How to fly Kudrone

Kudrone is an ultra compact drone with a weight of 85 g and 4K camera, appeared at Cloud Funding site: INDIEGOGO in the spring 2017, and released in September. It carries 13 million pixel camera, GPS, magnetic compass, barometer, and can fly 8 minutes with 650 mAh battery.

Hands-on: Kudrone quietly announces ‘V’ successor to its original nano-drone [Video](dronedj.com)

KUDRONE、パワーアップした「KUDRONE V」を発表　[CES2018](drone.jp)

Kudrone Official site(Kudrone.com)

このページを日本語で見る

Introduce Kudrone

• Kudrone : ultra compact drone with 4K camera

  

  Kudrone $159(ProKit)

  Palm-Sized Drone With GPS Auto-Follow and 4K Camera With Panoramic Shots For Precision Photography

  (For iPod/iPad/iPhone and Android phone)

  

  Kudrone: 4K Camera Nano-Drone With GPS Auto-Follow(INDIEGOGO)

Compactly contained in a cool carry case.

Here are contents. Besides the Kudrone body, from the left, bonus SD card reader, propeller exchange tool, replacement propeller set, two batteries, and USB cable. In addition, 16 GB micro SD card is set in the slot at the back of the body.

This is Three slot charging dock included in "Pro Kit". You can charge three batteries at a time. However, charging is not performed at the same time, done one by one in turn.

Comparison with Parrot Mini Drone (Airborne Night)(left). Size and weight are about the same.

Install Kudrone App

Download the free official app for Kudrone control from the App Store and install it on your iPod / iPad / iPhone.

• Kudrone

  

  深sen市瑞象科技有限公司 Photo/Video Free

  Free official app for controll Kudrone. Please use version 2.3.0 (Release 2017/10/20) or later. Be sure to use version 5.1.4 or later for the android version.

  Watch details (App Store)
  Download android version Kudrone app(Google Play)

Set up Kudrone

Check the installation of ultrasonic sensor at the bottom of the Kudrone body. Transportation may cause the misalign. If so, fix it by hand.

Attach the propeller guard.

Peel the yellow insulating film attached to the battery.

Charge the battery.

How to charge Kudrone battery

Launch the (Kudrone) app. At first, the user's manual will be displayed, so let's look through.

First you must do user registration. Tap "Register" at the bottom left of the screen.
If you have already used Kudrone, enter the e-mail address and password you used and tap "Login".

Enter your e-mail address and your favorite password and tap "Register".

Then enter your nickname, gender, country, birthday.

Successfully registered.

Load a charged battery to your Kudrone. Wait for the Eye-LED to stop blinking and light up continuously.

Update the firmware (built-in program) of Kudrone to the latest version.

How to update Kudrone firmware

Connect iPhone to Kudrone Wi-Fi.

How to connect iPhone to Kudrone

Calibrate the Kudrone onboard sensor.
Kudrone's calibration is very delicate and important. If did not calibrate correctly, it will drift forward or back, right or left immediate after take off. In such a case, change the angle you have, please calibrate again.

How to calibrate Kudrone

Restart the Kudrone app. At first you need to end all the tutorials. Tap "Tutorials".

Flick left and right, select a tutorial and tap "Start" to start. Follow the on-screen instructions.

After completing all the tutorials you can fly. Tap "Flight".

Suppress screen rotation and notification
Deter the screen rotation and notification of the iPhone before flight. When screen rotate during flight, flew away in unlikely direction. OR lose control when phone call comes in.

How to use controll center

How to charge Kudrone battery

Place the battery in Kudrone or charger and connect it to the USB AC adapter. The red lamp flashes on the charger during charging. And turns green when completed.
If the lamp does not illuminate, check the connection with USB AC adapter. Re-insert the connector firmly or change cable to another one you have.
In addition, if you try to charge a fully charged battery, the lamp will remain red and charging will not be done. Battery is almost fully charged at the factory shipment. If you can not charge it, first set it to Kudrone and try using it first.
When using a new battery for the first time, the remaining capacity may not be read correctly. Initially, we recommend that you let the vehicle fly until the battery runs out indoors, then fully charge it before using it.

Official Movie

Kudrone charging dock(Kudrone/YouTube)

Kudrone single charging dock(Kudrone/YouTube)

charging dock 0918(Kudrone/YouTube)

How to connect iPhone to Kudrone

When the Kudrone eyeball LED finishes blinking and turn in continuous lighting state, Select (Setting)-[Wi-Fi] screen, choose the Kudrone Wi-Fi access point name.

Enter "12345678" for password.

How to update Kudrone firmware

[1]Download firmware from internet

Disconnect the iPhone and Kudrone. Make sure the iPhone is connected to the Internet. Launch the Kudrone app and tap the "Settings" icon on the upper left.

Choose "Updates" from the menu.

Choose "Firmware Update" from the menu.

Select the model number and tap "Start". The model number is "9611".

First download "Flight Control Module". Tap the version of the displayed firmware, tap "Next".

Firmware download starts from the Internet. When finished tap "Next".

Next, return to the menu and download "Camera Module". The procedure is the same.

[2]Update Kudrone with latest firmware

Connect iPhone to Kudrone Wi-Fi. Make sure Micro SD card (TF card) is set in Kudrone. Load the charged battery in Kudrone and start up. Wait until the Eye-LED stops blinking and continuous lighting. Tap "Click to Connect Kudrone" to display the Wi-Fi connection screen. When it does not switch, open (Setting)-[Wi-Fi] screen yourself.
In case of unforeseen circumstances, recommended that you connect the AC adapter and full charged battery to Kudrone and supplying power while update.

How to connect iPhone to Kudrone

When "Kudrone Connected" is displayed, connection completed. Tap "Next".

Firmware will be transferred to Kudrone. Then firmware version upgrade begins. Never close the Kudrone app while upgrading. The Eye-LED flashes while updating.

Completed when "Updated" is displayed. Return to the menu and upgrade "Camera Module" too. When all is done, disconnect and connect the battery for restart Kudrone.

Now there is a problem of display message "Firmware update is available...." many times aftre you finish update completely. Wait available new version of Kudrone app itself.

Official Movie

How to calibrate Kudrone

Load a charged battery to your Kudrone. Wait for the Eye-LED to stop blinking and light up continuously.

Make sure the iPhone is connected to the Kudrone Wi-Fi. Launch the Kudrone app and tap the "Settings" icon on the upper left.

How to connect iPhone to Kudrone

Tap"Settings".

Tap"Calibration".

Follow the instructions on the screen and turn Kudrone by hand. First "Step I (Horizontal direction, rotate counterclockwise from the top)".
Watch Official Movie on YouTube and follow it.

Next, "Step II (Vertical direction, rotate left from the front (top))". When completed, "Success" will be displayed on the screen. If it fails, "failure" is displayed. Please try again. Be careful not to rotate in the wrong direction.

When "Calibration is successful ..." is displayed, disconnect and connect the battery to restart Kudrone.

Open the Flight screen and see the indicator in the center of the screen. The wing shaped indicator shows rolling angle, and the right white cross bar shows pitch angle. Hold the Kudrone with your hand and tilt it, you can see that the indicator also moves. When putting the Kudrone on a horizontal place, both indicator shows the horizontal position, then calibration is successful completed.

If did not calibrate correctly, it will drift forward or back, right or left immediate after take off. In such a case, change the angle you have, please calibrate again.

Official Movie

About Kudrone GPS

Kudrone's GPS will be used only in "Auto-Follow" or "Return Home" mode. First, without connecting the iPhone to Wi-Fi on Kudrone, start up the Kudrone application and wait for 20 seconds or longer while connected to the mobile network. Next, make sure that iPhone connects to Kudrone 's Wi-Fi, and GPS mark is displayed on the Kudrone app. When the GPS meter is full, you can use “Auto Follow” and “Return Home”. It takes about 35 seconds for the GPS to get position information after starting up. Please wait for a while before flight. In the building, places with high buildings around, in tunnel, or other place where there is something that blocks the sky, GPS signals can not be received. GPS signals may not be received by high-voltage cables or radar antennas. Please be careful not to put on or paste on the upper part of the Kudrone body such things as blocking radio waves.

Piloting Kudrone

Before you take off Kudrone, put "Kudrone" towards you ". Kudrone fly in headless mode.

Joystick mode / smartphone mode switching: In joystick mode, the right controller controls front, back, left and right movement. In smartphone mode, you can control forward / backward / left / right movement by inclination of the smartphone. In either case, use the left controller to control the ascend, descent, and turn.
Select "Auto-Follow" or in-place turning flight.
Emergency stop:Immediately stop the motor and fall.
“Return Home”:Return to take off point (Please be careful not to tap as Kudrone will fly in unlikely direction if it does not capture GPS radio waves)
take off /land
photography:Take pictures every time you tap. The thumbnail of the photo is displayed to the left of this button.
Video shooting:Each time you tap, start / stop video recording.

When the remaining battery power is below 30%, the Eye-LED blinks in one eye. When the battery's remaining capacity drops below 10%, it automatically lands on the spot. Please watch flickering Eye-LED and enjoy the flight while conscious of remaining battery.

Preparation for taking photos / videos

Before take off, specify the resolution of the picture / video to shoot.

Format of Video

Setting	Resolution	Frame rate	Bit rate
4K	3840x2160 pixel	15FPS	approximately 21Mbps
1080P	1920x1080 pixel	30FPS	approximately 16Mbps
720P	1280x720 pixel	60FPS	approximately 27Mbps

All video format is H.264 (MPEG4-AVC) Level 3.1 Main profile. Audio track format is AAC-LC 8 Hz, silence. Container is mp4.

Format of Photo

Setting	Resolution
13M	4608x2592 pixel
8M	3264x1836 pixel
5M	2592x1458 pixel

All photo format is jpeg, YUV.

Launch the Kudrone application and tap the "Settings" icon in the upper left.

Tap "Settings".

In "Photo shooting settings", you can select the resolution of the picture from 13M, 8M, 5M pixels. The initial value is 8 M pixels.
In "Shooting Setting", you can select from 4K, 1080P (Full HD: 1920 x 1080), 720P (HD: 1280 x 720) video resolution. The initial value is 720 P pixels.
In the "Clear the contents of the drone" column, the capacity of the SD card is displayed in the form of "free space / full capacity". Let's clear it when the capacity runs short.
Let's fly and take pictures and videos after setting.

Retrieve photos / videos

Pictures and videos taken are stored in the album of the (photo) app by the following operation. Please restart the Kudrone app if transfer of photos and videos fails during operation.

When finished flight, please return to the home screen with Wi-Fi connected to Kudrone and iPhone. In the "Album" column, the number of pictures and videos taken is displayed. Dragging the entire screen downward updates the screen to the latest information.

Tap "Album" and you will see the screen like this. At first, I think nothing is displayed even though you took a picture. Again, dragging the entire screen downward will update the screen to the latest information. You will be able to see the photos you took. And photos are transferred to the iPhone.

Select 'video', then you can see the screen like this. Once again, dragging the entire screen downward will update the screen to the latest information. Then tap the icon to transfer the video to iPhone. You need to tap and transfer the videos one by one.
Transferred photos and videos will be appear in 'KUDRONE CAMERA' album of iPod/iPad/iPhone's (photo) app.
Video and photos stored on the iPod / iPad / iPhone can be taken out to a computer like other video and photos.

Enjoy photos with iPhone

Kudrone support desk

Inquiries are accepted by e-mail now. Please contact to support@kudrone.com when trouble occurs.

Kudrone Official Movies

Trouble shoot for Propeller Spin(Kudrone/YouTube)

APP Control Fly(Kudrone/YouTube)

Tutorial of Kudrone(Kudrone/YouTube)

Throw to Fly 0925(Kudrone/YouTube)

Kudrone propeller changing(Kudrone/YouTube)

Production Process Video(Kudrone/YouTube)

Kudrone in flight Real-footage(Kudrone/YouTube)

Control Testing Video(Kudrone/YouTube)

Auto-Landing Testing Video(Kudrone/YouTube)

To know more about How to Fly Hobby Drone

• How to Fly Hobby Drone

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• How to use iPod/iPad/iPhone (Japanese)
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