What precautions should be taken when flying the DJI Air 3S near reflective surfaces?

[AdminForo]

What precautions should be taken when flying the DJI Air 3S near reflective surfaces: Flying the DJI Air 3S near reflective surfaces requires several precautions to prevent the visual sensors from misinterpreting the environment, which could result in unsafe maneuvers or failure of automated functions. Surfaces such as metal roofs, windows, puddles of water, mirrors, or polished floors can distort the image of the drone or the sky, causing the system to perceive objects where they don't exist or to fail to detect real obstacles due to the reflection of direct light on the sensor lenses.

One of the main consequences of these reflections is the occurrence of false positives, where the detection system unexpectedly slows the drone down when it interprets that there is an obstacle ahead. This not only affects the fluidity of the flight but can also disrupt automatic functions such as FocusTrack or QuickShots, which depend on continuous and accurate detection to operate effectively. In some cases, if the system is overwhelmed by excessive reflected light, it can temporarily disable obstacle detection, leaving the drone vulnerable to real threats.

Additionally, during landings on reflective surfaces, the down-vision system may have difficulty accurately calculating height, as the reflection can obscure ground textures or generate erroneous depth readings. This can result in a hard landing, a prolonged hover, or the abort of the auto-land. To avoid this, it is advisable to use landing mats with defined textures or choose areas with clear visual contrast that allow the system to identify the ground more reliably.

The best way to mitigate these risks is to plan your flight to avoid flying directly over reflective surfaces or adjust the flight angle to reduce direct sunlight. It is also important to reduce flight speed in areas where there are obvious reflections and be prepared to intervene manually if the system does not react appropriately. With these precautions, the DJI Air 3S can operate safely even in visually challenging environments, as long as the limitations of the optical system are respected.