Last week the Fortress UAV team attended one of the biggest DJI hosted events of the year, AirWorks 2018. The event was jam packed with an announcement-filled opening keynote, interesting panel discussions and thought-provoking workshops. With their biggest crowd yet, over 800 in attendance, 37 sponsors and 102 speakers, DJI kicked it off with a packed ballroom anxiously awaiting to hear this year’s big reveals. This is our recap of the three must-knows from the AirWorks keynote:
DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise
DJI officially announced and released the Mavic 2 Enterprise, a lightweight, foldable, and portable drone designed for enterprise needs. As DJI states, ‘Built to Empower. Destined to Serve. Mavic 2 Enterprise – your on-hand tool that is ready to be deployed at the whim of your disposal, anywhere, anytime’.
Compatible with three new external payloads to help ease and use:
M2E Spotlight – 2400 lumen spotlight that enhances vision in low-light areas
M2E Speaker – 100dB that can be used to effectively communicate with ground teams during emergency situations
M2E Beacon – with a 3-mile visibility range, other pilots can easily spot you from a distance
Additionally, with the Mavic 2 Enterprise, DJI has upped their safety game by adding several safety features including: extra password protection, AirSense, improved FlightAutonomy and an Advanced Pilot Assistance System.
DJI Flight Simulator
DJI introduced their new professional pilot training software, Flight Simulator. Tailored for the enterprise, the simulator allows pilots to practice and hone their flying skills without the risks and costs with real-life training.
The simulator offers three modes:
Skills Training – Basic flight tutorials, route training and practice tests
Free Flight – Explore a variety of environment and get used to flying in various conditions
Application Training – Train using specific workflows, such as inspections or emergency response missions
Flight Simulator is compatible with DJI’s full range of commercial products.
DJI Pilot
Possibly the announcement that received the most praise – ‘DJI Pilot is officially out of beta’. Applause was quickly heard across the ballroom. Even better, DJI Pilot will be available for both Android and iOS applications. New features have been added, including: a FlightHub integration and mission planning for larger fleets.
Overall reaction was a mix of excitement and hope. As Jan Gasparic, Director of Strategic Partnerships for DJI stated, ‘Drones have such a unique opportunity to have a real impact in people’s lives…’. We can’t wait to see how DJI continues to grow the ecosystem of users, partners, developers and enterprise level adoption.