DJI Agriculture has launched three new agricultural drones — the T100S, T70S, and T55 — equipped with Level-3 autonomous driving capabilities for specific scenarios.

These drones are designed for tasks like spraying pesticides and fertilizing. The T100S is the heaviest model with a 149.9 kg takeoff weight, the T70S targets medium-sized farms, and the T55 is built for lightweight, single-user operations.

A key challenge for agricultural drones is low-altitude flight. “They operate at just three to five meters, where they encounter numerous obstacles like trees and power lines,” explained Chen Qiming, an engineer at DJI’s agricultural subsidiary. To address this, the new models use AI and a suite of sensors, including visual, LiDAR, and millimeter-wave radar, to help the drones effectively “see” and navigate.

DJI’s dominance in the sector is significant. The company’s agricultural drone shipments have grown from 2,000 to 200,000 units over the past decade. In China, their products have achieved a 60% penetration rate in rice fields, though this drops to 40% in more complex orchard environments due to more obstacles.

The flight time of agricultural drones accounts for 98% of the total drone flight time, with DJI and its Chinese peer XAG occupying nearly 80% of the global market share.

While China remains its largest market, DJI Agriculture also has a strong presence in Latin America, South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand.(SD-Agencies)