DJI has introduced a new safety accessory for its flagship Matrice 400 enterprise drone, giving operators an added layer of protection during emergency situations. The new DJI AP100 Parachute is designed to reduce the impact of an in-flight failure by safely lowering the aircraft to the ground, helping protect expensive payloads while also reducing risks to people and property below.
The rear-mounted system weighs about 935 grams (2.1 pounds) and is designed specifically for the Matrice 400. Despite the added hardware, DJI says the drone retains its 15.8-kilogram (34.8-pound) maximum takeoff weight, with the parachute reducing flight time by only about six minutes.
The AP100 can deploy either automatically or manually, depending on the situation. If the system detects abnormal flight attitude or speed that suggests the aircraft is no longer flying safely, it can trigger deployment in less than 600 milliseconds. Once deployed, the parachute slows the aircraft to a descent rate of under 5 meters per second, helping reduce the force of impact.
Operators can also deploy the parachute manually using an on-screen control in the DJI Pilot 2 app if they determine that landing under a parachute is the safest option.
