The Mini 3 Pro has a tridimensional obstacle avoidance system with pairs of sensors at the front, toward the back, and at the bottom. The front and back sensors partially protect the sides and the area above, but obstacles near 90 degrees to the side or straight above will not be detected
In this article, I will show how the system works and all the relative settings
More details about the Mini 3 Pro are in the following articles:
- Beginner guide to the Mini 3 Pro
- Mini 3 Pro camera setting for video
- Mini 3 Pro camera settings for photography
- Mistakes to avoid with the Mini 3 and 3Pro
- How to calibrate the IMU, gimbal, compass, and remote controller
- How to use the Map, Radar, and Attitude Mode
- How to transfer files to a computer, phone, or tablet
- Fly over water with the Mini 3 Pro
If you prefer to watch this as a video, you will find my YouTube version at the end of this article
Settings
The Automated Pilot Assistance System APAS 4.0 handles the behavior of the drone when it encounters obstacles on its path
In the menu Safety of Settings, there are three choices for the Obstacle Avoidance Action
- Bypass, the aircraft stops and hovers at about one meter, or three feet, from any detected
- Brake, the aircraft will try to find the shortest path around the obstacles to avoid them
- Off, the APAS system is disabled
On the top of the screen, an icon indicates the status of the obstacle detection system: it is white when the detection is on and red when it is not active
The next option is Disable Sideways Flight. It is useful only in rare situations when we must fly in a perfectly straight line, in most cases for slow moves in confined spaces. When using the obstacle detection system we will leave it off
Scrolling down in the menu we can display an on-screen radar map. This map shows a line in the lower part of the screen if obstacles are detected below the drone, the distance from the obstacle is displayed
The line will first be yellow and turn red when the obstacle is closer. If an obstacle is detected in front of the drone, another line will appear in the upper part of the screen
When filming the most frequently used obstacle avoidance action is bypass, as the aircraft will keep moving while avoiding obstacles for uninterrupted cinematic footage
Obstacle Avoidance in Action
In this dense wood, the 3 Pro does an excellent job of detecting trees in front and slightly to the side while following me and reacts very quickly to find its way around them
It also detects obstacles behind it when flying backward
The obstacle avoidance system is often used in conjunction with the three intelligent flight modes of the Mini 3. I will find in-depth analysis in my articles:
Previous models of DJI prosumer’s line struggle to detect wiry obstacles like tiny bare tree branches or power lines. Under these circumstances, I have experienced a couple of small crashes with the Air 2s
The only model so far to handle this situation with ease is the Mavic 3, able to find its way around any situation, even when surrounded by the tiniest branches
The Mini 3 Pro handles the situation better than the Air 2s. Even in this tight environment, it managed to avoid most branches. Only on a couple of occasions, it touched them, but without crashing
A certain amount of light is needed to detect obstacles, I suggest avoiding very dense areas with minimal light, as the sensor might struggle
I find that the APAS technology for obstacle avoidance in the Mini 3 Pro works extremely well and it is a big step forward compared to the Air 2s
This is not surprising as it was released over one year later
Limitations
The System is not Omnidirectional
The Mini 3 Pro lacks sensors at the top and the sides
Even though the front and back sensors have a wide-angle view and partially protect the sides and above, obstacles placed near 90 degrees to the side or straight above will not be detected
When I tried to track myself walking in parallel mode, with the drone flying sideways, I experienced several crashes against trees
The same happened while using the intelligent flight mode Point of Interest: when orbiting around a target, the Mini 3 Pro is unable to detect obstacles if they are at an angle close to 90 degrees
A lot of care is also needed when using Master Shots or Quick Shots with the Mini 3 Pro, check my articles for more details
I have also tested the behavior of the detection system with obstacles above the aircraft with horrible results
I tried flying under tall trees and raising in altitude to check if the sensor would detect the branches, but the result was an awful crash and a destroyed drone
For this reason, I would recommend using the Mini 3 for close-range tracking only in wide-open areas without any obstacles
Digital Zoom
While tracking we can apply a smooth zoom with the right wheel of the remote controller, which is useful for getting closer to the target
It is a digital zoom, so there is a loss of resolution, only useful when encoding at 2.7k or 1080p, maybe for posting on social media. Experienced users can apply Zoom while editing for extra flexibility
The only model of the current DJI line suitable for close-range tracking is the Mavic 3, thanks to the omnidirectional sensors
Flying over Water
Another situation where extra care is needed is when flying over water, as the downward obstacle sensor struggles to analyze a reflective surface
The aircraft cannot always avoid entering the water and even the altitude shown on the screen should be taken with a pinch of salt (forgiving the pun…)
Sprays of salty water from waves can easily destroy a drone, so I suggest avoiding flying very low and applying extra care in these situations
Other Limitations
The obstacle avoidance system is not available when flying in Sport mode, and this is something to bear in mind, as it might lead to dangerous situations
Bypass mode is active only with frame rates up to 30 fps. With higher frame rates the obstacle detection still works, but the aircraft stops before an obstacle instead of finding its way around it
The obstacle sensors are also active during a Return To Home, but some care is needed due to the lack of sensors to the side and above
I suggest setting the Return To Home altitude well above all surrounding obstacles
I have done an in-depth analysis of Return To Home with the Mini 3 Pro in this article