DJI "Remote Identification" Features and Usage

Zzzoom3 · Feb 7, 2018

Is anyone flying DJI enabling the remote identification features? If so, what do you typically enter in the "Identification" and "Flight Information " fields?

I was thinking I would use my UAS Registration # and a brief description of what I am doing. Since I am also a private pilot, I usually carry a portable Air Band radio so I can monitor any traffic around airfields and I will enter the frequency I am monitoring. I imagine this is mostly useless to any pilot in the area but perhaps this information will eventually be integrated into ADS-B broadcasts???

If you review the white papers below, it sounds like the data being broadcast can only be viewed by DJI customers who have invested in an AeroScope receiver anyway.

I was curious if anyone has more info or any direct experience with this?

Call Sign "Zzzoom"

Dave Pitman · Feb 8, 2018

Aeroscope is a dji product they are trying to market to regulators. Remote ID of uas may become the norm in the future but will most likely not be Aeroscope. DJI is kind of shooting themselves in the foot as they are trying to distance themselves from the notion that they collect user data.

Electronick · Feb 9, 2018

There's nothing to enter in them at the minute unless you want to put something in for fun as there's little to nothing that can listen in. But, in future, expect to enter at least your pilot registration ID and a unique ID for your aircraft. Flight info can be anything you want now, but in future might also end up including aircraft telemetry and home point so the good guys can home in on you

when they want to feel your collar.

Certainly within Europe, it's coming, the quotes below are from the EU's latest proposals for UAS regulation published recently, and once the regulations are approved (expected in the next 6-18 months) and it's in place for the EU, expect your local Aviation Authorities to jump on the bandwagon & want that data too...

requirements related to the use of an electronic identification system have been introduced directly into each appendix, requiring the following information to be broadcast:

o the UAS operator registration number;
o the unique serial number (SN) of the UA or, if the e-identification is provided by a separate module to be added to the UA, the SN of that module;
o the geographical position of the UA and its height;
o the geographical position of the point from which the UA took off; and
o the timestamp of the data;

a new requirement has been introduced to mandate manufacturers to assign to each UA a unique SN according to a standard to be developed. Such SN will be fed to the e-identification systems to be broadcast, together with the UAS operator registration number.

Security agencies provided a clear request to equip UAS with a ‘local’ e-identification system, broadcasting a minimum set of information directly from the UAS over a short range, independently from the capacity of the U-Space services to provide a network identification. Hence, a second method of e-identification, independent from the network, will anyway be required

Rodger · Feb 9, 2018

Zzzoom3 said:
Is anyone flying DJI enabling the remote identification features? If so, what do you typically enter in the "Identification" and "Flight Information " fields?

I was thinking I would use my UAS Registration # and a brief description of what I am doing. Since I am also a private pilot, I usually carry a portable Air Band radio so I can monitor any traffic around airfields and I will enter the frequency I am monitoring. I imagine this is mostly useless to any pilot in the area but perhaps this information will eventually be integrated into ADS-B broadcasts???

If you review the white papers below, it sounds like the data being broadcast can only be viewed by DJI customers who have invested in an AeroScope receiver anyway.

I was curious if anyone has more info or any direct experience with this?

DJI Unveils Technology To Identify And Track Airborne Drones

DJI proposed an electronic identification framework for UAS that would allow authorities in the United States to identify drone owners

Call Sign "Zzzoom"

I wish they would put all of these policing efforts into their updates and get rid of all the bugs.

Zzzoom3 · Feb 12, 2018

Rodger said:
I wish they would put all of these policing efforts into their updates and get rid of all the bugs.

All software has bugs. What bugs are you referring too?

Zzzoom3 · Feb 12, 2018

Electronick said:
There's nothing to enter in them at the minute unless you want to put something in for fun as there's little to nothing that can listen in.

The current released DJI SW/Firmware already supports this. It seems only Aeroscope receivers currently can use the data to identify DJI drones.

I can see this being expanded so that ATC collects and rebroadcasts in ADS-B format. This would be a ++ for all pilots. If you are not aware, ADS-B will be required by ALL aircraft by 1 Jan 2020. ATC and all participating aircraft will rely on ADS-B for airspace deconfliction. It will improve situational awareness for all users in the NAS.

It could also be used to simplify ATC authorizations for drone flight in the different classes. AirMap seems to be working on something similar but this is not integrated with any actual drones as far as I know. It is completely manual.

Electronick · Feb 12, 2018

Sadly, I don't think we're going to see a full implementation of ADS-B being common on drones by 2020. The standardisation and miniaturisation of the system isn't in mass acceptance yet. You're more likely to see the e-ID info I mentioned above starting to appear on newer drones as they come to market as it's easier and cheaper for the manufacturers to provide that via existing systems. How that info will be fed back to the ATCU's is another question. Plus, they may not want the ADS-B system swamping with low level pings from hundreds & thousands of drones

.

In many respects the authorities are seemingly more concerned with being able to id drones from the ground than in the air - along with where they came from (to aid in apprehending the pilot), almost more along the lines of an IFF system

.

Zzzoom3 · Feb 12, 2018

Maybe not “common”, I agree. It really will depend on the requirement for manufacturers and/or the remote pilot don’t you the think?

Because it has been demonstrated time and again that there are always people who won’t follow rules, I believe there will be legislation to force manufacturers to include features such as what DJI is doing with Remote Identification. In this way, any drone will be identifiable.

Plus there are really 2 things going on here:

Identification for Enforcement purposes
Identification for Airspace Deconfliction

I’d like to see the later implemented 1st

Electronick · Feb 12, 2018

For your second item, airspace deconfliction, I can foresee legacy aviation (aka existing manned aviation) having to give up certain layers of the airspace outside of privileged areas such as aerodromes and heliports, & sub 400ft might fall into that category. That would negate need for ADS-B systems in most drones, and allow the possibility of a self aware /self organising drone-network airspace at sub 400ft. Recreational airspace may be limited to even lower altitudes, say sub 100ft to make way for a business layer (e.g. Amazon/UPS/medical etc) between 100 & 400ft.

Drones permitted to exit the lower airspace or transit upper corridors or the wider airspace would only be allowed out with a higher level of electronic perspicuity, such as with ADS-B systems.