French drone maker Parrot launches the ANAFI Thermal

The French drone maker, Parrot launches the ANAFI Thermal, a light-weight and very compact drone with an integrated FLIR thermal camera aimed at professional drone pilots. This new drone is launched as an all in one package, which includes the drone, the thermal sensor, and the software. The ANAFI Thermal, three batteries, and a shoulder bag will retail for $1,900 USD and will be available at authorized retailers starting next month. The ANAFI Thermal competes head-on with the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual as it offers the same resolution (160 x 120) FLIR thermal sensor but at a lower price ($1,900 instead of $2,699 for the Enterprise Dual).

The ANAFI Thermal is aimed at professional drone pilots

French drone maker Parrot clearly aims at professional drone pilots and commercial drone operators with their new ANAFI Thermal.

Parrot says that the ANAFI Thermal is especially suitable for building professionals, civil security services (i.e. police departments, firemen and search and rescue personnel), energy suppliers and transporters and wildlife protection services.

The ANAFI Thermal comes as a turn-key solution as it provides the drone, a FLIR sensor with a resolution of 160 x 120, three batteries and a shoulder bag.

What is new about the ANAFI Thermal?

The ANAFI Thermal is based on the ANAFI drone platform that was launched in 2018. It is basically the same drone but with a few noteworthy improvements. The new ANAFI Thermal has stronger arms, a slightly smaller footprint, weighs 10 grams less than the original ANAFI, which results in a slightly longer flight-time.

The ANAFI Thermal offers the same 90-degree upward facing camera-gimbal feature, we know from the original, albeit now with an integrated FLIR sensor.

ANAFI Thermal with FLIR sensor

As I mentioned before, the ANAFI Thermal comes with a 160 x 120 FLIR sensor. This is a lower resolution than what you would get with a much more expensive DJI M210 and Zenmuse XT2 camera but on par with the also more expensive DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual.

The ANAFI Thermal allows you to overlay the thermal image on top of the normal video footage to provide you with a better understanding of what you are looking at. This can be of great help for instance when looking for hotspots on the roof of a burning building.

The ANAFI Thermal specs

• 3X digital zoom camera
• 4K HDR 21MP Sony sensor
• 160 x 120 FLIR sensor with a temperature range of 14°F to 752°F
• Gimbal with a 90° upward and downward tilt ability
• Drone weight: 315g or 11.1 oz.
• The ANAFI Thermal unfolds and starts up in only three seconds
• Top speed of 55kph or 34.4 mph
• Three batteries included 26 minute flight time per charge for a total cumulative flight time of 78 minutes.
• USB-C port recharging
• Parrot Skycontroller 3 remote control that provides a range of up to 2km or 1.25 miles through WiFi.

Pricing and availability

The ANAFI Thermal will retail for $1,900 USD and will be available starting in May at authorized resellers such as Drone Nerds, B&H, Adorama and directly at Parrot.com

Photo gallery

Parrot’s official press release

ANAFI THERMAL: The ultra-compact and lightweight thermal drone solution dedicated to all professionals!

With thermal and 4K cameras, Parrot’s unique new drone is built for several professional applications

Parrot, the leading European drone group, has unveiled ANAFI Thermal: An all-in-one drone-based thermography solution (drone + sensor + software) with proven reliability and outstanding performance.

ANAFI Thermal uses the lightweight, simple-to-use, and highly advanced ANAFI drone platform, which has evolved for professional usage. In addition to its built-in 4K HDR camera, ANAFI Thermal integrates a FLIR® thermal sensor. With the ability to reveal the invisible in an instant, the FLIR® sensor is a benchmark feature in the professional drone sector. ANAFI Thermal collects relevant and previously inaccessible data with complete security, improving the return on investment, efficiency and productivity for professionals in multiple industries.

With ANAFI Thermal, professionals can view live thermal and RGB images (4K HDR) of surfaces, structures or at-risk areas as the drone flies over or under them. The drone’s unique imaging capabilities allow professionals to take immediate action or analyze recorded photos and videos in unprecedented detail.

With this unparalleled solution in the UAV market, Parrot is reinforcing its commitment to professionals. ANAFI Thermal is designed to profoundly revolutionize the way many industries and trades operate, offering professionals a complete solution that adapts perfectly to their requirements and needs:

• Experts in civil security and rescue services
• Building and public works professionals
• Energy producers and transporters
• Organizations for the preservation of the environment and animal species

ANAFI Thermal is available beginning May 2019, at Drone Nerds, B&H, Adorama and parrot.com. | MSRP $1900

ANAFI Thermal: Two high-precision cameras film the visible and the invisible

The Paris-based engineers at Parrot used the ANAFI drone platform to develop ANAFI Thermal. The result of thousands of hours of testing and development, the platform offers exceptional features, performance and unique software maturity.

ANAFI Thermal’s gimbal features two embedded miniaturized cameras (RGB 4K and thermal), stabilized on three axes for sharp videos and clear pictures in any flight conditions:

– A 4K HDR camera with 21MP Sony sensor is an essential tool for detailed visual inspection of surfaces and buildings. It provides high-
resolution images and videos to help inspect the state of a structure and captures precise images of a search area, among other applications.
Extend ANAFI Thermal capabilities with the Pix4DModel app. Captured data is used to build a 3D image of buildings and scenes, enabling professionals to perform 3D inspections and measure dimensions after the flight.

– A FLIR® radiometric thermal-imaging camera with a 160×120 resolution and a temperature range of 14°F to 752°F reveals the invisible and provides live temperature readings. Directly from the FreeFlight 6 app, the pilot can instantly identify areas of heat loss in hot and cold spots and isolate subjects.

Images of the visible and the invisible can be merged directly within the FreeFlight 6 app. Each element of the environment appears in high precision, with visual representations of thermal leaks and temperature differences superimposed on the image.

ANAFI Thermal’s gimbal is a unique feature for a drone of this category, with the ability to tilt vertically 90° upward or downward. This gives professionals ground-breaking capabilities to inspect beneath structures in zenith view or roofs and flat surfaces in nadir view.

Thanks to the 3X digital zoom, the pilot can examine hard-to-reach elements and the details of a scene in 4K or with thermal imaging without taking any risks.

ANAFI Thermal: Who is it for and how is it used?

ANAFI Thermal is a complete solution that perfectly adapts to the needs of building industry professionals (roofers, insulation and thermal inspection specialists), major public works and construction groups, installers of solar panels, energy suppliers and transporters, civil security services and rescue services such as firefighters. Lightweight and ultracompact, it is always ready to travel by hand, in a backpack or in the car trunk.

For building professionals, ANAFI Thermal can be used to assess thermal losses of a façade or a roof. The drone offers cost-control benefits and removes the need for equipment such as ladders and scaffolding.

For civil security services, ANAFI Thermal enables remote and post-intervention applications, including monitoring hot points and helping teams decide whether to retain personnel and equipment on-site. 4K imagery and thermal rendering can speed up and ease the process of conducting searches in rugged areas without endangering the search teams.

For energy suppliers and transporters, ANAFI Thermal can identify power failures on high-voltage cables within minutes or even isolate a defective solar panel.
For organizations for the protection of the environment and wildlife, ANAFI Thermal provides discreet and quiet operation, which minimizes potential stress to animals. The drone makes it possible to observe, identify and count species while the pilot remains at a distance – potentially even protecting animals from poachers through remote monitoring.

ANAFI Thermal: Compact, light, powerful, and ready to be taken anywhere

Lightweight (315g/11.1 oz.) and ultra-compact with a unique folding design, ANAFI Thermal is designed to accompany professionals in any field of work.

For rescue-service workers, civil security and inspection professionals, fast action is critical. With superior portability and power-up speed, ANAFI Thermal unfolds and becomes operational in just three seconds.

Despite its ultraportable design, ANAFI Thermal offers tremendous power. The drone is able to fly over a scene or travel to a hard-to-reach area at a top speed of 55km/h. With the ability to withstand wind speeds of up to 50km/h, ANAFI Thermal remains operational even in complex conditions and environments.

With 78 minutes of cumulative flight time1 (three batteries lasting 26min each per charge), ANAFI Thermal demonstrates unique flight performance for the market. It covers vast areas, giving professionals the time required for each assignment without unnecessary stress or pressure.

Equipped with a USB-C port for recharging, ANAFI Thermal’s batteries can be recharged from any source, including computers, power banks and 12V vehicle systems.
Its Parrot Skycontroller 3 remote control ensures a powerful, reliable WiFi connection up to 2km2. This means teams can stay at a safe distance from an at-risk or difficult-to-access area while using the drone.

ANAFI Thermal: Making thermal imaging accessible to everyone

ANAFI Thermal flight controls are available via the FreeFlight 6 app, ensuring they are accessible to everyone and can accompany the user on every assignment. Thanks to its ergonomic interface and intuitive operation, the pilot can easily switch from an RGB view to thermal imaging – or even merge the two to enhance the readability of the image.

Real-time analysis of the scene is facilitated by the app’s built-in tools:

• Display the estimated temperature of an image element with a simple tap on the screen;
• Freeze-frame to stay on a specific element for focused analysis.

The operator can observe thermal differences on the screen by selecting one of the three groups of settings available:

• Relative: This group displays the extent of temperature differences in the image. The scene is visible with a gradient-color scale, showing the range of the coldest temperature in the scene to the hottest.
• Absolute: The user can manually choose a temperature range for the color gradient. The user simply needs to set a bracket for the desired temperature values.
• Spot: This mode is used to instantly identify thermal anomalies. Only the hottest or coldest spots are isolated.

The captured thermal and RGB images and videos are recorded on the drone’s 16GB microSD card. They can be shared with collaborators, experts and clients in seconds, directly via the app or a computer

Each video can be viewed afterward on the FreeFlight 6 app. The settings group can then be modified to isolate a specific element or analyze the temperatures in a scene.

Compatible with the FLIR® Tools software solution, professionals can quickly edit and analyze images — and very simply produce inspection reports in PDF format.

ANAFI Thermal: Completely safe flights

ANAFI Thermal benefits from all of Parrot’s technological expertise, including the renowned ergonomics, ease-of-use, reliability, and power of its drones.

To ensure its safety, ANAFI Thermal is embedded with multiple sensors and offers a powerful built-in autopilot. The quadcopter demonstrates stability and maneuverability with exceptional accuracy.
For perfectly controlled and completely safe flights, the pilot can edit and adapt the parameters of the quadcopter to his or her flight environment:

• Setting the flight altitude
• Marking a flight zone by setting up a geofence
• Creating a flight path with the FlightPlan feature. This route can be repeated many times to measure a changing situation or to record the before-and-after of an operation, for example.
• Activating the ‘Return Home’ (RTH) function. With one press of the dedicated button, ANAFI Thermal automatically returns to its take off point thanks to the precision of its GPS and its ‘Precise Home’ visual recognition function.

Finally, ANAFI Thermal’s smart battery calculates remaining flight time and the distance it needs to cover in order to return to its take off point. If the charge level becomes critical, the pilot receives an alert. Without requiring any user action, ANAFI Thermal launches a procedure to return to its take off point.

What do you think about the ANAFI Thermal? Let us know in the comments below.

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