The Matrice 300 RTK is a commercial drone manufactured by DJI and released in 2020. It has a broadcast transmission of up to 15km, transmitting 1080p content and relying on 2.4/5.8GHz real-time auto-switching (DJI, n.d.). It also has a maximum speed of 82.8km/h, extended maximum flight time of 55 minutes and wind resistance of up to 54km/h (DJI, n.d.). Descending is easier and safer with a 7m/s descend speed and RTK based precision positioning, while the dual-vision and ToF sensors allow it to detect obstacles from up to 40m away (DJI, n.d),.
The drone can be configured with multiple payloads, with a maximum capacity of 3 simultaneous payloads (2.7kg, single upward and dual downward gimbals). It also provides for dual remote controller setup (DJI, n.d.). Finally, its AI features allow for live mission recording, automated future missions, waypoint creation, and object marking with the camera (DJI, n.d.).
The Matrice 300 RTK is an excellent addition to the existing range of commercial drones, due to the considerable hardware and software improvements, giving it impressive utility in a wide variety of situations.
Several key hardware improvements may be noted. The IP45 ingress protection offered by the M300 provides high levels of dust and wind resistance, allowing the drone to be used in myriad environments (Drone Flight Academy, 2020). Further, the FPV camera is larger and covers a wider angle, providing for more optimal captures (James, 2020). The H20 and H20T, developed specifically for the M300, offer superior features in areas like zoom (20 megapixels vs predecessor Z30’s 2 megapixels) and thermal imaging (Douglas, 2020). The H20T also eliminates the need for multi-camera or dual gimbal setups, providing for greater portability and cost savings (James, 2020). Therefore, the M300 is useful in many situations and environments.
However, two key caveats may be noted. First, despite the advertised flight time of up to 43 minutes with the H20T payload, in-field testing showed that the flight time average was only 32.5 minutes (Drone Flight Academy, 2020). This casts doubt over the reliability and utility of the M300. Secondly, this is exacerbated by its bulky TB60 batteries and the fact that the charging station only allows up to two TB60 batteries to be charged simultaneously (Drone Flight Academy, 2020). This further reduces the M300’s utility, particularly for long missions, and adds significantly to the cost, as additional batteries or chargers would have to be purchased. At a starting price of USD $10000 (Dinh, 2020), this adds to an already hefty expense and requires further consideration, especially if it will be used for longer missions.