by Dr Drone May 12, 2020
DJI released the latest in their line of Matrice drones with the new DJI Matrice 300 RTK. The Matrice 300 was inspired by modern aviation systems and designed for industrial and commercial applications. This DJI drone comes with new features and advanced AI capabilities that make it an integral tool for a wide variety of applications. The Matrice 300 can help you conduct better surveillance missions and smart inspections than any other commercial drone on the market.
With the ability to manage multiple payloads including the new Zenmuse H20 and H20T cameras, the M300 is a rock star of drone technology. We’ll go over all its biggest features, including its many AI capabilities that make it so powerful. We’ll also go over the newest payloads that are compatible with it and its main applications.
With an extended range and flight time, a more flexible remote controller setup, and new AI features to make your mission easier, the new DJI M300 RTK commercial drone is the latest in revolutionary drone technology. Here are the biggest features of the Matrice 300:
15km Range
Thanks to the all-new OcuSync Enterprise, the Matrice 300 can broadcast transmission from up to 15 km away. This gives you a massive range to conduct your mission and fly the commercial drone from a safe distance. Not only can the Matrice 300 transmit 1080p video content from up to 15 km, but it also uses 2.4/5.8GHz real-time auto-switching to prevent interference or loss of transmission.
55min Flight Time
One of the hardest parts of using a drone for surveying or mapping a site is having to quit halfway through and replace the batteries in the drone. The Matrice 300 has a max flight time of up to 55 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to complete your mission before you need to recharge. And when using a drone for firefighting operations, it’s more important than ever to have a drone that won’t lose battery at just the wrong moment.
54km/h Wind Resistance
The DJI M300 RTK is a sturdy commercial drone, providing an enhanced flight performance with wind resistance of up to 54km/h.
This helps give you a more efficient and stable flight even in tricky environments with suboptimal weather.
82.8km/h Speed
The M300 is a particularly fast DJI drone, with a max speed of 82.8km/h. The refined propulsion system and airframe allows you to quickly navigate expansive terrain during time-sensitive operations such as search and rescue operations. With a 7m/s max descend speed, you can easily bring this DJI drone down to the ground in a quick and controlled manner.
IP45 Ingress Protection
Drones often sustain damage from more than just crashing into obstacles. Dust and water from inclement weather can also pose a threat to drones and damage the aircraft. Thanks to the M300’s IP45 ingress protection, this commercial drone is dust and water resistant, leaving you free to perform missions in environments with adverse weather without fear.
Omnidirectional Obstacle Avoidance
While this commercial drone was built to last, crashing into obstacles is a peril that puts many drones at risk of damage. Thanks to the dual-vision and ToF sensors on all six sides of the aircraft, you can detect obstacles from up to 40m away.
This omnidirectional obstacle avoidance allows you to safely navigate complicated environments without damaging the aircraft or compromising your mission.
Each mission is unique. Whether you’re using a drone for reconnaissance, surveillance, or firefighting, you need a payload that is appropriate for the mission. You can configure the DJI M300 RTK with multiple payloads at once in order to complete your mission. The Matrice 300 can mount up to 3 payloads simultaneously with a maximum capacity of 2.7 kg.
If you only need one payload, you can configure the drone with a single downward gimbal. With two payloads, you can do a single upward and a single downward gimbal. With three payloads, the Matrice 300 can handle a single upward and dual downward gimbals. No matter how diverse your mission, the M300 is up to the task.
Optional Dual Remote Controller Setup
The DJI Matrice 300 RTK, like other DJI commercial drones, can be set up with dual remote controller setup. With two remote controls both equally in control of the aircraft, the Matrice 300 is perfect for missions that require greater cooperation and flexibility. This allows for planning strategies and allowing one person to operate the aircraft while the other handles the payload. The difference being that the secondary operator can take full control of the aircraft flight with a simple touch of a button.
The M300 RTK uses the all new DJI Smart Controller Enterprise which has a built-in 5.5 inch 1080p display that is twice as bright as conventional smartphones or tablets at 1000 nits. The Smart Controller Enterprise version comes pre-installed with DJI Pilot and also supports third party apps. Feed live video or screen elements directly to an external screen using the HDMI output port on the Smart Controller via a HDMI Cable. The Smart Controller is designed for operating in temperatures -20℃ to 40℃.
RTK Based Precision Positioning
Like most DJI drones, the Matrice 300 comes with RTK based precision positioning for greater accuracy.
This positioning system provides ultra-accurate, centimeter level positioning for the M300, allowing you to skillfully guide the drone and set it down safely on the ground.
It uses the same DRTK2 Mobile Base Station as the Matrice 210 RTK V2.
AI Based Features
The new DJI Matrice 300 RTK has advanced AI capabilities that greatly enhance your mission a turn a regular inspection into a smart inspection. Here are the Matrice 300’s AI features:
Live Mission Recording
The M300 allows for live mission recording, allowing you to record mission actions such as drone movement, gimbal orientation, photo shooting, and zoom level. This can be used in a smart inspection to create sample mission files that aid future automated inspections.
AI Spot Check:
The M300 can record the subject of interest accurately and automate future missions to get consistent results with each repeat mission. The AI powered system ensures that the shots are framed exactly the same every mission for accurate repeatability.
Waypoints 2.0
Waypoints 2.0 allows you to create up to 65,535 waypoints and set multiple actions for your payloads at each waypoint. You can even set actions for multiple payloads including 3rd party payloads, allowing the Matrice 300 to conduct a detailed and thorough smart inspection with maximum flexibility and efficiency.
Pinpoint
Pinpoint is a feature that allows you to mark an object in the camera or map view simply by tapping it. The drone technology will then run advanced sensor fusion algorithms to calculate the coordinates of the object and project it to each of the camera views as an AR icon. Pinpoint will then share the location of the object with another remote controller or online platforms.
Smart Track
Smart Track works similarly to pinpoint in that it allows you to mark an object with the drone’s camera. It then goes one step further in tracking and following these moving objects and continuously detecting their dynamic location. This is a perfect feature for surveillance operations that need to follow moving subjects such as people, vehicles, and boats.
The DJI M300 RTK is notable in that it can be equipped with multiple payloads, giving it a greater range of applications than most DJI Drones. Two of the payloads that are compatible with the Matrice 300 are the Zenmuse H20 and H20T cameras. These cameras are a hybrid sensor solution with LRF, zoom, wide, and thermal camera capabilities. Here are their biggest features:
Triple Sensor Camera H20
The Zenmuse H20 is a triple sensor solution that provides a 20mp zoom camera, a 12mp wide camera, and 1200m laser range finder. The 20mp 1/1.7” CMOS sensor allows for 23x hybrid optical zoom and a 200x max zoom with a video resolution of 4K/30fps. This powerful zoom camera allows you to maintain a safe distance between your drone and potentially dangerous environments you may need to photograph.
The 12mp wide camera on the Zenmuse H20 comes with a 1/2.3” CMOS sensor with an equivalent focal length of 24mm. This allows you to photograph everything in view in crystal clear quality without leaving anything out of the shot. The laser rangefinder provides precise distance data with a range of 3-1200m and incredible accuracy.
Quad Sensor H20T
The Zenmuse H20T camera comes with all three sensors that the H20 does with an additional radiometric thermal camera. This camera has a DFOV of 40.6 degrees, a resolution of 640x512, and a frame rate of 30fps. Its thermal sensitivity is less than or equal to 50mk@f1.0, which allows you to see the unseen and track objects by their heat signatures. This added thermal feature is integral when using the Matrice 300 for firefighting and finding hotspots in buildings.
Active Image Stabilization And EIS
The Zenmuse H20 and H20T both come with active image stabilization and EIS, which minimize blurring and compensates for the shaking of the camera. By utilizing these features, the Zenmuse H20 and H20T ensure that all of your pictures are delivered in crystal clear quality with no blurring or reduction in image quality.
Night Scene Mode
Many commercial drone missions take place in suboptimal lighting or at night. The Zenmuse H20 and H20T come with a Night Scene mode to provide clearer visibility when operating in poor lighting conditions.
IP 44 Rating
Just as drones are susceptible to dust and water damage, so are cameras. The Zenmuse H20 and H20T both come with an IP 44 rating to ensure dust and water resistance. You won’t have to worry about the drone or the camera when operating in inclement weather.
-20 To 50 Degrees Celsius Operating Temp
The Zenmuse H20 and H20T can also hold up in environments of extreme temperatures. With a -20 to 50 degrees Celsius operating temp, you can fly the Matrice 300 in both cold mountains and scorching fields without worrying about the camera malfunctioning.
Firefighting
Drones have become integral for use in firefighting, aiding firefighters with such DJI technology as thermal imaging or optical zoom. Equipped with the Zenmuse H20T, the DJI Matrice 300 RTK is the perfect drone for identifying hotspots and performing reconnaissance in dangerous situations. The optical zoom technology also helps them monitor burning buildings from a safe distance without risking the aircraft.
Law Enforcement
The police use drone technology to perform vital surveillance and other public safety operations.
With the night scene mode of the Zenmuse H20 or the obstacle avoidance technology of the Matrice 300, the police can use this DJI drone to quietly survey a scene while avoiding detection.
This drone can help save lives by providing law enforcement with greater capabilities to do their jobs and protect the public.
Powerline Inspections
Performing inspections of powerlines can be a dangerous business without a commercial drone.
The DJI Matrice 300 RTK allows inspectors to perform smart inspections to find problems with powerlines from a safe distance.
The pinpoint and live mission recording features make it easier to inspect every element of the powerlines in a much faster and more efficient way.
Oil And Gas
Oil and gas inspectors can conduct inspections of pipelines, well sites, and more thanks to the Matrice 300.
Instead of forcing their workers to put themselves in harm’s way by navigating risky areas, the Matrice 300 can use the optical zoom technology of the Zenmuse H20 to inspect these areas from a safe distance.
The U10 Laser Methane Leakage Detector can also be used with the Matrice 300 RTK to safely detect CH4 from up to 100m away.
Search And Rescue
Finding missing people is a time-sensitive endeavor that can be greatly aided by DJI drones.
The Matrice 300 is perfectly equipped to locate lost persons in difficult terrain, with superior obstacle avoidance technology and the ability to perform in -20 to 50 degrees Celsius temperatures.
With the Matrice 300, you’ll save precious time in locating missing people and planning rescue missions.
Many commercial drones come with features that make for a seamless flight but end up lacking when it comes to their payload. DJI drones are not only equipped to perform in tricky environments and adverse weather, but also come with the latest visual technology that helps make your mission a success. The Matrice 300 is an incredible step forward for DJI in their Matrice series, ushering in a new era of drone technology and all new possibilities.
Thanks to the newest payloads of the Zenmuse H20 and H20T, you can use the Matrice 300 for anything from firefighting to powerline inspections. With enhanced optical zoom, a radiometric thermal camera, and laser range finder, there’s no limit to the ways this powerful combination of drone and payload can help save you time and money.
by Dr Drone October 07, 2024
Dr Drone
Author
DrDrone is Canada's leading provider of drone technical services, with over a decade of experience and the distinction of being the first company in the country to offer drone servicing and repairs. As the largest drone vendor in Canada, we are also the primary supplier of Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) to the Canadian government. Our team members possess extensive knowledge of each drone's technical specifications and have a wealth of hands-on experience. For more than ten years, we have been dismantling and reconstructing drones, ensuring a deep understanding of these systems.