DJI Terra converts drone imagery into 3D models and maps

We first covered DJI Terra back in November of 2017, but couldn’t quite make sense of what it would be. Late last year during the Airworks 2018 event, DJI said that DJI Terra would become available during Q1 of 2019. And here we are, right at the end of the first quarter with the official announcement of DJI Terra. The company calls is software that “transforms drone data into digital 3D models and maps for easy analysis and decision making.” It seems that DJI will be very useful for a number of industries, specifically “crash reconstructions to critical infrastructure inspections as well as agriculture field mapping and construction site modeling.” DJI Terra promises to be very interesting and will surely ruffle some feathers of competing drone services companies.

DJI Terra is available today for purchase through authorized DJI Enterprise resellers worldwide and is compatible with Windows PCs and all current DJI Phantom 4 Series drones

Photo shows DJI Terra’s office in The Netherlands

DJI’s official announcement of DJI Terra

DJI Introduces DJI Terra To Capture, Visualize And Analyze Drone Data3D Modeling And Mapping Software Transforms Drone Data Into Digital Assets For Easy Analysis And Decision Making

March 28, 2019 – DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, today introduced DJI Terra, a new software tool that transforms drone data into digital 3D models and maps for easy analysis and decision making. DJI Terra enables businesses and organizations using DJI drone technology to capture, visualize and analyze aerial images for a wide variety of applications across the public safety, construction, infrastructure, agriculture and film industries.

“As the leader in the commercial drone industry, DJI continues to develop accessible and easy-to-use hardware and software solutions that help organizations transform their operations with drone technology and gain a competitive advantage in their industries,” said Sunny Liao, Director of Enterprise at DJI. “As an all-in-one mapping and modeling solution, DJI Terra makes it simple and efficient to extract value from drone data, generating conclusions and recommendations across multiple use cases from crash reconstructions to critical infrastructure inspections as well as agriculture field mapping and construction site modeling.”

Automatic Flight Planning and Data Capture

DJI Terra helps commercial drone pilots quickly plan automated flights with several easy-to-use options based on the area or objects they’d like to capture and the type of map or 3D model they’d like to create. It features three mission planning types:

Area – Capture a specific area quickly and easily by drawing a custom polygonal flight zone on a map. DJI Terra automatically generates efficient flight path options based on the area selected.

Waypoint – Create dynamic custom flight paths through an area or around objects using waypoints and adjustable parameters like aircraft altitude, speed, heading, gimbal pitch and angle. For more complex missions that require high attention to detail, the 3D Flight Visualization feature enables the design and simulation of missions on existing 3D models.

Oblique – Capture a rich data set by automatically flying the same route multiple times. Each flight automatically adjusts the angle of the camera to capture new details, giving an extra crisp 3D model of the object or asset from multiple angles.

Real-time Mapping and Detailed 3D Models

With real-time mapping capabilities, DJI Terra allows drone pilots to quickly generate 2D orthomosaic maps as the drone flies, ideal for time-sensitive missions where situational awareness is critical and decisions need to be made in minutes. DJI Terra’s fast processing capability also creates sharp and realistic representations of any environment through detailed 2D orthomosaics and 3D model reconstructions used for industrial applications like reconstructing vehicle crashes, tracking progress on construction projects or conducting large-scale critical infrastructure inspections on bridges and roadways.

Easy Data Analysis

In addition to map and model creation, DJI Terra helps users analyze data and generate instant insights with easy-to-use analysis tools that provide a variety of measurements including linear distance, surface area and volumetric estimations. To improve team communication and reporting throughout ongoing projects, annotation labels can be edited and shared. For detailed site inspections and accident reconstruction situations, DJI Terra’s photo inspection tool lets users closely examine every photo used to create the model so they can pinpoint and highlight critical elements.

DJI Terra Availability

DJI Terra is available today for purchase through authorized DJI Enterprise resellers worldwide and is compatible with Windows PCs and all current DJI Phantom 4 Series drones. For more information on all the new features and capabilities of DJI Terra, please visit www.dji.com/dji-terra.

DJI will work with the following drones

DJI Terra is compatible with the following DJI drones:

• Phantom 4 RTK
• Phantom 4 Pro V2.0
• Phantom 4 Pro + V2.0
• Phantom 4 Pro
• Phantom 4 Advanced and Phantom 4

The Beginning of Next Generation Mapping Solutions

Harness the power of AI-driven mapping solutions designed to take your industrial projects to the next level. Whether it’s object classification, site inspections and more, you can start developing task-specific mapping solutions to seamlessly carry out missions.

1. Data acquisition
   Define mission objective, plan desired flight plan, and with a tap of a few buttons, autonomously collect critical data so you can achieve the required outcome.
2. Data Processing
   Utilize refined image recognition technology to generate 2D and 3D data, resulting in a more realistic representation of your assets, objects, surroundings and more.
3. Data Application
   Implement tools and machine learning techniques, which can be used across a variety of different industries – like classification algorithms for identifying trees, objects, and other scenarios.
4. Execution
   Take the required action, and enjoy more efficient processes with machine control – be it automated crop spraying, monitoring work sites, transporting materials and more.

What do you think about DJI Terra? Let us know in the comments below.

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