Earlier in the week, I told you about DJI’s upcoming Enterprise drone launch event. Well, today we got the answer to the question.. what does DJI have for us now?
Today DJI announced the DJI Matrice 350 RTK, a significant step up from the previous best commercial drone, the Matrice 300.
Whether used as a business tool or to save lives, the M350 RTK is an upgraded flagship drone platform that is more adaptable, safer and efficient for any aerial operation in public safety, energy, mapping, infrastructure or forestry, to name a few.
The drone itself is massive, measuring 810×670×430 mm (L×W×H) with the arms extended and that’s before the props are added. Without batteries, the drone weighs 3.77 kg, but add two TB65 batteries and you’ll tip the scales at 6.47 kg. By the time you takeoff with a max payload, you’re looking at a drone that weighs as much as 9.2 kg.
Despite its size, it can speed to as much as 82.8 kilometres per hour and ascend or descend at a rate of around 20 km/h. With the best props, it can fly as much as 7km into the sky (obviously you’ll need permission from CASA to go above 120m in Australia).
“It’s great to see how commercial drone pilots around the world use DJI platforms to carry out their operations with increased safety and more effectively than using traditional technology.
Christina Zhang, Senior Director of Corporate Strategy at DJI.
The new capabilities offered by the advanced technology of the M350 RTK enables operators to push these boundaries even further.”
More powerful for more scenarios
The M350 RTK offers as much as 55-minutes of flight time, complete with a payload capacity of 2.7kg allowing operators a choice of payloads and plenty of time to tackle their task.
The drone uses DJI’s new O3 Enterprise Transmission technology that allows you to control it from as much as 20 km away. To give users peace of mind, there’s a triple-channel transmission, avoiding interference from other wireless signals and offers 1080p HD live feeds to the controller.
This is achieved with a four-antenna transceiver system, which can intelligently select the two optimal antennas to transmit signals, while the four antennas receive signals simultaneously. Anti-interference capabilities are significantly improved and transmission stability is optimized.
The M350 RTK comes equipped with the DJI RC Plus, which boasts an IP54 rating for durability. Originally launched with the M30, the DJI RC Plus has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from users. Its larger size offers improved ergonomics and a larger screen real estate, enhancing the overall flight experience. The addition of physical buttons allows for seamless operation of the drone, including camera view switching, without the need to take your fingers off the control sticks. Moreover, the M350 RTK supports Advanced Dual Control, enabling two pilots to work together efficiently.
For M300 owners who are not ready to upgrade to the M350 RTK, the DJI RC Plus is fully compatible and can be purchased separately.
Enhanced flight safety
Commercial and rescue drone use don’t wait for good flying conditions which is why the M350 RTK’s IP rating has been improved from IP45 to IP55 and the FPV camera has been enhanced to provide better navigation for safer night flights.
The M350 RTK also adds a new arm lock detection function to avoid the risk of unlocked arm sleeves, alleviating pilot concerns during flight. Concerns are also lessened with the drones six-directional binocular vision system and an infrared sensing system for six-directional awareness, positioning, and obstacle-sensing capabilities, providing comprehensive protection during flight.
For those who require additional flight safety a CSM radar can be purchased separately and mounted on the top of the drone offering a range of up to 30m for subtle obstacles within the 360° detection range. Furthermore, the M350 RTK incorporates a multi-layered redundancy design in both the aircraft and sensor system allowing for more confident operation in harsh environments.
Improved efficiency
The M350 RTK comes with the DJI RC Plus as standard giving the operator a 7″ high-bright screen, the option of Dual Operator Mode and an operating time of up to six hours with a standard WB37 external battery. Dustproof and waterproof to IP54 and with an operating temperature of -20° to 50° C (-4° to 122° F), the RC Plus is ready to support around-the-clock operation even in severely hot or cold environments.
An intuitive and flexible experience is delivered to the pilot through the controller’s buttons and dials on the front, back, top, and customizable button functions to fit the user’s preferences.
The RC Plus’ app, Pilot 2, further increases efficiency by providing a complete range of options to manage the drone and project, from start to finish.
Intelligent functions can greatly increase the efficiency and safety of any drone deployment.
AI Spot Check can be used to automate routine inspections and capture consistent results every time; or PinPoint can be used to mark an object with a quick tap and have its coordinates calculated and projected to all camera views as an AR icon which is particularly useful in search and rescue operations.
Flight cost reduction
The M350 RTK’s new TB65 battery has a 100% increased battery cycle count and can be charged up to 400 cycles, reducing the cost of a single flight. Its dual-battery system supports battery hot swapping and allows for multiple flights without powering off.
The new BS65 Intelligent Battery Station provides a one-stop solution for battery charging, storage, and transport. Multiple charging modes enable the operator to select the best option for them such as charging the battery up to 50% in Storage Mode, if the battery isn’t going to be used again for a prolonged period of time, or Ready-to-Fly Mode, which quickly charges multiple battery sets to 90% to start operation at any time and extend the battery life.
When the battery station is connected to DJI RC Plus, the DJI Pilot 2 app will display the battery status and health information. In addition, the user can set the number of self-discharge days, update the firmware, export logs, and access other quick operations with one tap.
The battery station is designed with 360°-movement wheels for convenient transportation.
Charging case
The charging case itself has undergone optimizations and it provides space for four WB37 RC batteries and eight TB65 drone batteries. It offers three different charging modes to cater to specific needs:
- Storage Mode charges batteries to 50% capacity, ideal for prolonging battery life when not planning immediate flights.
- Ready-to-Fly Mode charges each pair of batteries to 90% capacity, allowing for quick readiness during active flight sessions.
- Standard Mode charges batteries to 100% capacity, suitable for urgent situations or critical missions.
The charging case also incorporates a 65W USB-C charging port for conveniently charging other devices such as phones or laptops
Powerful payloads
The M350 RTK supports a single downward gimbal, dual downward gimbals, and single upward gimbal, and has an E-Port open interface. With a max payload capacity of 2.7 kg, the aircraft can carry up to three separately purchased payloads simultaneously, meeting the needs of different operation scenarios such as public safety, inspection, and mapping.
Zenmuse H20 Series: The four-sensor system of zoom camera, wide camera, thermal
camera, and laser rangefinder works together, supplemented by advanced intelligent algorithms, to deliver outstanding sensing and imaging performance.
- Zenmuse H20N integrates starlight sensors into its zoom and wide-angle cameras. Pair this with dual zoom thermal cameras and a laser rangefinder, and the user has a versatile hybrid payload that rises to the occasion.
- Zenmuse P1 integrates a full-frame sensor with interchangeable fixed-focus lenses on a 3-axis stabilized gimbal. Designed for photogrammetry flight missions, it takes efficiency and accuracy to a whole new level.
- Zenmuse L1 integrates a Livox Lidar module, a high-accuracy IMU, and a mapping camera. When used with the flight platform, it forms a complete solution that gives you real-time 3D data throughout the day, efficiently capturing the details of complex structures and delivering highly accurate reconstructed models.
Third-Party Payloads: Customized payloads like gas detectors, loudspeakers, and multispectral sensors can be combined with M350 RTK through DJI Payload SDK to expand application fields.
Intelligent operation
DJI Enterprise drones are built to make the end user’s life as safe and easy as possible while carrying out their operations and the M350 RTK is no exception. A number of intelligent features such Waypoint, Mapping, Oblique, Linear Flight, Terrain Follow, Smart Oblique, PinPoint, Live Mission Recording and AI Spot-Check, can be used to get the very best from the aerial platform.
High-Precision Mapping: The M350 RTK supports Waypoint, Mapping, Oblique, and Linear Flight missions. Terrain Follow or Smart Oblique can be used for efficient data collection and, when combined with DJI Terra, HD 2D and 3D digital results can be quickly achieved for high-precision and high-efficiency mapping operations.
Air-to-Ground Coordination: With functions like the high-precision PinPoint and cloud-based real-time mapping, the M350 RTK can link the air, ground, and cloud together. After the aircraft completes image collection, DJI FlightHub 2 can quickly model the operation site and transmit command information to the aircraft and ground operators. Both the remote controller and FlightHub 2 support point, line, surface drawing, and real-time uploading, and can cooperate with the aircraft to livestream the real-time operation view, breaking through communication barriers for air-to-ground collaborative operation.
Automated Precision Inspection: Through Live Mission Recording, the M350 RTK can generate and store flight route files that can be used at any time to create automated operations and reduce the time and effort needed for make repetitive inspections. When using AI Spot-Check, the M350 RTK supports automatic framing and manual adjustment of subjects to improve the accuracy of repeated shooting and the quality of inspection operation.
Low-light FPV camera
The M350 RTK is equipped with an upgraded FPV camera that excels in low-light conditions, offering improved performance for nighttime operations. The FPV camera actually shares the same component and sensor found in the M30.
Whether it’s a search and rescue operation or nighttime surveillance, the enhanced low-light capabilities of the FPV camera enable users to clearly visualize the horizon and identify obstacles, ensuring the safety and success of their missions.
An expandable ecosystem
Operators can get even more from their M350 RTK by leveraging the DJI SDK and API ecosystem.
Payload SDK: A variety of third-party payloads such as gas detectors, loudspeakers, multispectral sensors, computing modules, can be integrated to utilize the platform in even more ways. Payload SDK supports E-Port, SkyPort V2, and DJI X-Port,which greatly reduce the payload development lifecycle and maximize the potential of the payloads in more diverse scenarios. E-Port supports Payload SDK V3 and later versions, and is compatible with third-party Payload SDK payloads of the Matrice 30 Series.
Mobile SDK: With a large network of third-party mobile applications, the capabilities of the drone platform to meet specialized mission needs can be unlocked. Utilizing Mobile SDK, the M350 RTK supports highly customizable mobile app development.
Cloud API: With Cloud API, the M350 RTK can be directly integrated into third-party cloud platforms via the DJI Pilot 2 app, accessing functions like data transfer, live stream, and flight route distribution.
Price and Availability
The DJI M350 RTK is available for purchase today from store.dji.com and DJI Enterprise Dealers.
