The DJI Matrice series are advanced drones designed for enterprise use rather than photography and cinematography. These are large, heavy and powerful multi-rotor drones equipped with high resolution cameras.
The two most popular models which I cover in this article are the M30T and M300. You might also consider the DJI Mavic Enterprise which is a more affordable option.
What is the difference between the DJI Mavic 300 RTK and the M30T
The main difference between the DJI Matrice 300 RTK and M30T is that the newer Matrice M30T has been designed with emergency first responders in mind such as search and rescue.
The features that tailor this model to benefit search and rescue teams are:
- Thermal built in camera which enables night vision and quick location of humans and animals. Note: The M300 can be paired with the H20T camera which has thermal imaging.
- Significantly faster set up time for deployment which takes about 1 minute form unboxing to take off.
- The M30T is easier to mobilize and carry to the deployment location using the back pack.
DJI Matrice 300 RTK | DJI Matrice 30T |
|
| Weight | 3.6kg (Max take-off weight 9kg) | 3.77kg (Max take-off weight 4kg ) |
| Size | 810x 670x 430mm | 470×585×215 mm |
| Flight time | 55m no payload | 41m |
| Controller Screen | 5.5” screen DJI Smart Control (1920x1200 resolution) | 7” screen DJI RC Plus Enterprise (1920x1200) |
DJI Matrice 300 RTK and 30T Camera Comparison
Both of these DJI Matrice series drones have a 12MP wide camera, 16x optical zoom, 200x digital zoom and are equipped with a 1200m laser range finder.
The main advancement with the M30T is the thermal resolution when comparing the camera capabilities between the Matrice 30T and the M300 RTK with the H20T camera. The Matrice 30T has infrared image super-resolution which increases the resolution for images and video from 640x512pixels to 1280×1040 pixels.
Thermal Camera
The M30T has a built in 650×512 resolution thermal camera. The Matrice 300T RTK requires the thermal camera to bought separately, the current payload available is the Zenmuse H20T. This is a quad camera that includes a laser range finder, 12MP wide camera, the thermal lens and a 20MP zoom camera.
Older camera payloads can be used on the 300 if you already own them such as the XT2.
Matrice M300 vs M30T Camera (Comparison table)
DJI Matrice 300 RTK (Zenmuse H20T) | DJI Matrice 30T |
|
| Camera | 12MP Wide camera 1/2.3” CMOS Sensor | 12MP 1/2" CMOS Sensor |
| Thermal IR Camera Sensor | 640x512 | Normal mode: 640x512 Infrared image/ video super-resolution mode 1280x1024 |
| Zoom | 20 mp zoom camera, 23x hybrid optical zoom | 16x Optical 200x Hybrid / digital zoom |
DJI Matrice Flight Modes
- N Mode: This is the normal mode for the DJI Matrice. It was previously called P Mode (positioning mode). This is the standard flying mode where obstacle avoidance is active and the maximum speed is 17m/s.
- S Mode: Sport mode enables the Matrice to speed up to a maximum of 23m/s. Obstacle sensing is disabled in this mode but the GNSS and downward vision system are still active for hovering.
- F Mode: Function mode has two types, tripod and altitude mode (T-mode and A Mode). Tripod mode slows down the drone, it is designed for taking slow, cinematic video but this feature is also helpful in search and rescue. T Mode allows slow controlled, fine movement of the drone with more sensitive braking control.
A Mode is also called ATTI mode, short for altitude. This disables GPS and visual positioning systems so that the pilot has complete manual control of the drone.
A Mode is more challenging to control the drone as there is no positioning assistance to make the drone hover but can be an important feature if flying in tight spaces where the sensors are preventing the drone from moving around.
- Advanced Dual Operator Mode: Two drone pilots can operate the drone at the same time with two separate controllers. Initially, full control is granted to the first controller, then when advanced dual operator mode is activated the second controller can request access to control the gimbal or the flight control of the drone.
This means that one pilot can focus on controlling the camera during a search mission and the other can direct the drone, making sure to avoid any obstacles and keep an eye on the surrounds. Both pilots cannot access the gimbal control at the same time.
If both pilots don’t have control over the DJI Matrice after the app sends a warning notification the drone goes into a fail safe action.
Some of the advanced flight functions included with the DJI Matrice are:
- AI spot check: save a location or object to replicate the exact same view in repeat flight.
- Smart track: select a moving object and allow the zoom to automatically give a smooth consistent view .
- Pin point: quickly get the location coordinates of an object and share with other users via the DJI Flight Hub
Water Resistance
Can the DJI Matrice be flown in the rain?
The DJI Matrice drones are not waterproof but they are water resistant. The Matrice M30T is rated IP55 and the Matrice M300 RTK is rated IP 45 which means they can be flown when the rain fall is less than 100mm over 24hours.
The controller for the Matrice M30T series is IP54, and the M300 controller is IP45.
IP stands for ingress protection, a rating of IP65 and above is waterproof. These ratings only apply when the arms of the drone are unfolded, they are not water resistant if exposed to water while folded for storage.
Note: Be very careful when exposing the drone to any moisture as the warranty doesn’t cover water damage.
Payload options on the DJI Matrice 300 RTK and 30T
The DJI Matrice 300 RTK is built to be adaptable with several payload ports that support up to 3 gimbals at once.
The multi gimbal system features expansion ports on the top and bottom of the drone which can be used by developers wanting to develop customized payloads.
- 3 P-SDK ports: Payload software development kits
- 1x OSDK port: Onboard software development kits can run on the onboard computer.
(Detailed information of these can be found at developer.dji.com. )
Above: DJI Matrice 300 RTK payload locations
The camera on the Matrice M30 is a fixed payload and can’t be interchanged or removed. It has a payload attachment area on the top of the drone that can host:
- Gas detection air quality monitoring sensor
- Loudspeaker
- Spot/ search light
- Strobe anticollision light
What is the maximum take-off weight?
The maximum take-off weight with an attached payload for the Matrice M30 is 4kg which is much less than the 9kg max take-off weight of the M300.
Obstacle Avoidance
The DJI Matrice series have 6 directional sensing and positioning systems, similar to the obstacle avoidance on the Mavic series. Stereo vision sensors are installed in all directions and there is also an infrared system that determines the altitude and guides the landing protection system. The drone will hover above the ground until you give further commands if the landing protection system detects that the ground isn’t suitable for a smooth landing.
Obstacle avoidance is active in N and P Mode including when return home is activated. It doesn’t detect fine, low-density objects well like thin tree branches.
The M30T has a greater obstacle detection range above and below the drone but the Matrice M300 RTK has a greater lateral detection range
The M30 can detect obstacles from 0.6-38m in front, up and downwards. Back and sideways the range is 0.5-33m and the infrared system detects objects between 0.1 to 10m.
DJI Matrice M30T Obstacle Avoidance Range (Vision System)
The Matrice 30T has a greater obstacle avoidance range above and below the drone. The grey areas show blind spots not detected by the vision system.
DJI Matrice 300RTK Obstacle Avoidance Range (Vision System)
The Matrice 300 RTK has a greater obstacle avoidance range in the lateral direction; infront, behind and sideways.
How to set way points and plan a mission with the DJI Matrice
There are 4 different mission flight types; waypoint, mapping, oblique and linear. All of these are created directly in the app.
In waypoint mode, manually add points by tapping on the map. The editable settings are speed, altitude, aircraft rotation, gibal tilt and yaw. These can be set for the whole flight or set of individual waypoints.
Once the mission is created, the app gives the flight length, estimated flight time, number of waypoints and number of photos.
Live mission recording is an alternative way to create waypoints. As you’re flying, zoom and aim at the target waypoint location. Then, either take a photo or press C1 to directly set the waypoint. This is a more interactive way of creating a repeatable flight path on the go, using visual markers.
The flight plans are stored on DJI FlightHub 2, a cloud based online management platform.
How to find the distance and coordinates of objects or people:
Laser Range Finder, Pinpoints and Annotations
The laser range finder measures the distance to a specific point and finds the coordinates. The selected location is shown as a red dot on the view. This is used in search and rescue missions to send the location information to teams on the ground to locate emergency survivors and missing persons.
The drone also saves this location so that it can be re-visited on a following flight.
This feature is similar to Pinpoint, this is where a location is selected on the view finder to save the coordinates. This can be useful for saving locations in emergency rescue missions, security breaches and surveillance.
The Pinpoints are then annotated and marked up with lines and areas of interest to be shared via the DJI FlightHub 2 where any other connected device (such as a companion pilot on another controller) can access the information.
DJI Matrice Safety Features and Restrictions
How to fly DJI Matrice in Restricted areas
The DJI Geospatial Environment Online (GEO) system is a safety feature that physically prevents the drone from flying in restricted air space, an exemption needs to be submitted as an unlocking request.
If you have received permission for a restricted zone, the flight can be unlocked by emailing DJI at flysafe@dji.com or at dji.com/flysafe or by request through the app.
This can be a disadvantage if using this drone for emergency response in cases where the authorities need urgent access to an area. If the autorities have approved access through other means (such as a phone call) the drone won’t be able to launch in the restricted space until the digital request has been processed.
To check the geo zones around your area before investing in the DJI Matrice, a global map is available here. The zones are :
- Restricted zones: There is a 20m buffer zone surrounding restricted zones, while the drone can take off in these areas it wont be able to land back it the buffer zone. The drone will only be able to fly in the direction away from the restricted / authorization zone
- Authorization zones: As above
- Warning zones: A warning will be provided through the app
- Enhanced warning zones: These zones require unlocking but you don’t need a verified account or internet connectivity
- Altitude zones: Flight altitude is limited
Self Unlocking: For authorization only zones the request can be submitted through the DJI website then once approved, the approval is synchronised with the app before the flight or live when entering the authorization zone via the prompts in DJI Pilot 2. Self unlocking only lasts for 1 flight, when the drone is powered up again you’ll need to unlock the zone again for self-unlocking.
Custom Unlocking: This is set up for special use customers for user defined custom flight areas.
Unlocking through the app: show the QR code in the DJI Pilot 2 app to unlock the license by scanning with your mobile and unlocking from your mobile.
What is DJI Air Sense?
The DJI Airsense system is a built in safety feature included in the Matrice series drones that detects nearby aircraft in the surrounding space. A collision risk warning will appear in the app if any active aircraft is detected in a 10km radius of the drone, an orange or red aeroplane icon will appear on the map. This will only detect aircraft that have an ADS-B out device when there are no obstructions between the drone and the aircraft.
The DJI Matrice; Is it worth it ?
The DJI Matrice is a very advanced industrial drone and it’s priced accordingly. If you’re looking for a more affordable enterprise drone with thermal imaging, I’d suggest taking a look at the Mavic 3 Enterprise. This has the same RTK positional accuracy and there are thermal imaging versions with the same standard resolution but this is a much smaller, more compact drone.
However, the level of accuracy, fast time to deploy and high payload capacity of the DJI Matrice M300 RTK and M30T make these highly valued tools in search and rescue and many other industries. The specifications reached by this drone are really only surpassed by fixed wing drones such as the DeltaQuad which have far greater flight times and payload capacity.
