DJI announced the launch of two new products – a thermal-imaging sensor for its drones and a new development kit in an event earlier this week.
The Chinese manufacturer just announced two new products that would give them a firmer footing on the consumer market.
The Zenmuse XT2 is the company’s thermal-imaging sensor camera. It is built in partnership with Flir and includes two imaging devices. The first one is a typical 4K camera for capturing videos and images. The other one has a radiometric thermal imager that allows it to effectively see heat.
This new camera could be very useful for its commercial applications. With both cameras simultaneously working, a drone operator can actually see what’s in front of the drone as well as the thermal radiation it’s throwing off. Nighttime search-and-rescue missions would be a good application for this drone setup. Emergency responders would also find this useful in assessing buildings that may have people trapped inside.
DJI also launched their Payload Software Development kit. The PSKD allows third-party companies to integrate their technology directly to the Matrice 200 series. This kit turns their commercial drones into an open platform for their customers to customise through the adapter they call “Skyport”.
The Skyport provides the drone’s gimbal, power supply, and DJI’s APIs. This allows sensors and devices to hook up directly without the need for cables and batteries. The adapter also delivers power and transports data from any compatible device. This is good news since the drone woudn’t have to land to manually offload data.
Pricing for both products should be available next month.
