● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 neutral
DJI Introduces Dock 4 for Automated Drone Battery Swapping, Reducing Turnaround to 45 Seconds
Key points
- Dock 4 automates battery swaps in 25 seconds.
- Achieves drone turnaround in under 45 seconds.
- Charges two 260 Wh battery packs simultaneously.
- Compatible with Matrice 5TD drone and O4 Ground Station.
- Not FCC-authorized or for sale in the U.S.
Automated Battery Swapping for Rapid Deployment
DJI has launched the Dock 4, an automated battery-swapping solution for drones. This system performs a battery swap in 25 seconds, allowing a drone to be back in the air within 45 seconds of landing. This significantly reduces the downtime associated with traditional battery recharging, which typically takes around 30 minutes.
Targeted Applications and Power Features
The Dock 4 is positioned for applications such as emergency response, with DJI marketing it as a "dock-as-a-first-responder (DFR)" solution. The dock charges two 925g battery packs, each rated at 260 Wh for 400 cycles, taking 27 minutes to charge from 15% to 95%. These packs also provide backup power for the dock, allowing continued operation even during grid power outages, though backup power does not charge the packs.
Compatibility and Drone Capabilities
The Dock 4, weighing 66 kg, shares the same 400 x 400 mm mounting holes as the Dock 3 but is exclusively compatible with the Matrice 5TD drone and requires the DJI O4 Ground Station. The Matrice 5TD drone offers nearly an hour of flight time and can reach speeds of up to 21 m/s. It is equipped with three 50 MP cameras (wide, 70mm equivalent medium telephoto, 252mm equivalent telephoto), thermal imaging, color night vision, and a laser rangefinder up to 3,000m.
Advanced Sensors and Environmental Resilience
The Matrice 5TD features rotating LiDAR, mmWave radar, and six-direction vision, enabling detection of objects like power lines at night. Its onboard AI can detect 17 object types, and DJI FlightHub 2 allows for text or image-based searches and alerts. Both the dock and drone are rated for extreme temperatures, from minus 40 to 50 degrees Celsius, with IP56 and IP55 ratings respectively.
Market Availability
The Dock 4 is not FCC-authorized and is not available for sale in the United States.
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Reporting from
DJI released the Dock 4, its first battery-swapping drone dock, which automates battery changes in 25 seconds, enabling a drone turnaround of under 45 seconds from landing to takeoff. This system aims to improve operational efficiency for applications like emergency response by significantly reducing drone downtime compared to traditional recharging methods.