DJI reveals new enterprise drone technology at AirWorks 2017

DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drone and aerial imaging technology presented new drone technology hardware and software during the AirWorks 2017 event in Denver, CO. Michael Perry, DJI’s Managing Director for North America announced in his keynote, FlightHub, a new drone fleet management system, a new Software Development Kit (SDK) to allow developers to do more with DJI drones, two new customizable drone, the DJI Wind 4 and DJI Wind 8, and a strategic partnership with the Menlo Park Fire Protection District in California and lastly a new investment by its SkyFund investment arm.

DJI’s Michael Perry introduces new enterprise solutions

“Every day drones are being used in skies around the world to assist in mission-critical tasks from lifesaving search and rescue operations to mapping and inspection missions across the agriculture, construction, energy, and infrastructure industries,” said Michael Perry, DJI’s Managing Director for North America. “AirWorks brings these industries together to help innovators learn, connect and explore new ways to put drones to work in their respective fields, and to get a first look at the future of DJI’s aerial technology and enterprise solutions”

We will go into each item in more detail in separate posts, but here are the highlights of Perry’s presentation:

DJI FlightHub – A first-of-its-kind web-based service that helps businesses efficiently manage their drone operations in one platform. FlightHub enables the secure management of real-time drone operations, flight data, drone fleets, and pilot teams to meet the needs of the expanding global enterprise drone industry.

New Tools for Drone Solution Developers – DJI has made its products incomparably versatile with the DJI SDK and its line of Wind series drones built with modifications in mind. With more than 2.7 million activations (up from 1 million in 2016 and 150,000 in 2015), DJI’s SDK has inspired new categories of drone hardware and software developers to innovate and create entirely new uses for enterprise drone technology. New SDK tools announced today include:

• Onboard Vision System Access: Gives developers new ways to tap into the drones’ visual recognition systems, helping them develop unique autonomous drone solutions.
• DJI Wind 4 and DJI Wind 8: Two new drones allow developers to customize them for complex tasks, such as those requiring unique sensor payloads or increased stability in challenging weather conditions. DJI Wind 4 can carry payloads up to nearly 30 pounds (13.5 kg), while DJI Wind 8 is built on an eight-armed octocopter platform for superior control and redundancy.

Partnership with Menlo Park Fire Protection District – DJI has formalized its ongoing collaboration with the Menlo Park Fire Protection District in California by designating the agency as a Solution Development Partner. Menlo Park FPD will test customized solutions developed by DJI to help expand the use of drones as essential tools for emergency preparedness, response, and post-incident missions.

SkyFund’s Investment in AutoModality – DJI and venture capital firm Accel, partnering through their SkyFund joint investment fund, have invested in New York-based AutoModality to accelerate its development of an autonomous drone bridge inspection System. The new system enables fully autonomous close-up infrastructure inspection and assists workers by accessing the difficult and dangerous locations on the structure while they remain safely on the ground.

About DJI Airworks 2017

AirWorks is an annual event that brings DJI users together to inspire, connect and energize attendees about the beneficial drone applications available to enterprises today as well as the future of the global commercial drone industry. It draws attendees from a diverse set of backgrounds who are using drones every day within the agriculture, construction, energy, infrastructure and public safety industries for three days of presentations, hands-on workshops, training sessions and networking opportunities. In addition to industry-specific sessions, attendees will hear from prominent leaders in the drone industry during lively panel discussions dedicated to current and future industry trends and drone regulations. The complete AirWorks agenda and more information about the conference can be found at enterprise.dji.com/airworks.