DJI (company)

History and products

The company was founded in 2006 by Frank Wang (Wāng Tāo, 汪滔).

DJI manufactures a range of products including unmanned aerial vehicles, flying platforms, flight controllers for multi-rotors, helicopters accessories, aerial and handheld gimbals and ground stations. These products are intended for amateur as well as professional use. DJI product is sold directly on DJI's website as well as through Authorized DJI Dealers around the world.

Controllers

DJI develops flight controllers intended for multi-rotor stabilization control of various platforms or heavy payloads in aerial photography. The A2 controller includes orientation, landing, and home return features. Products include GPS-Compass receivers, LED indicators and Bluetooth connectivity.

Ronin

The Ronin (如影) is a standalone ground-based camera platform developed for cinematography and aerial filmmaking in professional environments. It is built for professional videography and photography and targets the film industry. By using three individual motors, Ronin stabilizes when moving vigorously.

Modules

DJI offers several add-on modules for their base products such as power management and video modules.

Flame Wheel

The Flame Wheel series (Feng-Huo-Lun or Fēnghuǒlún, 风火轮) are multirotor platforms for aerial photography. As of 2016, there is the hexacopter F550, and quadcopters F330 and F450. The most recent is the ARF KIT.

Phantom

The Phantom (精灵) series are DJI's consumer flagship quadcopters. They are currently the most popular product, and since launch, have evolved to integrated flight programming with a camera, Wi-Fi or Lightbridge connectivity, and the pilot’s mobile device. Phantoms are made for aerial cinematography and photography applications, but are also used in recreational use. The Phantom 2 Vision+ features a camera and gimbal system manufactured by DJI, capable of taking 14MP stills and recording 1080p. In comparison, the Phantom 3 Advanced, Professional, and 4K, can record 4K video and take 12MP stills. In March 2016, DJI released the next generation Phantom 4 quadcopter.

Mavic

The DJI Mavic (御) Pro is a compact UAV that DJI introduced September 27, 2016. It competes with the GoPro Karma. It features multiple redundant sensors to help prevent crashes and a foldable design that allows the drone to be transported more easily than previous models. The Mavic was expected to ship October 15, 2016. Currently, shipping for the Mavic has been delayed significantly with orders placed before November 3, 2016 slated to arrive sometime in the last two weeks of December.

Spreading Wings

The Spreading Wings (Jin-Dou-Yun or Jīndǒuyún, 筋斗云) series are mainly industrial UAVs for professional aerial photography, high definition 3D mapping, ultra light search and rescue, and surveillance etc. based on camera gear on board. In 2013, two models have been released: S800 regular and EVO.

Inspire

The Inspire series is a professional aimed series of camera quadcopters similar to the Phantom line but includes more high-end and professional features including an aluminum-magnesium body with carbon fiber arms, and detachable props on the Inspire 2. Presented in 2017, the Inspire 2 has a 5.2K camera that is capable of capturing up to 60 FPS.

Unmanned helicopter

The unmanned helicopter is a small UAV co-developed with the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). It is intended for high-elevation missions and can operate up to a wind scale of 6. The general designer is Lǐ Zé-Xiāng (李泽湘), and the chief designer for software is Zhū Xiǎo-Ruǐ (朱晓蕊) from HIT.

Osmo

The Osmo (灵眸) is a camcorder developed by DJI. The camera uses a smartphone to view camera footage, and can record 4K and take either 12-16MP stills. The camera is interchangeable, with the Zenmuse X3, X5, and X5R gimbals compatible, and uses the FM-15 Flexi microphone.