that already.

Scaling to work with larger cameras is already here, Freefly may be the first to market with a system that as they say can handle "Any camera, any lens" but they won't be the last, all they've done is prove that it can be done and made to work properly. I give it no more than 6 to 9 months before you can buy similar setups for a fraction of the cost. It will be interesting to read the details of the flight controller to see what they've come up with and how well it works for the masses that can afford the entry price.

Ken

 

[q8khajah]

I agree with you Ken,

However, those who think they're buying a fridge soon run into trouble. I've been at this AP business for long and still don't feel fully confident.. gone from Gassers, Jokers, Blimps, and finally MRs.. an RC heli hobbyist for more than 10 years.. being around RC stuff this long gives you a background experience that soon proves to be needed in any "turnkey" system anyone purchases.

I've seen people in my area having lots of $ buying draganfly's and other RTFs that swarm the net thinking its all gonna be fine only to run into trouble and throw the equipment into storage instead of simply fixing a Dean's connector.

In the end, these people will need Maintenance and little fabrication knowledge to survive.. provided they don't injure themselves before that happens.

 

[Dewster]

Competition is good. The Chinese have brought the price of this high tech field down to a level that allows many to afford to fly.

It was a close call between Hoverfly and DJI before I bought my WKM. The deciding factor for me was the apparent ease of assembly/connections. I had a Mikrokopter and did not understand how to assemble it. No clear and straightforward instructions. I ended up selling my Mikrokopter boards on Ebay. Hoverfly did a great job explaining their systems by providing video tutorials, it was just the Mikrokopter bad experience that kept me away (not wanting to see another circuit board of parts. These new plug and fly systems are great when they work.

Ive already invested money in buying a WKM. I'm pretty happy with my WKM. There will have to be a significant advance or performance gain before I shell out more cash for a flight system.

 

[3dheliguy]

Being in RC for years, and understanding the fundamentals is key, any yuppie can afford one of these, but the few that understand the equipment that come from RC will always have the advantage.

This is just like any other field out there. 90 percent of so called photographers can take a picture, but there's only 10 percent that are very artistic and talented enough to get ahead. This field is no different, you have the masses, and unfortunately DJI is making a bit easy to jump in, but that's the nature of the beast.

There's not much anyone can do at this point, but that's just the business. There are some very talented people out there, but I'm sorry to say it's only a matter of time before it will be mainstream. And the people that were doing well, it will be a little tougher. That's just business.

As for liability well, china ain't helping.

 

[gtranquilla]

Dr. Kalman developed the Kalman filtering that was originally used with large scale acellerometers, gyros etc. back in the late 60's during the Apollo Moon missions. Those developments help made it possible for the astronauts to successfully land the LEM - Lunar Excursion Module and successfuly takeoff again as well finless rocket guidance systems. The modern day Multi-rotor was developed as a result of that work and has since fallen in to the hands for foreign countries such as Germany and China who have taken a strong lead now.....then came along the US developed GPS system adding even more functionailty to MRs......and so it goes!!!!

As to who is qualified to use these sophiscated "toys"..... a bumper sticker I read says it all.... "Designed by computer, built by robot..... driven by idiot!"

I tell you how I would define "much better." The size of the NAZA, the Wookongs GPS hold and altitude hold, Hoverfly's flight characteristics, better gimbal control, BUILT IN OSD!, a professional enclosure(which it does), and more than anything just dead reliable. Hopefully RTH is not a failsafe only. waypoints fr me dont matter but some seem to like all these crazy features like auto orientation and pirouettes. But I think thats where DJI went wrong was trying to add too many features. They now release a firmware update every few months and still cant keep people from crashing without knowing why. As this industry grows it is imperative that setup can be accomplished by a monkey since 75% of the users are going to dive into this thinking they can do in a day what most of us have spent years learning. So my hopes are to keep things simple and reliable. It's too bad you guys can't team up with Hoverfly and make the ultimate controller all made here in the USA. Regardless, I know they have the resources to make something impressive and they wont release it if they know they are going to have a customer service nightmare on their hands. After all, Freefly is NOT in China and cant get away taking everyones money without consequences like DJI has. But the very nature of these things can vary so much from setup to location. All I can say is that if this controller is a competitive price and even close to the wookong/hoverfly pro, Tabb is gonna be an overnight millionaire.