Wireless communications interrupted within range

By James DeRuvo (doddleNEWS)

We all know that when flying your drones, a good checklist is the best defense against having your UAV fly away from you. But what if I told you that you could do all that, and you could still lose your UAV thanks to that $150 Fitbit on your wrist …

I’ve heard from someone who had no joy calibrating a drone’s compass until he removed his new Fitbit… As he was able to replicate the problem, I wonder if this is particular issue with Fitbit or if it’s a potential gotcha for anyone with a “wearable”, like smart watches like Pebble or other fitness trackers? – Simon Newton

The observation comes from YouTuber Simon Newton, who heard from an experienced drones operator that that while wearing a FitBit wrist mounted fitness device, smart watch or other wearable computer, that drones’ GPS and compass couldn’t calibrate properly. In fact, it was only after he removed his FitBit and put it about 30 feet away (out of the range of low energy Bluetooth), that he was able to align his GPS. Then trying to replicate the problem, he put his FitBit on again and promptly lost his connection again.

It seems that the issue is the connection between a wearable smart device and a mobile phone that uses low energy Bluetooth to remain connected. How this is a factor when it comes to flying drones that isn’t operated with Bluetooth, but rather WiFi is still a mystery. It may just be interference caused by the frequency itself.

Definitely, more testing is needed, not only with a FitBit, but also a Pebble Watch, Samsung Wear, and of course, the Apple Watch.

In the meantime, users are probably well served to leave their wearable computer in the car, far enough away to that it has no chance to muck things up.

“It may be something we all need to be made aware of as more and more of these devices come out,” Newton concluded. “Another thing to add to the preflight Check list.”