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DJI has introduced what it calls a suite of products designed to help developers research and test new applications for aerial technology.
The new DJI Matrice 100 (M100) quadcopter includes everything an operator needs to fly – with minimal assembly time and no need for tuning or programming the platform to get it in the air. The platform can fly for 20 minutes with a 1 kg (2.2 lb.) payload but can be configured with an extra battery compartment to provide up to 40 minutes of flight time with a diminished payload capacity.
The M100 also incorporates DJI’s Lightbridge video transmission technology, which is open to the DJI Inspire 1 Zenmuse X3 camera and gimbal, as well as any camera with HDMI or analogue video output.
‘The M100 makes it easy to add processors, sensors and other equipment – opening the possibilities for how people use aerial technology across industries,’ says Frank Wang, CEO and chief technology officer of DJI.
The company has also announced the DJI Guidance system – what the company says is the first commercially available collision-avoidance system for aerial platforms. Guidance can mount to the DJI M100 or any other robotic system with USB and UART connection ports.
Using a network of ultrasonic sensors and stereo cameras, Guidance identifies – at a range up to 20 meters (65 feet) – when an aerial platform is close to objects, prevents flying close to the objects at a configurable distance and provides centimeter-level visual positioning stabilization above the ground.
DJI says research teams are already using the M100 and Guidance system for unique applications, including an aerial solution created at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, that uses Intel processors to detect illegally parked cars from the air.
Both the M100 and Guidance system have Software Development Kits (SDKs), which allow developers to read flight data and control flight functions both through mobile applications and on board.
DJI has also announced SDKs for the DJI Inspire 1 and Phantom 3 – making it easy for software developers to create applications to control the platforms.
The M100 and Guidance system are available for pre-order at $3,299 and $999, respectively. They are scheduled to begin shipping by the end of the month. Given the focus on research and development of these systems, DJI says, a special discount will be offered to academic institutions.
The SDK for the Phantom 3 and Inspire 1 are available to download, along with more information about the M100 and Guidance system, here.
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