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Leaks of new Autel drones indicate offensive on DJI Matrice 30 domination

Though Autel announced the nearing release of its new enterprise and prosumer Evo Max 4T drone back in January, new images and spec leaks of that craft and other new company UAVs on social media offer an idea of just how big a challenge to DJI’s powerful Matrice 30 series those are intended to pose.

When it first went public with its plans to rollout the Evo Max 4T, the company touted the craft as “an intelligent, innovative flight platform perfect for enterprise and prosumer applications with advanced autonomous flight technology and AI features.” An accompanying video made it fairly clear the craft had been designed to challenge DJI’s Matrice 30 Thermal as the hands-down leader among inspection, mapping, public safety, firefighting, and law enforcement users.

Read: Autel announces new EVO Max 4T drone at CES

By offering new images and information on the Evo Max 4T and accompanying Evo Max 4N, however, drone industry sleuth and leaker Igor Bogdanov says the new product push indicates a wider, “epic confrontation awaits us in the drone market between DJI (@DJIGlobal) and Autel (@AutelRobotics).”

Already known from Autel teasers was the Evo Max 4T would be equipped with a binocular vision system, millimeter wave radar technology, and wide, zoom, and thermal cameras with 160 max hybrid zoom and 8K resolution. It will also provide laser rangefinder capabilities, autonomous path finding, surround-around obstacle avoidance, anti-jam and anti-interference tech, and navigation in GPS-denied environments.

The drone’s maximum flight speed was listed as 23 m/s with a top 23,000-foot ceiling limit, and it can transmit up to 12.5 miles with IP43 weather resistance. 

Read: Today Florida’s Chinese drone ban goes into effect, and police agencies are not happy

If that weren’t enough of an indication Autel is out to undermine DJI’s enterprise domination with its Matrice 30 drones, additional information on the new Evo Max 4N due out later this month reinforces Bogdanov’s perception that a punch-up in the sector may well be brewing.

“Key features of the Autel Max 4N drone (Explore the dark realm),” Bogdanov tweets. “Super night vision camera: 2.3 Mp, 0.0001 Lux ambient brightness detection 450000 ISO, 41.4mm Wide-angle camera 50 Mp, 1/1.28″ CMOS F1.9, 85° FOV, 23mm.”

He later adds specs including thermal “camera Resolution 640×512, focal length 9.1 mm, 16x digital zoom Temperature measurement range -20°C to +550°C Laser rangefinder Measuring range 1-1200 m, ⊢(1 m +Dx0.15% accuracy).” He then asks, in evident anticipation of a commercial donnybrook, “@AutelRobotics, can you compete with the DJI?”

With leaks now circulating providing similarly impressive tech information on the Autel Alpha and Titan drones that Bodganov says are due out in July, his rhetorical question could wind up generating sector-shifting headlines before the summer is out.

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Avatar for Bruce Crumley Bruce Crumley

Bruce Crumley is journalist and writer who has worked for Fortune, Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, The Guardian, AFP, and was Paris correspondent and bureau chief for Time magazine specializing in political and terrorism reporting. He splits his time between Paris and Biarritz, and is the author of novel Maika‘i Stink Eye.

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