We were just talking with Britte and Ralf about catching drones on boats. So here is a short video showing the design we came up with before leaving Australia to pick up our new Garcia Exploration 45 in Cherbourg last year. I wanted the design to be light and compact, to be easily assembled onto and removed from the Mavic 2, to involve no modification to the Mavic and cause no damage, to allow very safe catching and very secure capture for the drone, with retrieval possible using an extension pole if necessary. This design also allows the pilot to fly to the retrieval point using normal, familiar, forward flight commands. Just aim for the catcher’s head and the drone will be perfectly positioned for instant capture, with no chance of escape, no injuries and no damage.
The method for the pilot is to first input a slow, steady forward speed and hold that. Aiming is done by adjusting the rate of descent, thereby involving only one variable. Once the drone is caught by the Velcro landing platform the catcher holds it still and the pilot commands it to descend. The drone senses that it can’t descend and shuts off the motors, without any fuss. 🙂
Regards from Rick and Carolyn.