DJI introduces drone that can issue a warning for approaching air traffic
Chinese technology company DJI has introduced the Matrice 200. This drone is intended for industrial use and can recognize approaching aircraft via a built-in ads-b receiver and perform evasive maneuvers in order to avoid collisions.
As soon as the Matrice 200 picks up a transponder signal from a nearby aircraft via the ads-b receiver, the pilot of the drone is first warned. Should it not take action, the drone would be able to adjust its position in the air on its own initiative in order to avoid a collision. The drone only contains an ads-b receiver and no transmitter, which means that the Matrice 200 is unable to transmit its position to other aircraft.
The drone is intended for industrial use, such as inspecting bridges, buildings and electricity pylons. To this end, the drone uses all kinds of sensors to avoid obstacles and additional sensors can be added. The M200 has a downward-facing mount where a camera can be hung. The device is a quadcopter, weighs 2 kg and in combination with a double battery and a hanging camera at the bottom, it is able to stay in the air for 35 minutes. The Matrice 200 contains an integrated flight controller with two IMUs and a GNSS module. This has been announced by the manufacturer.
A special version of the drone, the M210 RTK, is able to position itself very accurately, down to the centimeter, thanks to the D-RTK navigation and location determination module. This version is less sensitive to electromagnetic interference, making it specifically suitable for the inspection of utility poles. This version is also resistant to water and has an IP43 rating, which allows the drone to operate in rainy weather conditions. The M210 can be fitted with two downward-facing mounts or one upward-facing mount.
The Matrice 200 will be available to business users in Q2 2017. The drones can already be ordered at this moment. A price has not yet been announced.
The use of ads-b transponders mainly comes from passenger aviation. Aircraft equipped with this technology send their position and other information to ground stations and aircraft in close proximity at certain times. Ads-b is also a means for air traffic controllers to determine the position of aircraft in addition to using radar. This technology is already mandatory for Australian aircraft; Europe wants to oblige certain aircraft to integrate the technology this year and in America this will happen in 2020.