Drones have a wide range of applications, such as delivering packages, pollinating plants to help bee population recovery, and lighting up Super Bowl halftime shows. Most drone pilots, however, are more casual in nature and utilize the unmanned aerial vehicles for taking cool pictures and videos.
DJI, however, is looking to tap into the industrial side of the market with its new M200 drone, unveiled at the 2017 Mobile World Congress.
Meet The DJI M200 Drone
The rugged DJI M200 drones are designed to take on industrial jobs such as conducting inspections, carrying out search and rescue operations, and other kinds of work that is very difficult or dangerous for humans to do.
The blueprint of the DJI M200 drones are similar to the one used for the company's $3,000 Inspire 2, but with certain hardware and software modifications. First and foremast is that one model of the DJI M200 is the company's first drone to offer users with a dual gimbal setup at the front for mounting two cameras side by side, along with another gimbal at the top of the drone for an upward-facing camera. Users, however, will have to choose between using the dual front mount or the top mount, as attaching all three cameras at once could block the drone's GPS signal.
The cameras that can be mounted on the DJI M200's gimbals are required to be purchased separately from the company. The drone, however, also comes with a built-in camera that could provide a pilot with a first-person view of the flight. The footage that will be taken by the mounted cameras can then be viewed by a second person.
The DJI M200 also comes with a pair of sensors on its front that will allow it to render images in 3D to make it easier for pilots to avoid obstacles and is also the first DJI drone to come with a built-in ADS-B receiver that will alert pilots if there are helicopters or airplanes nearby.
DJI Drone Features On The M200
The DJI M200 also shares several features with past drones that the company has released, including DJI's flight management systems and DJI Pilot app computability so that pilots can fly the M200 using their smartphones. The DJI M200 is also compatible with the FlightHub system, which will allow pilots to stream the video feed of the drone in real time to a remote station.
The DJI M200 also uses the same dual battery setup utilized by the Inspire 2, which is capable of a flight time of 35 minutes. The drone is also capable of being folded up like the DJI Mavic Pro.
Drones For Industrial Applications
With the DJI M200, communication director Adam Lisberg said that the company is hoping to help businesses make drones a part of their workflow, specifically in industrial processes and tasks.
One particular task mentioned that the DJI M200 could carry out is cellular tower inspection, which forces inspectors to climb to the top of massive towers to check wires and antennas and to see if nests are being built by birds in the cells. A drone will be able to accomplish the task faster and without endangering the lives of inspectors.
The price of the DJI M200 has not yet been revealed, though it is believed that each unit of the drone will cost thousands of dollars once it is released in the second quarter.
