What Enterprise Drone had to do with the Mobile World Congress?

Barcelona once again hosted February’s annual Mobile World Congress, a show the organiser’s claim to be the world’s biggest and best mobile industry event comprising of a massive exhibition, an award-winning conference and outstanding networking opportunities. However, among the regular announcements of the latest handsets from the likes of Samsung, HTC, and HUAWEI; superfast 5G networks from mobile phone operators; and keynote speeches from the industry’s leading executives, there was a new player in town. This new player wasn’t an expected guest or in the form factor of a mobile phone but a series of enterprise drone from the world’s leading manufacturer of unmanned aerial technology, DJI. You may ask what exactly a remote controlled flying device has to do with the ‘world’s biggest and best mobile industry event’ but the answer is relatively straight forward and can be found in the device’s application.

DJI’s first fully sealed IP43[1] classified M200 series drones, basically meaning that their enclosure provides protection against objects up to 1mm thick and spraying water, are perfect for cell tower inspections combining DJI’s expertise in both drone-making as well as imaging. The M200 drones are portable with a folding body that’s easy to set up and stow away. It’s also loaded with sensors facing down, up, and forward to help it avoid obstacles but you can add even more sensors to its payload for additional capabilities like thermal imaging.

Aerial inspection at the Telefonica cell tower in Barcelona CREDIT DJI

The drones are also ideal for other tasks such as:

Critical Infrastructure Inspections – such as work near power lines and bridges where inspectors are put at risk from falling from a height or suffering an electric shock. When coupled with a device such as DJI’s Zenmuse Z30 with a 30x optical zoom, inspection work can be done safely from a distance.  The M200 can identify millimeter-sized faults in buildings, roads and bridges in real time, making those operations more safe, efficient and effective.

Image taken with Z30 at x1 CREDIT DJI

Image taken with Z30 at x30 CREDIT DJI

Energy Facility Inspections – maintenance planning can be both costly and time-consuming. The M200 series, especially the M210 RTK with exceptional stability, can be used to capture unparalleled detail of vertical infrastructures, such as wind turbines and offshore oil rigs.

Construction Site Mapping – surveying and mapping often need to be conducted regardless of weather conditions and other external factors. The M200 is a rugged platform designed to handle tough conditions. The M200 gives construction site managers an efficient tool to review progress and workflow, ensuring more efficient use of resources.

Public Safety – when time is of the essence and weather conditions turn foul, first responders require a versatile and reliable aerial platform. Carrying visual and/or thermal sensors, the M200 provides situational awareness of potentially dangerous situations such as fires, searches and natural disasters. Incident commanders can use data collected by the M200 to make smarter and better decisions, protecting life and property while minimising the safety risk to rescue personnel.

“Drones have quickly become a standard part of the enterprise toolkit and industrial users have come to rely on DJI technology to efficiently collect aerial data,” said Paul Guo, Director Enterprise Solutions at DJI. “With the M200 series, DJI introduces a holistic solution designed specifically for these users. We are revolutionizing professional workflows by making it possible to use advanced sensors in various combinations to make sophisticated tasks such as bridge inspections, land surveying and search-and-rescue missions, easier, safer and more reliable than ever before.”

Keep an eye out for one of these devices being used near you in the not too distant future.

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Could DJI M200 make industrial tasks safer?

There are a range of industry sectors that require drones with specially suited capabilities. Cell tower inspections, search & rescue and bridge inspections are just a few examples where general-purpose consumer drones may face challenges, Hence, a safer, more customizable solution is needed. Leading drone manufacturer DJI has launched a new series of drones to make industrial work safer. The M200 series has high-performance motors used with 17-inch propellers to ensure safe, stable flight.

The M200 has a dual battery system which means improved reliability and the batteries are self-heating for use in cold environments. The enclosed design of the aircraft means it can perform exceedingly well in inclement weather. In addition, the pilot can focus on flying by using the first-person feed from a small onboard camera.

The transmission range of the series is 7 km and has a maximum flight time of 38 minutes using two TB50 batteries. This model of battery is also compatible with the Inspire 2. The maximum payload of the series is 2 kg.

The M200 series of aircraft can be used with the DJI GO 4 or DJI Pilot app. When used in conjunction with these apps, the aircraft has the familiar ActiveTrack feature to help keep moving subjects in frame. ‘Point of interest,’ ‘Spotlight,’ and ‘Tripod’ modes together with obstacle avoidance make the M200 particularly useful for conducting inspections. Detailed flight planning can also be performed with the DJI GS Pro app.

The M200 series uses Lightbridge for control of the aircraft and receiving a live stream from the camera to the mobile monitoring device, a tablet or phone.

Quite uniquely in the DJI family of drone aircraft, the M200 has ADS-B built into its DJI AirSense system which enhances safety. This system gives the pilot real-time information about the position, altitude, and velocity of nearby manned aircraft (which have ADS-B transmitters) to avoid potential collisions.

The M200 series can be unfolded and deployed very quickly and is compatible with a range of DJI cameras  – the XT, X4S, X5S and Z30.

There are three important model distinctions in the M200 family.

The M200 itself has a single downward camera whereas the M210 can have a single downward, single upward or dual downward cameras and has additional connectivity ports to support third party sensors and accessories. The M210 will be able to support additional sensors in the future. Finally, the M210 RTK is identical to M210 but has an additional RTK unit which ensures centimeter precision navigation. The RTK unit is built into the drone so you just have to unfold the arms to deploy the aircraft.

Although yet to be released, the M200 series can be used with the DJI Goggles for an all-encompassing FPV visual experience. An 85-degree view from the drone can be seen in full 1080p.

The M200 series is a welcome addition to the DJI family of aerial products and has potential to be embraced by diverse industries for the robust design, innovative features and ability to enhance safety.

 

 

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An Interview with DJI Enterprise – Matt Isenbarger

At this year’s Tech Advantage 2017 Conference in San Diego, I had the opportunity to speak directly with Matt Isenbarger, the DJI Enterprise Sales Account Manager. DJI partnered with Gresco Technology Solutions, a utility and electrical supply company, for the event and spoke to hundreds of telecom, power, and utility companies. The highlight of the event was DJI’s new Matrice 200. It sports the ability to carry up to three stabilized cameras including thermal and zoom cameras, waterproofing, 40 minutes of flight time, and more. Unlike other DJI drone primarily designed with professional filmmaking in mind, the M200 will suit a huge array of applications with its diverse range of setups.
 

Is this DJI’s first time at Tech Advantage and should we expect DJI to come to other Tech Advantage conferences?

Yes. Absolutely, it was a great show. We’ve connected with a ton of customers interested in what we have to offer. We’d be excited to show whatever new products we have in the pipeline at future conferences.

Your new product is the Matrice 200. What do you feel is the most significant advantage offered by the M200?

There’s a lot of new capabilities included. The most apparent is the ability to have dual downward mounted gimbals with 4 different camera options or another DJI first offering a top mounted gimbal. We’ve tried to make a one size fits all product, so it’s tough to pick one feature that’s the most significant. Each industry is going to find a multiple of uses.

Do you expect to see a wide range of different setups of the M200, or will there be some consistency on how they are set up?

I think we’ll see a wide range. We’ve also included external ports so enterprise clients can integrate their own customized solutions and sensors.

Will the recently released RC expansion accessory for the Matrice 600 work with the M200?

Yes.

Was there a specific application that got the most interest?

What most people were interested in using [the M200] for was monitoring transmission or distribution lines, finding hot spots, and controlling vegetation overgrowth.

There are 3 different versions of the M200 – the M200, M210, and M210RTK. Which one has been seeing most interest?

Both 210 models because of the dual gimbals. Clients interested in surveying and mapping were drawn to the RTK version due to its resistance to magnetic interference and improved precision.

Will the M200 be able to adapt to changes in industry requirements?

Yes. Part of DJI’s strategy with the M200 is to be highly adaptable and versatile. Onboard SDK, mobile SDK, and DJI FlightHub provide a flexible and open source to various applications.

You mentioned the FlightHub. Why do you think this will be so valuable?

As enterprise clients incorporate larger fleets of DJI drones, they have requested a system for monitoring them efficiently and safely. DJI FlightHub is an optimized solution for clients requesting this.

It seems that DJI is refining their strategy of refining each product line to a specific industry – the Mavic Pro to consumers, Inspire 2 to professional filmmakers, M200 to enterprise professionals etc. Do you see this trend of refinement continuing?  

Yes. Rather than making drones that require extensive knowledge and often a staff member specifically for operation, our ready to fly options catered to specific users provide companies the specifications they need without adding an undue amount of complications.

It was great speaking to Mr. Isenbarger about DJI enterprise and it will be exciting to see what industry professionals do with such a powerful platform.

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The Matrice 200 will be going up against…

The DJI‘s latest aircraft Matrice 200, unveiled this weekend at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, isn’t designed for artistic pursuits. Instead it’s intended for professional environments—DJI hopes to see it utilized for structural inspections, mapping applications, search and rescue, and other applications where an unmanned aircraft can come in handy.

The Matrice 200 series’ folding body is easy to carry and easy to set up, with a weather- and water-resistant body, ideal for field operations. It offers DJI’s first upward-facing gimbal mount, opening up the undersides of bridges, towers and other structures to inspection. It is compatible with DJI’s powerful X4S and X5S cameras, as well as the high-powered Z30 zoom camera and the XT camera for thermal imaging. It has a forward-facing first-person view camera, allowing a pilot and a camera operator to monitor separate images on dual controllers. Its safety features include obstacle avoidance sensors facing forward, up and down.

The M200 series comes in three versions:

• M200: The standard Matrice 200 is equipped with one downward-facing gimbal mount.
• M210: The M210 opens up for multiple payload configurations – one single downward facing gimbal mount, two parallel downward-facing gimbal mounts or one upward-facing gimbal mount. The M210 features additional connectivity ports to support third party sensors and accessories. The M210 has the capability to support additional sensors in the future and additional payload can be mounted on top of the aircraft.
• M210 RTK: The M210 RTK is available with D-RTK modules for centimeter-precision navigation.

If you opt for the standard Matrice 200 configuration. It supports a number of removable cameras. They include the Zenmuse Z30, which features a 30x zoom lens and 1080p recording, the Zenmuse X4S, which has a 1-inch sensor and supports 4K, the Zenmuse X5S, a Micro Four Thirds shooter that also supports 4K, and the Zenmuse XT, a thermal camera developed in cooperation with Flir.

If you opt for the M210, which uses the same airframe. You can’t use an upward and downward camera simultaneously. If you do opt for the up-facing camera, you’ll need to install an external GPS receiver, as screwing a gimbal onto the top of the aircraft blocks the internal GPS.

A third configuration, the M210 RTK, is almost identical to the M210 in terms of features. It adds a system that allows for navigation with centimeter precision.

All configurations include redundant inertial measurement units (IMUs), barometers, compasses, and GPS systems. In addition to the forward-facing obstacle detection system, the aircraft also features downward obstacle avoidance and a top-mounted infrared sensor. The Matrice is rated IP43, so it can operate in light rain or misty conditions.

The Matrice 200 has sensors on its front, rear, and top that scan for obstacles and work to prevent collisions. It also has an ADS-B receiver built in. ADS-B is the system used by all manned aircraft, so the M200 will be able to detect when a passenger plane is entering its airspace well before the pilot or sensors can see the actual aircraft.

The M200 has two batteries, giving it 35 minutes of flight time. You can also hot swap the batteries, allowing you to quickly replace a depleted unit without turning the aircraft completely off.

The Matrice 200 will be going up against units like Yuneec’s Typhoon H520, SenseFly’s Albris, Freefly Alta 8, and Intel’s Falcon 8. DJI hasn’t released a price on this unit yet, but says it should be available to purchase in the second quarter of 2017.

 

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