Why did Active Track mess up so badly and make my DJI Air 3 crash?

So I was trying to use Active Track on my DJI Air 3, but it failed miserably and led to a crash. The drone was following me while I was riding my bike, but it just couldn’t keep up with the terrain changes and altitude shifts. Anyone know why this happened?

I’m not an expert, but it looks like the drone is locked at a certain height while the road keeps rising as you ride.

AerialArtisanAlex said:
I’m not an expert, but it looks like the drone is locked at a certain height while the road keeps rising as you ride.

Wouldn’t the downward sensors stop it from crashing?

@Aspen
Same thing happened to me recently while I was filming a motorcycle. My drone lost elevation and crashed. Was yours in sport mode? It doesn’t prevent impact but softens it a bit if it’s in normal mode.

@Aspen
No, when it’s going over 20m/s, the obstacle sensors switch off.

Scout said:
@Aspen
No, when it’s going over 20m/s, the obstacle sensors switch off.

Really? Didn’t know that.

Noor said:

Scout said:
@Aspen
No, when it’s going over 20m/s, the obstacle sensors switch off.

Really? Didn’t know that.

Yeah, in ‘trace’ mode it’s off at 10m/s and completely off in ‘parallel’ mode. Terrain and lighting also impact the sensors.

Scout said:
@Aspen
No, when it’s going over 20m/s, the obstacle sensors switch off.

The speed in the video looks under 40 mph.

I.kyle4 said:

Scout said:
@Aspen
No, when it’s going over 20m/s, the obstacle sensors switch off.

The speed in the video looks under 40 mph.

Keyword: ‘looks like.’ It’s hard to judge accurately.

@Aspen
The altitude change on the ground is just too sudden for the drone to adjust.

@Aspen
Might be because it’s in sport mode. That disables sensors and increases speed.

Kip said:
@Aspen
Might be because it’s in sport mode. That disables sensors and increases speed.

I was actually in normal mode.

Aspen said:

Kip said:
@Aspen
Might be because it’s in sport mode. That disables sensors and increases speed.

I was actually in normal mode.

Sensors might just be too slow to react at high speeds. What puzzles me is why it dipped right before hitting.

Aspen said:

Kip said:
@Aspen
Might be because it’s in sport mode. That disables sensors and increases speed.

I was actually in normal mode.

There’s a video by a guy called DC Rainmaker on this. It explains how steep terrain can confuse the sensors. Not sure if DJI has fully fixed this yet.

@Keagan
Actually, his name is TC Rainmaker.

Kiran said:
@Keagan
Actually, his name is TC Rainmaker.

Oh, thanks for the correction!

Aspen said:

Kip said:
@Aspen
Might be because it’s in sport mode. That disables sensors and increases speed.

I was actually in normal mode.

The drone’s angle impacts its altitude adjustments.

@Monroe
I have a Mini 3 Pro, and it can handle steep changes even in sport mode. It might depend on how fast you’re going, or maybe the Air 3 is just different.

Aspen said:

Kip said:
@Aspen
Might be because it’s in sport mode. That disables sensors and increases speed.

I was actually in normal mode.

I have used my Air 2s in similar situations on my e-bike. It keeps the height steady even with steep terrain changes. Maybe try setting the height higher next time?

AerialArtisanAlex said:
I’m not an expert, but it looks like the drone is locked at a certain height while the road keeps rising as you ride.

Agreed, looks like it couldn’t keep up with the height change.