Even some light aircraft have parachutes for emergencies, so I cannot imagine why drones shouldn’t have them too. In fact, the idea of parachute-equipped drones isn’t new. DJI turned that idea into reality with the DropSafe system for its Matrice platform back in 2015. Now, more than a decade later, the company has returned with something even better: the AP100.
Designed exclusively for the Matrice 400, the AP100 is there for the kind of day every drone operator hopes never comes. If the aircraft detects a critical failure, the system can automatically cut power to the motors and fire a parachute, slowing the drone’s descent to under 5 m/s. That’s still a fairly hard landing, but certainly beats having a 15.8 kg drone fall out of the sky.
The AP100 isn’t just about saving an expensive drone either. DJI’s tagline, “For the Priceless Below,” says it all. The real priority is protecting people, vehicles, buildings, and everything else underneath. Once the drone lands, the system flashes warning lights and sounds an alarm for up to an hour, making it easier to locate while alerting anyone nearby.
Compared to the original DropSafe, the AP100 is much more tightly integrated with the Matrice 400. It works alongside DJI Pilot 2 and FlightHub 2, continuously monitors its own health, and even carries an independent backup power supply so it can still deploy if the aircraft loses power. It is also designed to help operators meet the safety requirements for certain enterprise drone missions in Europe and the UK.
Hopefully, the AP100 spends its entire life folded up inside its housing. But if the day ever comes when it has to deploy, both the drone and everyone below it will be glad it’s there. Anyhoo, it is a brilliant invention, which you can learn more here.
Images: DJI.