Yeo Dong Xuan

 Drones have been used by military forces for decades, one of the earliest military drones, the MQ-1 Predator drone was deployed in conflicts from 1995 onwards   (Morbi, 2011) . However, a new breed of cheaper commercial drones has emerged. In the rapidly changing landscape of modern warfare, commercial drones such as the DJI Mavic 3 Pro have risen to prominence, redefining how tactical operations are conducted. Drones with their flight times, range, remarkable versatility and cost – effective operational capabilities offer militaries a groundbreaking new advantage in reconnaissance and engagement.   One such drone used in the conflict is the DJI Mavic 3 Pro. From the official DJI Webpage   (DJI, n.d.) , the flagship model of the Mavic 3 line, priced around USD$2,000, offers a special 3-axis gimbal tri-camera system, a 360 ° -degree sensor suite. The tri – camera system contains a main 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad Camera that can capture up to 20 MP still shots and recor...

  The “DJI Mavic 3 Pro” webpage from the official DJI (n.d.) shows the various features that the flagship variant of the Mavic 3 possess. Some of the features shown on the webpage are the tri-camera system. The primary camera is a 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad Camera that can capture up to 20 MP still shots and up to 50fps of footage. Together with the primary camera, the Mavic 3 Pro has 2 additional telephoto cameras. One, of 70mm focal length, gives a 3x zoom while the other, of 166 mm focal length allows the user to take footage at 7x zoom and at 4k60 resolution ( Kurkowski, 2023 ).The Mavic 3 Pro also boast a sensor suite that allows a 360 degree collision warning, alerting the user to any possible incoming obstacles ( Singh,2023 ). The Mavic 3 Pro also touts an Active Track System that allows the user to select a subject for the drone to follow and keep track of. In order to be a stable platform to make full use of its cameras for photography and videography, the Mavic 3 Pro makes use o...

  Initial Pathway of research We choose this topic because it is trendy and drones have an increasing presence in our daily lives. We used GenAI,  ChatGPT to understand the features of DJI Mavic 3. Using ChatGPT, we entered an input of “What is DJI Mavic 3” and “ Help me find source and reference materials regarding DJI Mavic 3 drone such as its features”. Identifying all the features that ChatGPT from our input, the ones that intrigued us which we would like to write about are the drone’s flight performance, the camera system/transmission system and obstacles avoidance. Additionally, we used ChatGPT to help us find some initial research sites that we can begin our work on. Other than the DJI main website, some of the online resources that ChatGPT gave us were: DroneDJ, TechRadar and CNET. With some of the recommended sites, we can go onto Google to spend time reading on the articles and Youtube to watch reviews to understand and see the drone’s features in action. *Edite...

*Disclaimer ChatGPT was used in refining and assisted in removing grammatical errors* Subject: Descriptive Reflection Greetings Professor Brad,           I am Yeo Dong Xuan, and this is a reflective account of my educational background, evolving interest in engineering, communication strengths and weaknesses, as well as two specific goals I have for this module.           Before starting my studies at SIT, I completed an Aerospace Technology course at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. My interest in engineering began early, sparked by a fascination with war action movies and documentaries, particularly about the World Wars. I was captivated by the operation and evolution of military machinery.           My passion for engineering deepened after watching the documentary series Air Crash Investigation. The show explores aerospace accidents and reveals how multiple failures—mechanical or human—lead to disasters....

      I have paired up with Nicholas to both offer our own perspectives on the following quote by Merybeth Miceli, President of Miceli Infrastructure Consulting, USA in 2011.       “I contend that we (engineers) are undervalued because of our widespread inability to explain what we do to the general public (and why it is so important). It is one of the hardest goals to accomplish, to be able to boil down difficult concepts into a short and easily understood presentation or elevator pitch”.       The way I read and understand the quote is that engineers as a whole tend to be unable to communicate in a manner that the general public can understand as most of the communication relies on the existing knowledge of those conversing. Without such forehand knowledge, one might not offer critical thinking to the conversation at hand.       An example from aerospace, a field of particular interest to me, is the concep...