Tag Archives: DJI

The DJI Express UAV Drone Helps Easily Deliver Cargo Over Inter-City Journeys

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Designed to extend the range of delivery from specific hubs, the DJI Express can easily make short inter-city commutes to deliver cargo and supplies without needing a semi-truck or even a dedicated driver. Perfect for smaller cities located next to bigger ones, the drone takes on the role of a delivery-agent, helping easily and rapidly cover large distances to complete deliveries.

Designer: Qingsheng Meng

The DJI Express UAV concept, created by China-based Qingsheng Meng, explores a different format from the drones you’re currently used to. Unlike most quadcopter-shaped aerial devices, the Express takes on the shape of a winged eVTOL that can fly longer distances like your regular airplane. However, significantly smaller than most airplanes, the Express UAV, as its abbreviation suggests, doesn’t have any humans inside it. The unmanned aircraft is controlled entirely remotely, relying on a combination of sensors for route-mapping and obstacle avoicance, and a rather massive camera unit on the tip that allows the remote pilot to look around as they maneuver the craft.

The drone’s design can functionally be split into a few distinct groups. You’ve got yourself a winged aircraft with propellers on each side. A high-definition camera mounted on a 2-axis gimbal on the front allows the drone to ‘see’, while the body of the aircraft houses a battery module on top, and the cargo payload at the bottom. Finally, a tail with a dedicated propeller helps with steering and stability.

A close-up of the top shows you the drone’s detachable battery, which comes with an easy-to-pull-out handle for swapping battery cells during a delivery cycle. However, the drone has its own charging port too, allowing you to charge said battery packs – a feature that can be used while the drone’s grounded for a significant number of hours. In front of the battery is a flip-switch that lets you set the drone to auto or manual, hinting at fully-autonomous flying capabilities thanks to the intelligent obstacle-avoidance sensors on the top as well as the bottom of the craft.

The DJI Express UAV’s design also has a rather well-ventilated fuselage that allows wind to rapidly cool the motor and batteries during flight. Cool air passes through the UAV’s body, helping maintain optimal temperatures during flight and keeping the battery healthy over longer journeys. Given the UAV’s fan-made conceptual nature, there are really no concrete details of its size or capabilities, although DJI does have a delivery drone in its enterprise roster – the Flycart 30. That being said, the Flycart still has a quadcopter-style design that severely limits its range and ability to deliver cargo over inter-city commutes.

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DJI Just Launched Its Own 3D Model Editing Software… And It Makes Complete Sense.

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If you think of DJI’s drones as aerial 3D capturing devices, the entire endeavor makes a LOT of sense.

While their drones have become synonymous with stylized cinematography and even high-octane races, DJI’s drones also find themselves being used for photogrammetry, 3D mapping, surveillance, delivery, and even civic planning/surveying. In fact, DJI has a dedicated website just for enterprise use, with specialized drones, attachments, and even software. In 2019, DJI launched Terra, a 3D mapping software to turn video/image data into 3D models for efficient planning, route mapping, analysis, etc… but with their latest software Modify, the tool becomes perfect for cinematographers and creatives too. Modify helps edit, clean, and fine-tune the 3D-mapped data captured by DJI’s drones. The free-to-use tool has a variety of editing features to help repair models, remove artifacts, and even edit out objects like humans, cars, and obstacles to create seamless 3D scans that are detailed enough for even movie industries to use.

Designer: DJI

Designed to seamlessly integrate with the Terra software, Modify has some rather incredible tools up its sleeve to help rectify any problems caused during the scanning process. Whether it’s broken models caused by reflective surfaces or random floating parts in the sky that the 3D software captured by accident, Modify lets you easily identify them, select them, and remove/repair them with a few clicks, saving hours of work.

The biggest bane with photogrammetry or 3D capture is the creation of unwanted artifacts. Most people familiar with the field will tell you that sometimes the software can interpret objects that aren’t even there. Reflections, clouds, and flying creatures can sometimes result in floating planes and fragments that can often clutter 3D scans by the thousand. Manually selecting these floating parts takes hours of work, but Modify uses clever tools to help select them with a simple click. Once done, you can easily delete them. Reflective surfaces like glass, metal, and water result in broken surfaces too, which Modify lets you easily fix by adding a planar surface.

One of the standout features of DJI Modify is its intelligent host of auto-repair editing tools. These tools support operations such as flattening, editing textures, repairing water surfaces, removing floating parts, and filling holes. Modify uses AI to help regenerate signs, fix existing damaged patterns/textures, and even replace old models/textures with new ones. For instance, you can flatten roads with cars captured on them, remove the car graphics from the 2D textures, and replace the road markings to make them empty, effectively removing the cars that were originally on them. This functionality can be accessed through one-click repairs or manually by selecting custom polygons, areas, or meshes. Additionally, the software’s model display technology allows both high- and low-quality models to be viewed and edited within a single interface, with changes being synchronized and previewed across both models immediately.

The software supports various file formats like ply, obj, and b3dm, ensuring compatibility with DJI Terra and other third-party software. The software is expected to offer cloud-sharing capabilities in the future, allowing users to share processed models online for viewing and sharing via links, without the need for software installation.

DJI Modify is targeted towards professionals in sectors such as transportation, surveying & mapping, public safety, emergency response, urban modeling & management, energy & utilities, and infrastructure. Its efficient model editing capabilities cater to a wide range of drone surveying use cases, including AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction), inspection, and public safety. The software is currently for free as a Public Beta, and can be downloaded on DJI’s Enterprise website.

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The DJI FPV2 ‘hybrid’ drone can race as well as take aerial photos with its Hasselblad camera system

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After years of developing some of the world’s leading aerial drones, DJI debuted the Avata last year, their first-ever ‘FPV’ racing drone… and that got designer Kim Seung-cheol asking – Why must there be separate drones for aerial photography and first-person racing? Why can’t one drone successfully do both? To that end, the DJI FPV2 does the unthinkable by being the world’s first ‘hybrid’ drone capable of FPV racing as well as stabilized aerial photo and videography, thanks to its clever design that borrows the best from both worlds.

Designer: Kim Seung-cheol

The FPV2 drone doesn’t have a radically different design, but rather relies on a few tweaks to its appearance and control system to give it the power of rapid directional flight as well as controlled hovering for stable videography. It relies on a leaning propeller format that’s ideal for FPV-style racing drones. The propellers are located at a slant and positioned diagonally, making the drone look like it’s bending forward. This is perfect for allowing the drone to lunge ahead as it takes off, giving it a significant advantage when racing with other drones or when trying to reach high speeds. However, for aerial photography and videography, the drone simply leans backwards, allowing the propellers to now be parallel to the ground. The gimbal-mounted camera makes up for this while in aerial photography mode.

As an obvious upgrade to its Avata and Mini lines, the FPV2 has a new dual-lens camera system powered by Hasselblad (a partnership continuing from their collaboration on the Mavic 3). Quite similar to the Air 3 drone, the FPV2 has a dual-lens gimbal-mounted camera that can look in all directions for filming sceneries, focusing on subjects, and racing. This doesn’t include the multiple cameras located around its periphery for tracking its environment, avoiding objects, and navigating routes.

A large, easily replaceable battery powers the FPV2, allowing you to quickly hot-swap modules to keep your FPV2 running without downtime for charging. The battery’s mass and its rear location help it counterbalance the drone’s forward-leaning stance, or rather the inverse. The drone races forward with a raised back, preventing the battery pack from dragging it down or influencing its course.

To accompany the drone, Kim Seung Cheol also designed a new set of MR goggles and a controller handle. The compact goggles come with their own pass-through cameras, and sport flip-out antennas for better signal during flight (especially FPV racing). A cushioned headrest with a built-in battery keeps the equilibrium of the headset while also ensuring you can wear it for longer hours without feeling any strain.

Given the immersive nature of the MR headset, the FPV2 also comes with its own RC Motion 2-inspired handheld control that you can intuitively use to maneuver your drone while in flight. The single handheld controller has a gyroscope that detects when it’s being tilted forward or backward, translating that into instructions for the drone to follow. A trigger lets you accelerate, while a joystick gives you more precise control. A large button on the front marked M lets you alternate between racing and aerial modes.

What really gives the FPV2 its edge is the case it comes in, which doubles as a massive battery pack for the drone, controller, and MR headset. Think TWS earbud charging case but bigger and better. Designed to hold your gear when not in use, the carrying case also juices your device batteries while giving you a battery status indicator in the bottom right corner, so you know which particular gizmo needs a recharge.

What the DJI FPV2 proposes isn’t too radical. Some drones are built for racing, others for stabilized content creation… so why not build a drone that can do both? It’s not like the hardware is massively different between the two drone types, and as far as the overall design goes, I’m sure both functions can be achieved within a specially tuned form factor. Maybe DJI is working on something like this, it’s difficult to tell. The company hasn’t debuted a Gen-2 of its Avata FPV drone, so we’re due for an updated racing drone from the consumer/professional-grade UAV manufacturer.

The post The DJI FPV2 ‘hybrid’ drone can race as well as take aerial photos with its Hasselblad camera system first appeared on Yanko Design.

The tiny DJI Osmo Pocket 3’s 1″ CMOS sensor captures gorgeous 4K footage at 120 FPS

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DJI is usually known for producing top-tier camera drones like the DJI Mini 4 Pro. It also makes the DJI Osmo Pocket, a mini action cam built into a gimbal you can fit in your pocket (as the name suggests). On October 25, the DJI team officially released its newest Osmo Pocket 3 camera, catering to vloggers on the move with a 1 inch CMOS that can do some pretty wild things in a relatively tiny package. The most immediate draw is its ability to record 1080p footage at 280 frames per second and 4k footage at 120 frames per second in slow motion mode, or record 10-bit HDR footage at 4k60. Those two features mean it can expertly capture intense action in one shot, and then capture sweeping vistas in the next shot with eye-watering color depth.

Designer: DJI

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It also has a 2 inch OLED touchscreen that rotates between landscape and portrait mode, letting you switch between widescreen and vertical aspect ratios. PCMag mentioned those touch controls are responsive and easy to find, letting the reviewer easily set up face tracking mode and switch between zoom modes. In general, reviews skew positive, with The Verge singing the new device’s praises despite a $170 price hike over its predecessor. To be clear: the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 comes in at an MSRP of $519, but it sounds like its sizable upgrades plus its compact form factor make it worth that price.

DJI itself had a few interesting comparisons to make between the Osmo Pocket 3 and earlier versions. For instance, the company claims it can charge to 80% in 16 minutes, versus the Osmo Pocket 2, which evidently took about 48 minutes to reach the same level of charge. TechRadar corroborated this figure, saying, “The recharge speed is unbelievably quick, with a full charge achieved in only 32 minutes, less than half the time of the Pocket 2. This is even more impressive considering that 80% battery is reached in just 16 minutes.”

However, the new gimbal camera isn’t perfect. It sounds like it struggles with minor overheating issues during filming, and it may not be rugged enough to withstand the adventures its small size suggests it would be optimal for. This is due to its vented design (which is supposed to offset overheating) according to PCMag’s Jim Fisher, who noted that it isn’t weatherproofed and thus probably wouldn’t be great to take into a large body of water or to a particularly dusty location.

Still, it’s an exciting new toy for videographers and — like DJI recommends — vloggers who want to take high-quality footage on the go.

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DJI Mini 4 Pro drone packs Mavic-style flagship features into a mini-package with a $759 price tag

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Dubbed by DJI as the “ultimate mini drone”, the DJI Mini 4 Pro gives you the greatest specs in the smallest package yet, with a compact folding design that weighs under 250 grams, making it narrowly avoid FAA guidelines that require you to register drones above 250 grams in weight. That small size, however, doesn’t take away from this drone’s mammoth capabilities – it packs a main camera with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of 4K/60fps HDR, a bunch of other cameras that give it situational awareness and advanced object avoidance, and the ability to record in both landscape as well as portrait modes. Borrowing from its flagship counterpart, the Mavic series, the Mini 4 Pro now also supports shooting in 10-bit D-Log M and HLG color profiles, and lets you set waypoints and activate cruise control while flying. With a starting price of $759, the Mini 4 Pro gives you flagship-grade features for less than half of the price.

Designer: DJI

Even by today’s standards, the Mini 3 Pro is quite a banger of a drone, but with the Mini 4 Pro, DJI just checks all the boxes to make sure there’s really no more room for improvement. The Mini 4 Pro arrives with a slew of upgrades, with a particular focus on its camera and processing capabilities. Notably, it now supports slow-motion recording at up to 4K@100fps, a substantial leap from the previous generation’s 1080p@120fps. If you’re looking for a higher dynamic range, the camera outputs HDR videos at 4k/60fps, giving your footage stunning crisp details with balanced yet vibrant colors. Want to switch from cinematic to social content? The camera flips 90° to record in true portrait mode, utilizing every pixel on its 1/1.3″ sensor instead of cropping the sides like most drones would.

“The Mini 4 Pro perfectly marries professional-grade capabilities while keeping its hallmark lightweight design, offering unmatched freedom and adaptability,” says Ferdinand Wolf, Creative Director at DJI. “This drone emerges as the ultimate all-rounder, designed to elevate your creative toolkit.”

Low-light performance takes a significant step forward thanks to a new sensor equipped with dual native ISO, permitting the use of a secondary (higher) ISO setting to minimize noise. DJI has also incorporated an upgraded noise reduction algorithm within a Night Shots video mode, further enhancing the quality of footage captured in low-light conditions. Additionally, DJI has even introduced a wide-angle accessory lens, offering an expansive 100° field of view, available for separate purchase. This lens seamlessly attaches to the camera, akin to how Moment lenses enhance smartphone photography.

Range enthusiasts will appreciate the enhanced capabilities of the Mini 4 Pro, courtesy of the new O4 video transmission system, which now supports up to 1080p/60fps FHD at distances of a whopping 20 km. While keeping the drone within visual range remains essential, this upgrade fortifies signal strength against radio interference and unforeseen obstacles. On the software front, DJI has also introduced the Waypoints and Cruise Control features to the Mini 4 Pro, a welcome addition previously exclusive to the professional-grade Mavic line. This empowers users to program their drones to follow predefined paths or maintain a direct flight trajectory without constant manual input. You can save camera paths for later, or even draw camera paths with your finger directly on the app or the controller display, guiding the camera in the most intuitive way possible – with your fingertips.

The one area where the Mini 4 Pro somehow holds back is in the battery department. The drone ships with a standard battery that delivers 34 minutes of flight time, which can be upgraded to 45 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus. This new battery, unfortunately, pushes the drone above the 250g mark, forcing you to register the drone with the FAA if you want to operate it legally. The Intelligent Flight Battery Plus also delivers 2 less minutes of flying on the Mini 4 Pro than the Mini 3 Pro, which could output 47 minutes.

For those considering the Mini 4 Pro, the base package retails at $759, which includes the DJI RC-N2 Remote Controller (requiring a smartphone), Intelligent Flight Battery, a pair of propellers, and the usual assortment of cables and accessories. An alternative package with the RC 2 controller is available for $959, offering the same contents. For the ultimate flight experience, the Fly More Combo (featuring the RC 2 controller) is priced at $1,099 and encompasses three batteries, three pairs of propellers, a DJI Mini Shoulder Bag, and a Two-Way Charging Hub. Enthusiasts seeking extended flight times can opt for the Fly More Combo Plus, which includes the upgraded batteries, priced at $1,159.

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This DJI x GoPro FPV drone concept is a dream collab that NEEDS to happen

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DJI is an undisputed champion in the drone market. GoPro remains at the top in the action camera market. Both companies have tried entering each other’s industry but with little success. This dream mashup by Cédric Rouvroy combines DJI’s unmanned-flying skills with GoPro’s videography chops. The result? An action FPV drone that has the best of both worlds. With a carbon-fiber body that’s lightweight and nimble, and an action camera on the front that captures high-octane flight in GoPro’s signature style, Rouvroy’s “FPV CNCPT” drone is a dream collaboration that we really wish would happen!

Designer: Cédric Rouvroy

The drone is built in the FPV style, which prioritizes agility more than cinematic drones that focus on stability and range. To achieve this, the FPV CNCPT has a bare-basics body made entirely from carbon fiber. Thin arms prop up the four motor-powered propellers, which don’t include any protective outer bumpers in a bid to stay lightweight and efficient.

The main body features a skeletal design too. You’ve got a camera on the front, and an antenna on the back. In the middle sits the drone’s guts, which draw power from a replaceable battery pack that mounts onto the top of the drone.

A view of the battery module that sits on top of the drone.

The FPV CNCPT’s pièce de résistance, however, is that GoPro camera that sits right on the front. It isn’t your conventional GoPro Hero, but instead seems to be a bespoke action cam designed specifically for the drone. It features a multi-lens setup, which would probably mean a main camera for video capture, and a slew of sensors to help the drone avoid obstacles whenever possible. The camera is ‘bracketed’ by two light modules that form a rectangular outline around it, acting as a set of headlights that allow the drone to see where it’s going even in low-light conditions.

Given its conceptual nature, there’s not much clarity on what the rest of the drone setup looks like. What the controller’s design will be is something that’s yet to be determined, as is the VR headset that usually pairs with FPV drones, giving the person piloting the drone a first-person view of the drone’s flight (hence the name). That being said, a potential collaboration between DJI and GoPro would overwhelmingly dominate the FPV drone world… and I can’t help but hope someone’s hearing my prayers!

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Featherweight DJI Mini 3 is an affordable drone for content creators on a budget

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DJI Mini 3 drone targeted for social media platforms and casual flyers was in the works (with certain leaks in the cloud) ever since the launch of Mini 3 Pro, and now the affordable package has finally landed. As speculated this trimmed-down version of the big brother Mini 3 Pro will lose out on certain premium features with a cheaper price tag being the pitch.

The lightweight DJI drone tips the scale at 248 grams which makes it eligible for flying without any registration (fulfills FCC requirements for the US) in most parts of the globe. This quadcopter is the direct predecessor of the DJI Mini 2 drone with incremental features just enough to entice buyers who want to elevate their content-creating game without burning a hole in their pocket.

Designer: DJI

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DJI Mini 3 comes with a capable 12MP (1/1.3-type) CMOS image sensor combined with a 24mm (f1.7) aperture lens. The videos can be shot in portrait mode with the True Vertical Shooting mode, and clicking photos simultaneously is also possible courtesy of the 4-in-1 pixel binning technology with the 48MP sensor. The former brings better low-light photography, sharp depth of field and very low image noise to the fore as well.

The onboard camera shoots images in RAW/JPEG mode and videos in 4K HDR at 30 fps. The premium Mini 3 Pro shoots 4K videos at 60 fps just for comparison. In live feed, a video of 720p can be relayed from a distance of upto 10 kms away. It is capable of shooting stable images even in winds of 10.7 meters per second.

The featherweight drone has an estimated flight time of 38 minutes on a single charge of the standard onboard battery. If you opt for the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus accessory (not available in all regions) the total flying time can be stretched to 51 minutes. The quadcopter can be programmed to take cinematic helicopter-like shots or do fancy maneuvers like circle, boomerang or helix. Other standard DJI features like the Return To Home (RTH) modes in event of a signal drop are there.

DJI Mini 3 will be available in five different configurations – each one having a different combination of accessories. The drone-only version costs $409, while the one with the RC-N1 remote will set you back $499. The penultimate comes with a shoulder bag, a charging hub, and two extra Intelligent Flight Batteries for $659. The top-end version dubbed the DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo priced at $798 has all these accessories plus the DJI RC controller.

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