I have the latest enterprise drone from DJI in my hands, the Matrice 5T, and after checking out some of DJI’s latest enterprise tech over the past couple of years, I am super excited for this one, because it is an absolute beast. It is a massive drone, but still compact for what it can deliver. Pull the gimbal cover off and you get a full look at the camera setup, which is incredible: four cameras, a laser rangefinder and a near-infrared light, all in one gimbal. The whole thing is built to see in the dark and fly in the rain. There is a lot to unpack, so let’s get going.
The Thermal Camera Is Native 1280 by 1024, Four Times the Pixels of Most Drones This Size
Let’s start with the cameras, the headline of this drone. The thermal camera is native 1280 by 1024 pixels. Most drones this size are stuck at 640 by 512, so this is four times the pixels, and you can pick out smaller heat sources from a larger distance.
For inspection work, that means covering more ground in a single flight without flying close to whatever you are looking at. DroneXL has the full spec rundown of the Matrice 5T from launch day if you want every number.
Then there is the wide camera. It is a big, roughly 1-inch class sensor, and DJI is pushing full color night vision with it. It is meant to be used at native wide with a little ambient light around and no zooming, and that is where it should look its best.
The telephoto camera goes up to 176 times hybrid zoom, and in the dark it switches to black and white night vision. Push the zoom in far enough and the near-infrared light switches on, which DJI says reaches around 100 meters (328 feet). On top of that sits a laser rangefinder that works up to 3 km (1.9 miles), so you can point it at something and get its exact position. So I have a wide camera for context, a tele camera for details, a thermal camera for heat and a light for the dark spots, all in one drone.
LiDAR, Radar and Vision Together Spot Power Lines 32 Meters Out in the Dark
The second big thing is everything around it. This is the first time DJI has put LiDAR, millimeter wave radar and omnidirectional vision on a compact enterprise drone, and it matters because of power lines: thin, almost invisible at night, and one of the most common ways drones get destroyed.
DJI says the Matrice 5T can detect power lines up to 32 meters (105 feet) away, even in the dark, and it is up to you to decide whether the drone stops before hitting them or flies around them.
What really impresses me about this drone is that it can fly in rain, snow and dust, because it is IP55 rated. DJI says it will fly in temperatures between -20°C and 50°C (-4°F and 122°F), which is super incredible for a relatively small drone.
The Matrice 5T Weighs 2.2 kg, Fits in One Hand and Flies for 59 Minutes
Next to a Mavic 4 Pro, both drones are still relatively compact. The Mavic is a lot smaller and less bulky, and the Matrice has a lot more going on, but I can carry it in one hand and move it around easily. It weighs 2.2 kg (4.9 lb).
The props are huge, which is one thing that is really impressive, and the flight time is about 59 minutes per charge, around 10 minutes more than the previous Matrice 4 series. Video transmission is DJI’s O4 Enterprise, up to 40 km (25 miles), which obviously you will never fly that far. The important thing is the relay option: another drone can act as a relay to get around mountains or buildings, where the Matrice 4 series could only do passive relay.
Then there is the AI side of things. It can detect over 20 different object types, things like vehicles, vessels, fires and animals, and the onboard computing is open, so companies can run their own models. There is also mapping, automatic power line following, and takeoff and landing on a moving boat.
The RC Plus 3 Enterprise Controller Powers On When You Open the Lid
We also have the new DJI RC Plus 3 Enterprise controller. It opens up and powers on automatically when you open the lid, which is also where the antenna sits. The screen is really bright, and I love the folding top, which works as the antenna and protects the screen.
At your fingertips you have a large variety of customizable buttons, controls for anything you can think of, and a lot of ports to get the most out of this remote controller.
So this is my very first look at the new DJI enterprise solution, the Matrice 5T. I am super excited to give this a go, check this drone out and make a full in-depth review in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned for that. It is going to be epic, that’s for sure. Thank you so much for watching, and I’ll catch you in the next one very, very soon. Ciao.
This article is based on a video from our YouTube partner Mihail Svilenov. Watch the full video on the Mihail Svilenov YouTube channel, and find more of Mihail’s work on his DroneXL author page.
