Commercial drones with thermal imaging technology will soon be available, thanks to a new partnership between Flir and DJI Innovations.
Integrating thermal imaging into small drones is expected to bring new capabilities to many commercial applications, including search and rescue, firefighting, agriculture, wildlife protection, and the inspection of energy infrastructure, bridges, and buildings.
Under the strategic arrangement between Flir and DJI, the companies have announced the DJI Zenmuse XT stabilised camera that will be available in early 2016, featuring Flir's thermal imaging technology on DJI's Inspire 1 and Matrice aerial platforms. Combining DJI's Zenmuse stabilised micro-gimbal technology with Flir's Tau 2 thermal imaging camera core, the Zenmuse XT will expand the possibilities for commercial drone operators and infrastructure inspectors.
The addition of thermal imaging provides users the ability to see in complete darkness, measure temperature remotely, and see through obscurants such as smoke, dust, and light fog. Zenmuse XT users will have the ability to see minute temperature variances – normally invisible to the naked eye – that can signify architectural problems in buildings, detect the presence of people or animals, and monitor the health of mechanical and electrical equipment remotely.
‘Flir and DJI today support many of the same commercial applications,’ said Andy Teich, president and CEO of Flir. 'Flir is thrilled to work with DJI to deliver these customers a plug-and-play thermal imaging solution for DJI's established ecosystem of unmanned aircraft and related apps while expanding our collective opportunities in the rapidly-growing commercial drone market.’
DJI's Inspire 1 and Matrice airframes provide aerial cinematography and development platforms. The same attributes that set these airframes apart for capturing stunning aerial video – stable flight performance, predictable flight execution, and seamless integration with the popular DJI Go app – make them ideal thermal imaging platforms.
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