No, DJI hasn’t released a mini-drone that zips around while focused on your crotch (though there’s probably a market for it — someone see if Leonid Radvinsky will place an order). Instead, the drone maker has announced its new FlyCart 100 drone, a significantly more boring affair. Unless, that is, you’re in the logistics business.
The idea of drone-based package delivery isn’t new, but most projects seem to involve building the hardware specifically for a given company. Enhanced verticals, you see? But having a major manufacturer create a purpose-built drone for sale suggests that the delivery method is about to take off.
DJI delivery to your door
The FlyCart 100 isn’t DJI’s first delivery drone. That honour belongs to the company’s FlyCart 30, but this one — as the number suggests — is a beefier effort. ‘Beefier’ is relative, in drone terms. The 55-to-60kg drone (it depends on whether it’s fitted with a winch or a standard lifting system) has a maximum takeoff weight of 150 kilograms. Of that, 85 kilograms (60 kilos or less is preferred) is reserved for payload, so it could (in theory) transport a moderately sized human a distance of twelve kilometres.
That’s the maximum flight distance for DJI’s new delivery gadget when its dual batteries are fitted. Using it in a single-battery configuration halves that distance, while flight times are 14 minutes or 7 minutes (battery setup depending). That’s enough time to zip something essential down the road and head back for a battery swap, but given the complexity and likely expense, these probably won’t replace your Uber Eats driver any time soon.
DJI’s TKPL 2 flight controller uses a 7in touchscreen panel for delivery control (you didn’t think these things were fully autonomous, did you?), along with a host of delivery-specific tech too boring to write about here. The FlyCart 100 is rated for operations 6,000 metres above sea level, which is more than most will ever need. Unless they’re delivering in Peru on the regular.
Pricing for the drones is being handled by the company’s authorised DJI Delivery dealers. Here in SA, that would be Agrihawk, DC Geomatics, and Rectron. Something tells us that the FlyCart 100 won’t be terribly cheap.
