DJI's T100 and T70 Agricultural Drones: Reshaping Industry Standards and Leading a New Era of Low-Altitude Economics

DJI's T100 and T70 Agricultural Drones: Reshaping Industry Standards and Leading a New Era of Low-Altitude EconomicsThis year, DJI's groundbreaking launch of the T100 and T70 series agricultural drones has quickly become an industry focal point, sparking fervent discussions on social media. Comments like, "The T100 and T70 series sound so technologically advanced, and this year's price and performance are truly amazing!" and "DJI's T100's configuration is incredible! Lifting 85 kilograms is no problem; the future of the drone industry looks bright!" accurately capture the core competitiveness of these two new products: superior performance and exceptional value

DJI's T100 and T70 Agricultural Drones: Reshaping Industry Standards and Leading a New Era of Low-Altitude Economics

This year, DJI's groundbreaking launch of the T100 and T70 series agricultural drones has quickly become an industry focal point, sparking fervent discussions on social media. Comments like, "The T100 and T70 series sound so technologically advanced, and this year's price and performance are truly amazing!" and "DJI's T100's configuration is incredible! Lifting 85 kilograms is no problem; the future of the drone industry looks bright!" accurately capture the core competitiveness of these two new products: superior performance and exceptional value.

The DJI T100, DJI Agriculture's most efficient, highest maximum takeoff weight, and most advanced safety system agricultural drone to date, boasts a maximum takeoff weight of 149.9 kilograms, a 77-liter spraying payload, and a 150-liter seeding capacity, marking a new height in agricultural drone technology. Meanwhile, the DJI T70 series, with its outstanding cost-effectiveness and multi-scenario stability, perfectly caters to the needs of diverse user groups and operational environments. The strong debut of the T100 and T70, with breakthroughs in payload capacity, configuration levels, and superior performance, has once again redefined industry standards and injected new vitality into the agricultural drone sector.

DJI Agriculture's success is not accidental but the inevitable result of twelve years of continuous cultivation, technological innovation, and user-centric design. In 2012, DJI applied its leading drone technology to the agricultural field and officially established DJI Agriculture in 2015. Since then, DJI Agriculture has adhered to the vision of "Making agriculture easier and life better," committed to providing digital agriculture solutions based on spatial intelligence equipment, driving global agricultural innovation, and continuously setting new industry benchmarks.

DJI Agriculture's journey wasn't without challenges. In 2012, the application of drones in agriculture was just beginning, and the market was flooded with DIY assembled plant protection drones. Initially, DJI's role was as a component supplier, providing key parts such as flight controllers, power systems, and propellers for these assembled drones. However, the poor compatibility and inconsistent quality of DIY products, along with frequent malfunctions, severely affected field operation efficiency, dashing farmers' hopes for "high-tech" agriculture.

While assisting users in troubleshooting drone malfunctions, DJI's R&D team realized that improving individual components couldn't fundamentally solve the problem; only systematic solutions could guarantee stability. Faced with the daunting challenges of agricultural operations, DJI didn't back down. In 2014, with the maturation of drone technology, while continuing to supply components to the industry, DJI fully committed to the R&D of complete agricultural drone systems.

In 2015, DJI launched its first complete agricultural drone system, the MG-1 agricultural plant protection drone. This product could operate 40 to 60 mu (approximately 6.6 to 9.9 acres) per hour, 40 times more efficient than manual spraying, and at a price significantly lower than the unstable and expensive DIY products on the market, greatly lowering the barrier to entry for agricultural drones.

However, even with improved product performance, after-sales service remained a significant challenge for DJI. Initially, faulty machinery required factory repairs, with a turnaround time of 10 to 15 days, clashing severely with the seasonality of agricultural production. Farmers eager to meet planting deadlines even surrounded DJI's after-sales team to express their concerns, highlighting the shortcomings of the then-existing after-sales service system.

To address this, in 2017, DJI Agriculture established a nationwide after-sales repair system and adopted a four-in-one strategy of "products, sales, after-sales, and training" bringing services right to farmers' doorsteps. Today, DJI Agriculture's after-sales repair network has expanded to 1100 locations, with over 90% of operational areas within a 50-kilometer radius (a one-hour drive to a repair location). As of 2024, over 98% of repair cases are completed within 6 hours, achieving true nationwide warranty. In 2019, DJI also introduced 24/7 service during the busy farming season to ensure drones are operational when crucial.

For twelve years, DJI has consistently prioritized farmer needs, continuously innovating and iterating its products and features. From the initial single-board radar altimeter to the T16's DBF digital radar, the T40's active phased array radar, and the T100's lidar, DJI's exploration of safety technology has never ceased, always striving to "build an agricultural drone that never crashes."

The T100's new lidar significantly improves the recognition rate of guy wires and power lines, accurately identifying small obstacles in the field. A new safety system integrating AI and AR algorithms not only memorizes and identifies obstacles to assist users in safe flight, but also monitors the safety of surrounding people and vehicles, ensuring safe takeoff and landing.

The T100's impressive performance was fully demonstrated at a media event in Zigui County, Yichang City, Hubei Province last December. In the typical mountainous terrain of Zigui County, the T100 completed the lifting of 85 kilograms of oranges in less than two minutes, dozens of times more efficient than manual labor, revolutionizing the picking efficiency for local fruit farmers. According to a local social service survey report, drone lifting can reduce the comprehensive cost of navel orange planting by 250 yuan/mu (approximately $35 USD/acre). Even if only 30% of the 400,000 mu (approximately 66,000 acres) of navel orange planting area in Zigui County adopts drone lifting, it can save 30 million yuan (approximately $4.1 million USD).

DJI Agriculture's development has not only driven the modernization of agriculture but also made significant contributions to the development of low-altitude economics. Currently, there are 200,000 agricultural drones involved in operations nationwide, with nearly 500,000 people engaged in plant protection services. Technological advancements have not only increased farmers' incomes but also enhanced their social status and self-worth.

This year, "low-altitude economics" was included in the government work report for the first time and elevated to a national strategy. China's low-altitude economy has surpassed 500 billion yuan (approximately $68 billion USD), and is projected to exceed 2 trillion yuan (approximately $272 billion USD) by 2030, becoming a new engine for economic growth. Agricultural drones, as an important carrier of the low-altitude economy, are driving the modernization of agriculture at an astonishing pace.

As of October 2024, DJI Agriculture drones have sold over 400,000 units globally, cumulatively covering an astonishing 9 billion mu (approximately 1.5 billion acres) of farmland, saving 260 million tons of water, reducing carbon emissions by 30.87 million tons, and reducing pesticide use by 56,000 tons. These remarkable achievements reflect DJI's social responsibility and contribution to sustainable agricultural development.

DJI Agriculture will continue to cultivate the agricultural sector, committed to providing safer, more intelligent, and more efficient agricultural drone solutions, promoting precision agriculture, and providing greater support for global agricultural production. In the future, DJI will continue its efforts, contributing even more to rural revitalization and agricultural modernization in the wave of low-altitude economics.