Difference between "follow me" & "watch me"

David Armstrong · Aug 25, 2016

Has anyone found any details concerning the differences between follow and watch?
I have been using "watch me" and it has been doing everything that I could think would be needed in a "following" copter. The copter follows me around and the camera rotates and keeps me in frame.

I generally keep the gimbal locked in the forward position, so when I switch to "follow me" the camera stays in the forward position and the copter follows me around just like "watch me."

Could someone explain the primary differences between the two. Maybe with some examples.
When you watch the yuneec videos showing the 2 different features, they still seem to basically do almost the same thing. Maybe I am wrong.
Thanks!

Steve Carr · Aug 26, 2016

They are very similar but in follow me mode the camera will not track the ST16 or Wizard. You can yaw or move the camera to point in any direction.

anthony h-ellary · Aug 26, 2016

i have a video of me testing out realsense but the first pass through the trees was in follow me the second was in watch me

video

David Armstrong · Aug 26, 2016

Okay, so is there really any useful applications for follow me?
So basically it is just to keep the copter near you, while you take a stroll?
The camera just locks in position and captures random footage while the copter tries to follow you?

Ridelabs · May 23, 2017

@David Armstrong , I know that this is months after you asked the question, but maybe you could have it follow you while in a car or something (someone else driving), and be filming an activity or a view that you are driving past.

byhead · May 23, 2017

Say, do either of these flight modes require SMART ON?

Texy · May 24, 2017

David Armstrong said:
Okay, so is there really any useful applications for follow me?
So basically it is just to keep the copter near you, while you take a stroll?
The camera just locks in position and captures random footage while the copter tries to follow you?

When following the Wizard a pilot can control the gimbal from the ST16 to do all manner of nice camera work.

ArnhemAnt · May 24, 2017

I'm pretty sure that the Follow mode also includes the H taking into consideration the height of the ST16, so, when going up a hill, the H will also rise at the same gradient. This would obviously also apply when going back down a hill, etc.
Watch mode doesn't do this from what I understand.

m5zealot · May 25, 2017

I totally understand the question here because I'm also baffled about the difference. I do a lot of automotive videos were I have the H "follow" a car with me in the passenger seat. I have had it in Follow Me mode and it tracks me just fine. I was under the understanding the H flies faster in Follow me mode than watch me. (45 MPH?) I have not tried Watch Me mode yet. Also I believe Obstacle Avoidance does not work in Follow me - only Watch me mode. Can anyone please clarify? I'm too chicken to let the H follow a speeding car thru trees right now.

Here is a video where I have H in follow me mode - NOT Watch me. Speed was about 40 MPH. I made no camera adjustments or control inputs. I did put the tilt slider in the middle position as stated in the manual.

Tuulos · May 28, 2017

According to the Finnish manual there are some differences. In Watch Me mode the drone rotates to keep the controller centered in frame while the camera will use only vertical rotation to keep the controller centered. In Follow Me mode the user can decide the position of the drone and where the camera is focused. Additionally on Follow Me mode the drone can't avoid obstacles or change altitude so if you're in a mountainous, hilly or wooded terrain you can have problems.

That manual is from a few software versions ago so I'm not sure if it's totally accurate anymore.