A New Approach to Flying DJI Drones: Litchi App

As one of the most popular autonomously flying apps on the market, Litchi is taking the complexity out of flying drones. Drone enthusiasts now can easily set waypoints and POI’s in Google Earth, before even leaving home. By using state of the art technology, Litchi is attempting to corner the market, by replicating features which were once only available through more expensive apps and providing them in a simpler and more affordable format. Whilst sharing some features with the DJI Go app, Litchi is stepping out of its counterpart’s shadows, by offering five flying modes designed to help people to get the most out of their aircraft videos. The app provides smooth and slow, pre-programmed flight missions, which result in smooth video footage, in an easier way. Maneuvers, which were otherwise impossible to create, are easily achievable with the help of this app.

Litchi’s Track feature utilizes computer vision algorithms to frame your selected subject, allowing the drone to follow after it. "Orbit," allows the operator to easily set the altitude, radius, speed and directions, as the drone flies circles around a defined point or subject. "Focus," assists the operator to manually operate the drone, whilst the app ensures that the camera remains pointed at a particular subject. "Pano," makes taking autonomous panoramic photos easier than ever before. The app achieves perfect panoramic footage every time, through ensuring a downward gimbal angle and a smooth yaw (allowing the operator to focus on horizontal movements instead). This feature also allows for the addition of a virtual reality headset to create a mock 3D person view. "Waypoint," perhaps the most advanced feature of all, gives the option of the drone flight paths being pre-programmed through the Litchi Mission Hub. The app also allows the completion of a mission, regardless of whether or not there is a signal and showcases the intuitive capabilities of the aircraft.

The improved Litchi app, gives people so many more options when planning and executing their drone flight plans and presents an alternative to the DJI Go app. For $22.99, the Litchi app is compatible with DJI Mavic Pro, DJI Phantom 4 (Normal/Pro), Phantom 3 Standard/4K/Advanced/Professional and DJI Inspire.