Explore the Latest Thermal Drone Technology for Improved Monitoring and Surveillance
Stay Ahead of the Game with High-Performance Thermal Imaging Drones
Autel EVO II Dual 640T Enterprise
In Autel orange, this aircraft looks ready for the work site, and it is well-equipped too. The 640T Enterprise’s visible camera is the same 8K as its standard sibling, which means it also has 16x zoom (4 x lossless, depending on your output resolution). The IR camera also boasts FLIR’s well-known approach, and can be displayed in a crop of the wider visible spectrum on the generously-sized “Smart Controller.” It has a whopping 9-inch screen, HDMI-out, as well as the ability to initiate automated mapping. Even better, there is no Autel geofencing so no additional bureaucracy threats. The drone also has a fixing point above the camera for the included accessories; a (very) loudspeaker, spotlight, or night-flight beacon (you might need a second beacon though as the spotlight will likely take priority at night).
DJI Matrice 30T
The M30T is an incredibly powerful tool for all kinds of aerial work. The thermal camera is there, but for search and rescue or security monitoring the powerful zoom – backed up by AI subject tracking – means the M30T has some other tricks up its sleeve. There is also ‘super mode’ resolution for 1280×1024 thermal imaging and a laser range finder.
The drone also has a socket for third-party accessories which adds versatility – a speaker and spotlight are available – through the dual camera gimbal is fixed.
In search-and-rescue we’re sure the dual controllers will be useful – the main fuselage has a 1080P forward-pointing camera for the pilot, while another user can direct the camera (within 180˚ pan and 165˚ tilt). All operators will also appreciate the 7-inch display and function buttons of the excellent RC Plus controller, as well as the quick-top-off mode on the charging station.
DJI Mavic 3T
The Mavic 3 Enterprise arrived nearly a year after the standard version, and brings all that we liked about that drone in a rugged hard carry-case. More significantly, it has a new beacon light (built-in), and mounts for accessories like RTK for mapping-level accuracy.
For thermal photography, it has the same 640×512 resolution as its predecessor, but this is just one of three cameras; DJI manages to squeeze in a 56x hybrid zoom comprising of a half-inch main sensor (smaller than the Mavic 3(opens in new tab)’s but still capable of 4K video). The thermal camera’s EFL is 40mm – 61˚ field of view, and the system can provide up to 28x zoom views with continuous side-by-side with the optical image to help operators direct responders.
DJI also offers a suite of software for flight planning, mapping and thermal analysis; the Enterprise series is where DJI is prepared to offer SDKs, too.