If you’ve used the DJI Matrice 300 RTK, you’re used to the cutting-edge AI and 15 km transmission system that make it one of the most powerful drones in the commercial drone industry. The DJI M300 comes with a multiple payload system that allows you to attach whichever payload best meets your needs. With the release of the new Zenmuse P1, DJI has just released the perfect payload to help with aerial surveying and aerial photogrammetry.
The DJI Zenmuse P1 is a full frame (35.9x24 mm) sensor camera that is exclusively compatible with the M300. Not only is this DJI’s largest image sensor with the highest resolution ever, but it also allows for interchangeable prime lenses. These lenses can shoot 45 megapixel aerial imagery, and the camera itself is integrated onto a 3-axis gimbal. If you’re looking for centimeter-level accurate data and the ability to cover large areas in just one flight, you can’t do any better than the new Zenmuse P1.
The DJI Zenmuse P1 is exclusively compatible with the M300, which is the world’s most advanced commercial drone system. This drone boasts a staggering 55 minutes of flight time and six omni-directional sensors, allowing you to perform your aerial surveying missions quickly and safely. This drone has been a popular model for use in construction, inspections, and public safety thanks to its impressive transmission system and sturdy design that keeps it safe in a variety of weather conditions.
Now that DJI has released a brand new payload option for the DJI M300, this versatile drone is even better at aerial surveying. The Zenmuse P1 was designed specifically for aerial photogrammetry and mapping, with a large full frame sensor and Smart Oblique Capture feature that help you create detailed 3D models in real-time. We’ll go over everything you need to know about the new Zenmuse P1 and all of the different applications for this versatile and efficient new camera.
TimeSync 2.0
When you’re performing aerial surveying of a disaster site, you need to be able to ensure that your data is accurate. The Zenmuse P1 uses the all-new TimeSync 2.0 system and a global mechanical shutter to deliver incredible accuracy without the need for ground control points. TimeSync 2.0 synchronizes time across modules down to the level of microseconds, allowing you to capture centimeter-level accurate data. It also works with the real-time position and orientation compensation technology of the DJI Matrice 300 RTK to further improve the accuracy of the data.
Cover Up To 3 Sq.km With The Full Frame Sensor
Efficiency is also incredibly important when it comes to aerial surveying, as having to stop and recharge the drone can eat away valuable time and cause your labor costs to skyrocket. The DJI Zenmuse P1 comes with a full frame, low-noise, high-sensitivity sensor for optimum efficiency. This full frame sensor can take a picture every 0.7 seconds during your flight, giving you the ability to cover up to 3 sq.km in just one flight. When it comes to aerial photogrammetry and aerial surveying, this level of efficiency is vital to saving time and money.
Versatile Mapping Capabilities
Not all missions are alike, and you won’t necessarily use the same lens to create a 2D map of the forest as you would the generate a 3D model of a construction site. The Zenmuse P1 has an integrated 3-axis gimbal that can be equipped with 24/35/50mm lenses and the Smart Oblique Capture feature to help you with a variety of modeling and mapping missions. The DJI Zenmuse P1 can be used to build 2D, 3D, and detailed models as well as real-time maps.
45MP Full Frame Sensor
The full frame image sensor on the Zenmuse P1 is DJI’s largest image sensor with the highest resolution ever. This full frame sensor is 7.5x larger than the Phantom 4 RTK image sensor and 1.8x larger than the Zenmuse X7, making it leagues ahead of other DJI cameras. The 45MP full frame sensor has a pixel size of 4μm, and its low-noise, high-sensitivity imaging extends your daily operational time to to increase the efficiency of your mission. Thanks to TimeSync 2.0, the full frame sensor allows for microsecond-level data alignment.
The DJI Zenmuse P1 also has multiple fixed-focus lens options. With the use of the DJI DL Mount, the Zenmuse P1 supports the DJI DL 24/35/50mm lenses, allowing you to fit the P1 with the proper lens for your mission. Whether you’re generating 2D Orthomosaics or creating 3D reality models for smart city planning, you’ll be blown away by the Global Mechanical Shutter. It has an impressive shutter speed of 1/2000 seconds that sends the median exposure pulse in microseconds.
Smart Oblique Capture
The Smart Oblique Capture feature is a dynamic intelligent feature that automatically rotates the integrated 3-axis gimbal to take photos at whatever angle you require. This works together with the mounted 24/35/50mm lenses to build 2D, 3D, and detailed models and make your aerial photogrammetry mission that much more efficient. Having to perform this function manually would greatly increase the amount of time you spent with the drone in the air, limiting how much ground you can cover.
Using Smart Oblique Capture, the Zenmuse P1 can cover 7.5 sq.km in just a single workday. It also captures photos at a GSD of 3cm and an overlap of 80% for front and 60% side. When it comes to photographing the edge of the flight area, the Zenmuse P1 will only take the photos that are needed for reconstruction. This increases post-processing efficiency by 20-50% by eliminating the need to sort through scores of useless data.
Smart Data Management
The DJI Zenmuse P1 not only has the ability to capture extensive amounts of data in one mission, but it also streamlines the management of that data. Each of the mission result files are automatically associated with the name and time of the mission. There is one centralized location for photos, GNSS data, and TimeStamps.MRK files to give you easy access to every thing you need. Lastly, the image metadata includes both the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of the camera as well as the status of the DJI Matrice 300 RTK.
Fieldwork Report
You can instantly assess whether or not your mission was successful with the generated Fieldwork Report in the DJI Pilot App. By checking the position data and number of images required in the Fieldwork Report, you can verify data quality immediately post-flight. You can also check on the status of the DJI Matrice 300 RTK as well as the positioning accuracy.
Missions
Not all aerial photogrammetry and aerial surveying missions are alike. The DJI Zenmuse P1 is capable of performing several different kinds of missions using the different DJI DL lenses.
2D Orthomosaic Mission
The Zenmuse P1 can generate 2D Orthomosaics without the need of Ground Control Points (GCPs). This is perfect for operations over medium to large areas that need simple, 2D models.
3D Oblique Mission
The Zenmuse P1 can also collect oblique images with ease from various angles that will meet 3D modeling requirements. This is perfect for industries like urban design, and the centimeter-level accurate cadastral surveys will serve 3D reality models and smart city planning.
Detailed Modeling Mission
Whether you’re performing comprehensive reconstructions, geological surveys, hydraulic engineering, or heritage site restoration, the Zenmuse P1 can help you obtain the high-resolution image data you need. The full frame sensor can obtain image data of vertical or slanted surfaces from a safe distance, creating reliable models with detailed recreations of fine textures, features, and structures.
Real-time Mapping Mission
You don’t have to wait until after the mission is over to start creating aerial maps with the DJI Zenmuse P1. You can use DJI Terra to gather real-time geographical data from large areas, allowing you to make strategic decisions in the moment while you’re still on site. This can be vital to saving time and labor during missions of aerial surveying.
The Zenmuse P1 can be used with the DJI Matrice 300 RTK for any number of aerial surveying and aerial photogrammetry missions. From surveying construction sites to managing natural resources, the Zenmuse P1 can create a variety of 2D and 3D models that help give you the data you need in a form that you can easily understand.
Topographic Mapping
The DJI Matrice 300 RTK can collect accurate, geo-tagged data with the Zenmuse P1 to quickly survey land and create detailed 2D and 3D topographic maps. The full frame sensor helps capture data that meet the 1:500 scale accuracy requirements without the use of GCPs. Thanks to the photogrammetry software of the Zenmuse P1, you can quickly process this data and create actionable topographic maps with minimal post-processing time.
Cadastral Surveying
Data collection becomes even more efficient with the DJI Zenmuse P1, allowing you to quickly create reality models that include plots and attachments. Performing cadastral surveys is an important part of establishing property boundaries, and accuracy is an absolute requirement. The Zenmuse P1 and the full frame sensor aid in cadastral surveying by allowing you to quickly create centimeter-level accurate 3D reality models.
Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Surveying
Architecture, engineering, and construction all require you to perform accurate aerial surveying in order to map large work sites. With the DJI Zenmuse P1, you can use 2D maps and 3D models to help your team optimize project planning and designs, ensuring that your project goes off without a hitch. The 3D modeling software also allows you to stay fully informed on the progress of your site, helping you manage the full project lifecycle and allocate resources appropriately.
Natural Resource Management
Natural resources typically span large areas of land, necessitating a drone solution to perform large-scale, detailed aerial surveying of that land. The accurate 2D maps and 3D models of the Zenmuse P1 can help with forest and water resource management by allowing you to map forests and around surface water in order to classify water bodies and estimate water coverage. The DJI 300 Matrice RTK with the Zenmuse P1 is the perfect tool to measure, classify, or determine the ownership of water bodies and forests.
Geological Investigation And Disaster Site Modeling
Drones are a powerful tool for investigating certain hazard sites from a safe distance, giving you the information you need while allowing you to remain safely out of harm’s way. The Zenmuse P1 can be used to safely obtain precise aerial data of both geological hazard sites as well as disaster sites. The centimeter-level accuracy and real-time overviews are major tools in helping public safety teams make strategic choices in large, disaster-struck regions. This allows public safety officers to coordinate their responses while eliminating the guesswork and allowing them to act with assurance.
The DJI Zenmuse P1 stands apart from other payloads as being DJI’s largest image sensor with the highest resolution ever. Many drones require ground control points (GCPs) in order to deliver this level of accuracy, but the Zenmuse P1 is able to deliver an accuracy of 3 cm horizontally and 5 cm vertically without the use of GCPs. This, combined with the 45 MP full frame sensor, global mechanical shutter, and the TimeSync 2.0 system, gives you a camera that’s more accurate, efficient, and versatile than the rest.
Drones have become one of the most powerful tools for inspecting and surveying land and structures, and the Zenmuse P1 makes aerial surveying that much easier. You’ll be able to quickly browse real-time models of disaster sites just as easily as you can generate 2D Orthomosaics to determine land boundaries. No matter what your aerial photogrammetry or surveying needs, the Zenmuse P1 is designed to help.
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.