Drone giant DJI launches US$10,000 enterprise model that can avoid power lines at night

DJI, the world’s biggest maker of consumer drones, this week launched a US$10,000 enterprise flagship model, the Matrice 400, with extended flight time and an obstacle-sensing system to avoid buildings, mountains and high-voltage power lines at night.

The new enterprise drone offers a 59-minute flight time, a payload capacity of up to 6kg, and a powerful lidar and mmWave radar-based obstacle-sensing system that makes this a versatile drone for applications such as emergency air response, power line inspections, large-scale mapping, engineering and construction, according to the DJI website.

“With the Matrice 400, we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with nearly an hour of flight time and more intelligent features to ensure the safety of people and property,” said Christina Zhang, senior director of corporate strategy at DJI, in a statement on Tuesday.

Priced at 77,115 yuan (US$10,734), the Matrice 400 also provides up to 53 minutes of hovering time and an IP55 protection rating, which means it can operate in harsh environments and extreme temperatures from minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) to 50 degrees Celsius. It can also safely take off from stationary vessels and land on moving ships for offshore operations such as wind turbine inspections and maritime patrol.

DJI’s latest product reflects the Shenzhen-based company’s efforts to continue leading the global market for commercial drones, where it had an estimated 70 per cent share in 2024.

The global installed base of commercial drones reached 2.8 million units last year and is projected to grow 9.9 per cent annually to 4.5 million units by 2029, according to Swedish market research firm Berg Insight.