DJI have announced their latest flagship commercial-grade drone, the Matrice 350 RTK.
An upgrade of the popular Matrice 300 RTK on both a hardware and software level, M350 RTK sets the standard for drones used in commercial surveying and inspection applications.
Our DJI Enterprise Brand Manager, Andrew Bird, gives his first thoughts on their latest flagship drone.
Overall thoughts:
DJI’s Matrice range of drones have represented the “gold standard” of commercial models for some time and will continue to do so with the Matrice 350 RTK (or M350 RTK for short).
The Matrice 300 RTK (or M300 RTK) is a particularly impressive as a widely available commercial drone given its design was inspired by modern aviation systems, so it’s really exciting to see the hardware and software updates provided by the latest version.
Andrew Bird
Brand Manager,DJI Enterprise
It comes with DJI RC Plus
This is a huge “plus” (no pun intended…) in my opinion. The RC Plus was launched with the Matrice 30 and Matrice 30 Thermal drones with a larger screen, more ergonomic design and IP54 rating for increased durability.
M350 RTK retains the Advanced Dual Control feature of the M300 RTK, which enables two pilots to collaboratively control the aircraft, which is even easier with the more advanced controller unit. It also has additional hard buttons which enhance aircraft control even further, especially when switching camera views.
Its battery system has been optimised
Each Matrice 350 RTK comes with a completely reimagined battery system which improves both flight and travel efficiency as part of its standard bundle. M350 RTK’s TB65 batteries power the drone for flights of up to 55 minutes and are hot-swappable to minimise disruption to missions. They can also handle around 400 charge cycles – that’s 150 more than their predecessors (the TB60 batteries) which reduces operational costs and significantly helps to reduce your environmental footprint.
When it comes to the case, DJI have shown that they understand how small details matter. Heat sinks on the batteries are aligned with the case’s integrated fan vents which improves cooling efficiency, and the charge status indicator is now located on the end of the battery so that its status is visible even with the battery inside the case.
And something which could be considered a small detail but can make all the difference day-to-day – the charging case has a 65W USB-C charging port which can be used for convenient charging of other devices including smartphones, laptops and tablets.
Its low-light FPV camera has been upgraded
Matrice 350 RTK’s FPV camera is slightly upgraded compared with the Matrice 300 RTK (1080p resolution vs. 960p). Low-light performance is essential for enterprise-grade drones to be able to safely operate in varied conditions – M350 RTK pilots can expect to see the horizon and obstacles clearly to support safe and successful missions.
It is fully compatible with existing DJI Enterprise payloads
M350 RTK’s predecessor, the M300 RTK, provides huge versatility thanks to its range of compatible payloads including H20 series (for night and thermal operations), L1 (for LiDAR) and P1 (for surveying).
Matrice 350 RTK retains compatibility with all the same payloads, and the DJI Payload SDK can be used to integrate third-party payloads for more bespoke applications.
It performs exceptionally in harsh conditions
The Matrice 300 RTK’s flight performance set the standard in its field in terms of weather resistance and durability. Matrice 350 RTK retains these high-performance attributes, including wind resistance of up to 12 m/s, IP55 rugged certification and an operating temperature range of -20°C to 50°C. Click here for full DJI M350 RTK specs.
Its transmission system is seriously impressive
M350 RTK uses DJI’s upgraded transmission system, OcuSync 3 Enterprise, which delivers seamless connectivity with the RC Plus controller.
The body of the drone itself houses four built-in antennas to enhance signal stability, and the propellors have been redesigned with non-conductive material which eliminates any interference with the antennas. This results in seamless triple-channel 1008p video transmission and stable connection between RC Plus and drone at distances of up to 20km.
It has an arm-locking safety mechanism
Safety is a major consideration for responsible drone operation. Matrice 350 RTK has a redesigned arm locking mechanism which can magnetically detect whether the lock is secured properly, and displays a notification in Pilot 2 that the drone cannot take off until the problem is resolved.
M350 RTK is also equipped with the same integrated redundancy features and six-directional positioning and sensing capabilities as the M300 RTK.
It is easy to transport and carry
The Matrice 350 RTK is a larger drone, but thanks to its protective travel case it is easy to transport. The size of its travel case is smaller compared with the M300 RTK, and it has been upgraded to include 360-degree wheels for enhanced portability.
Look out for more information about the Matrice 350 RTK – if you are interested in becoming a DJI Enterprise reseller or you are thinking about implementing drone operations within your business, please contact me on 01489 287 287 or andrew.bird@syndico.net.
Alternatively, visit syndico.net/dji for a complete overview of our range of DJI Enterprise solutions.