Skip to main content

DJI rolls out new software to stop you flying your drone in restricted airspace

Flying Drone
LU YAO/Shutterstock
Keen to discourage the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from imposing overly zealous restrictions on the use of remotely controlled copters and the like, major drone maker DJI has launched a new geofencing system designed to help maintain order in the skies.

The system, called Geospatial Environment Online (GEO), rolled out on Thursday and is designed to stop drones flying in restricted areas.

Currently in beta, GEO is a more dynamic version of DJI’s existing flight limitation software that prevents drones from being operated in restricted zones such as airports.

Unlike the current software, GEO allows maps and restrictions to be updated anytime according to unfolding events like wildfires so responders can tackle the emergency situation without having to worry about camera-equipped drones getting in the way. It’d also work for special events such as sports games, allowing organizers to prevent irresponsible drone owners from flying their machines above both crowds and competitors. Once the event is over, relevant maps can be updated and flight restrictions lifted.

The new feature also means that for the first time, “drone operators will have, at the time of flight, access to live information on temporary flight restrictions,” DJI said in a release.

When DJI announced it was prepping the launch of GEO back in November, company executive Brendan Schulman said, “We believe this major upgrade to our geofencing system will do even more to help operators understand their local flight environment, and to make smart, educated decisions about when and where to fly their drones.”

In some cases, the temporary restrictions can be bypassed by drone operators, though they’ll first need to register their machine with DJI. However, in places like Washington, DC, where national security is a concern, all drone flights will be permanently banned.

GEO is available to DJI drone owners in the U.S. and Europe via a Go app update and a drone firmware update. The Chinese company says it expects the beta phase to last a “short” time, after which the full version will be introduced.

With remotely controlled copters continuing to grow in popularity and concerns rising over the foolhardy few ruining it for everyone, the FAA recently launched a drone registry to help it more easily identify owners in the event of an incident.  The agency said it hopes the registry will also  help “foster a greater awareness on the part of users to learn the rules about flying safely” in U.S. airspace.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Sony looks set to fly into drone market to take on the mighty DJI
sony to fly into drone market take on the mighty dji airpeak

Airpeak | Sony Launches Drone Project

Sony is preparing to enter the drone market, though at this stage it’s giving little away about its precise plans.

Read more
Feds ban Chinese-made drones over spying fears. Could your drone be next?
DJI Mavic Mini flying

The U.S. Department of Interior (DoI) has essentially banned Chinese-made drones and drone parts because of the fear of these drones’ potential to be used for spying.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the new no-fly rule, which takes effect immediately, is explicitly aimed at foreign-made drones and that the only fly exceptions would be for responding to natural disasters or other emergencies.

Read more
Digital Trends’ Top Tech of CES 2023 Awards
Best of CES 2023 Awards Our Top Tech from the Show Feature

Let there be no doubt: CES isn’t just alive in 2023; it’s thriving. Take one glance at the taxi gridlock outside the Las Vegas Convention Center and it’s evident that two quiet COVID years didn’t kill the world’s desire for an overcrowded in-person tech extravaganza -- they just built up a ravenous demand.

From VR to AI, eVTOLs and QD-OLED, the acronyms were flying and fresh technologies populated every corner of the show floor, and even the parking lot. So naturally, we poked, prodded, and tried on everything we could. They weren’t all revolutionary. But they didn’t have to be. We’ve watched enough waves of “game-changing” technologies that never quite arrive to know that sometimes it’s the little tweaks that really count.

Read more