DJI’s first battery-swapping dock gets drones recharged and back in the air in under 45 seconds
DJI Dock 4 swaps the Matrice 5TD drone’s battery in 25 seconds, but the system has no FCC clearance for sale in the U.S.
DJI has introduced its first battery-swapping dock, the Dock 4, which can recharge and return drones to flight in under 45 seconds, significantly faster than the traditional 30-minute recharge process. The dock, described as a "dock-as-a-first-responder (DFR)" solution, aims to serve emergency response applications and is not FCC-authorized or sold in the U.S. The Dock 4 charges two 925g batteries, each rated at 260Wh for 400 cycles, within 45 seconds, allowing drones to be airborne again within a minute of landing.
The dock also serves as a backup power source, maintaining functionality even when the grid is down. The Matrice 5TD drone, which uses the Dock 4, boasts impressive features, including a 400x400mm mounting system, three high-resolution cameras, long-range sensors, onboard AI object detection, and a payload capacity of up to 450g.
The Dock 4 and Matrice 5TD drone can operate in temperatures ranging from -40°C to 50°C and withstand winds up to 12 m/s. Despite the promising capabilities, the Dock 4 and Matrice 5TD drone cannot be sold in the U.S. due to FCC restrictions on foreign-made drones and their components.
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