The biggest problem is that when you’re ready to fly, you need to initiate the flight sequence in the right order, and then pass a number of automated preflight checks - which is easier said than done. This level of autonomy is excellent in theory, but in practice, it leaves a bit to be desired.
#Hexio plus drone how to
Operating the Hexo+ isn’t really so much “piloting” as it is “directing.” Once it’s in the air, the drone is almost completely autonomous - all you need to do is tell it how to behave with your phone. We had a bit of trouble getting the drone into the air, but once it was up and running, it never fell out of range a single time. If the drone is doing its job, it’ll keep up and maintain a reasonable distance from you (and a good wireless connection) regardless of where you go. The good news, however, is that because it’s an auto-follow drone, range isn’t really much of an issue. Still, you’ll probably still want to buy multiple batteries if you plan on filming more than half an hour in a given day.Īs for range, Hexo+ can allegedly stay in contact with your phone for up to 300 feet - although this may vary widely depending on the type of phone you’re using.
#Hexio plus drone full
Hexo’s rechargeable batteries can go from empty to full in less than 40 minutes, which is actually one of the quickest recharge times we’ve ever encountered. But what the Hexo+ lacks in flight time, it makes up for with a very speedy charge time. Those figures pale in comparison to the 20-, 25-, and even 30-minute flight times offered by some other drones on the market right now.
![hexio plus drone hexio plus drone](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/052f04e5-13bd-4f17-bd46-3bfc5fcbab0d_1.8a15c1f0ec64cbc53e233a0a00d731ba.jpeg)
At a plain-ol’ hover, it’ll fly for about 18 minutes - but as usual, if you fly it hard and push the motors to their limit, you’ll only get about 15 to 16 minutes before it starts beeping at you and flashing warning notifications on your screen. Once you’re in the air, you can expect the Hexo+ to stay aloft for anywhere from 15 to 18 minutes. You basically have no option but to fly with your GoPro naked, exposed to the elements, and held on with Velcro. The GoPro mount, for example, can’t accommodate a camera in its protective case, and uses a cheap Velcro strap that can easily be lost. That said, a few design elements left us scratching our heads. Just buy some new ones, pop ‘em into their slots, and start flying again. Not only do these make the drone easier to pack - the fact that they’re removable also means that if you ever break the landing gear (which is usually the first thing to break during a crash), you can replace it without any tools or tricky installation. We also liked the removable legs underneath. The arms are strong and well-built, and the hull definitely feels like it could take a tumble down a rocky hillside without breaking into a million pieces. We didn’t put this drone to the ultimate test and crash it into a tree (as we unintentionally have with a few UAV review units), but the Hexo+ feels pretty sturdy. While this happens, the Hexo’s proprietary framing and predictive tracking algorithms make sure the camera is always aimed correctly - which in theory means you’ll never miss a shot, and your videos will have a more professional, cinematic feel to them. Instead of simply following from a preset distance or orientation, the drone can slide in or out, pan to follow you from a fixed position, hover close or far, and even fly in an orbit around you while you move.
![hexio plus drone hexio plus drone](https://www.dramaticdrones.com/images/products/Screenshot2019-10-1715.54.20.png)
What really sets the Hexo+ apart from the competition is how in-depth the auto-follow technology is. That’s nice, because unfortunately it doesn’t have any kind of obstacle avoidance built in. This gives it a bit more stability in the air, and also means that if one motor fails or a prop breaks, the drone won’t fall out of the sky right away. Hexo+ brings a few unique features to the table - the first and most obvious of which is the fact that it’s a hexacopter. So now that “follow me” mode is almost a standard feature on most drones, can a one-trick pony like Hexo+ still prove its worth? Features and specs DJI, Yuneec, and others have all added it to drones that you can also fly manually. But now that the Hexo+ is finally for sale, it’s one of about a dozen different UAVs equipped with auto-follow functionality. Unlike other drones that were available at the time, it didn’t require a controller or any piloting experience - you could just send it into the air with the tap of an app, and it would film you autonomously from the sky.Īt the time of the campaign, it was one of the only drones that could pull this off. Fitbit Versa 3Ī couple years ago, a totally unknown drone company took Kickstarter by storm with an innovative new auto-follow drone called the Hexo+.