Agriculture is made much easier through the use of aerial drones, giving users the ability to monitor crops, spot issues, and map and survey areas in a matter of minutes. Aerial surveying must be able to perceive the unseen, which is why DJI has released a new drone capable of two different kinds of sight. The DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral, which is the third addition to the Mavic 3 Enterprise drone lineup and includes both an RGB camera and a multispectral camera array to scan and assess crop growth in complete detail.
Because precision and data are essential for managing agricultural produce, the Mavic 3M comes with an RTK module for centimeter-level accuracy. It also features the signature DJI design that makes it compact and foldable, allowing you to take it with you to the farthest reaches of land. With omni-direcitonal obstacle avoidance, an advanced remote controller, and the ability to pair with high-functioning DJI apps such as DJI Terra and DJI SmartFarm, the Mavic 3M is a drone to be reckoned with.
Like most DJI drones, the new DJI Mavic 3M is compact and foldable. It has a weight of 951 grams and its length when folded is only 223 x 96.3 x 122.2 mm (Length x Width x Height), allowing you to transport the enterprise drone with ease in a small bag or backpack. As a multispectral camera, it contains five different imaging sensors all in one compact, foldable package. This design allows it to effectively survey a vast area of land while still being small enough to transport anywhere the mission requires.
The DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral features a fully integrated imaging system that includes five different imaging sensors, each of which works together to scan and assess crop growth with complete detail. These sensors are located on two different cameras: an RGB camera and a multispectral camera.
RGB Camera
The first sensor is its main RGB camera, which is powered by a 20MP 4/3 CMOS sensor similar to the one included on the DJI Mavic 3E. With the 4/3 CMOS sensor and large individual pixel size, the RGB camera has high dynamic range and incredible low light performance. It’s also equipped with a mechanical shutter that can capture images as fast as 1/2000 sec shutter speed, giving you the power to capture the smallest details in the blink of an eye. It can even do high-speed burst shooting at an interval of only 0.7s, making sure no detail goes missed.
Multispectral Imaging System
The other four sensors on the DJI Mavic 3M are located on the multispectral camera. These 4 individual 4MP sensors capture the following types of imagery:
● Near-infrared (NIR)
860 nm ± 26 nm
● Red edge (RE)
730 nm ± 16 nm
● Red (R)
650 nm ± 16 nm
● Green (G)
560 nm ± 16 nm
These sensors enable applications such as high-precision aerial surveying, natural resource surveys, and crop growth monitoring.
Sunlight Sensor
The Mavic 3 Multispectral includes a built-in sunlight sensor that records solar irradiance in an image file. This allows for light adjustment of picture data during 2D reconstruction and results in more accurate NDVI findings. It also improves the quality and consistency of data collected over time.
The Mavic 3M is equipped with the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise Series RTK Module that enables you to pin location down to the centimeter. The flight control, camera, and RTK module all sync in a matter of microseconds, allowing you to precisely pinpoint the location of each camera’s imaging center. This gives you the ability to carry out incredibly accurate aerial surveying without having to worry about establishing ground control points.
The DJI D-RTK2 HIgh Precision GNSS Mobile station is also supported for RTK corrections along with support for network based RTK solutions
The DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral is built with efficient propulsion and battery management, allowing it to fly for 43 minutes on a fully charged battery. A single flight can complete mapping operations over an area of 200 hectares. This gives you the ability to cover a vast area of space in one flight, ensuring your mission is complete every single time.
You can charge the aircraft at 88W fast charging, or you can use 100W fast charging when charging batteries with the charging hub. This allows you to put the Mavic 3M back in the air as soon as possible, performing one mission in multiple flights back to back.
The Mavic 3 Multispectral is designed with an O3 transmission system that incorporates two sending signals and four receiving signals. This allows it to travel 15km ultra-long transmission distances, further expanding the area in which you can survey in one go. With its quad antenna setup, the O3 transmission makes connections even more reliable in a variety of challenging conditions.
Obstacle avoidance is one of the most important features in ensuring drone safety while in the air. The Mavic 3M is equipped with multiple wide-FOV vision sensors that enable obstacle avoidance in all directions. By precisely detecting obstacles in each direction, you can navigate terrains of any and all kinds without worrying about the safety of the drone.
The terrain following feature is useful in maintaining accurate altitude above ground level when flying along frequently-changing terrain. Even terrains with steep slopes can be easily navigated with the easy-to-use terrain-follow aerial surveying.
The DJI Mavic 3M is suitable for a wide range of aerial surveillance and agricultural needs. Because precision and data capabilities are instrumental in managing agricultural produce, the Mavic 3M is equipped with more than enough features to make these applications possible.
Orchard Mapping
The DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral’s terrain-following technology enables airborne orchard surveys even on steep terrain. You can work even more safely and effectively with the use of DJI Terra or DJI SmartFarm Platform to rebuild high-resolution orchard maps. You can also automatically count trees, tell a tree apart from another object or barrier, and create three-dimensional operating paths for agricultural drones to follow.
Guide Variable Rate Applications
Another great use of the Mavic 3M is to capture multispectral images of crops for cotton growth management, rice fertilization, and applying potato foliar fertilizer to improve tuber growth. You can also use DJI Terra or the DJI SmartFarm Platform to generate NDVI and other vegetation indices maps. These will capture variations in crop potential while producing prescription maps that enable agricultural drones to carry out variable-rate applications. All in all, this gives users the ability to cut expenses, boost yield, and preserve the environment in which they work.
Intelligent Field Scouting
Field reconnaissance is an excellent ability of the Mavic 3 Multispectral. Working through a 4G network, you can instantly transfer field scout photographs to the DJI SmartFarm Platform. The platform will then quickly identify any irregularities such as weed pressure, crop lodging, and emergence deficits. This will allow you to identify problems so you can solve them before they become major issues.
The DJI SmartFarm Platform can also perform intelligent analyses such as cotton seedling identification and rice production testing using artificial intelligence. AI identification can be used for real-time sharing of crop growth information, agronomic activity guidance, and simple management of 70 hectares of farmland by a single person.
Environmental Monitoring and Natural Resources Survey
Lastly, you can use the DJI Mavic 3M to conduct environmental surveys and that of natural resources. These surveys can include surveys of urban green spaces, water enrichment, and distribution of forests.
Cloud API
The Mavic 3M has an open ecosystem, making it more user-friendly and easier to transfer information out of the drone. You can connect the Mavic 3M directly to a third-party cloud platform via the Pilot 2’s built-in DJI Cloud API, which is based on the MQTT protocol. You don’t need to use a separate app to allow the transmission of UAV equipment information, photo data, live streaming, and other information.
MSDK
The Mavic 3 Multispectral also supports Mobile SDK 5 (MSDK5) with a fully open-source production code sample. This makes it possible to develop a proprietary control app for UAV field patrol, smart surveying, and other important scenarios. Thanks to the support of MSDK5, the Mavic 3M is more user-friendly than ever.
The Mavic 3 Multispectral comes with the DJI RC Pro Enterprise Edition remote controller, which offers a max signal distance of 15 km. It has a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a screen size of 5.5 inches, giving you high-quality details on a sizable screen. The screen frame rate is 60 fps and it has a brightness of 1,000 nits, ensuring you see every detail as it’s presented. The 10-point multi-touch screen is user-friendly and functional, and the 3-hour operating time allows you to keep going through multiple flights until your mission is complete.
DJI Pilot 2 is the second major version of its enterprise drone app, which brings about a reimagined user interface and ergonomic design for safety and efficiency. DJI Pilot 2 includes a pre-flight checklist to help you take off with confidence, as well as a navigation display that features an optimized interface of your home point, PinPoints, and nearby obstacles. With timely alert notifications, you’re always kept in the loop about important information. The DJI Pilot 2 app can help you perform aerial surveying and mission planning to make sure your mission is executed as intended.
DJI Terra is a PC application software that relies mainly on 2D orthophotos and 3D model reconstruction. It includes functions like 2D multispectral reconstruction, LiDAR point cloud processing, and detailed inspection missions. With this one-stop solution, you’ll receive unparalleled efficiency and comprehensive reconstruction models that cater to verticals such as land mapping, emergency services, power transmission, construction, transportation, and agriculture.
DJI Terra is an excellent platform to use for area mapping, as it can create 3D models by importing images captured from multiple angles. Image reconstruction can be done in diverse scenarios in either a high, medium, or low resolution. This aids surveying and mapping in scenarios such as accident sites, power grid equipment, and even progress-tracking for construction projects.
DJI Terra is a PC application software that relies mainly on 2D orthophotos and 3D model reconstruction. It includes functions like 2D multispectral reconstruction, LiDAR point cloud processing, and detailed inspection missions. With this one-stop solution, you’ll receive unparalleled efficiency and comprehensive reconstruction models that cater to verticals such as land mapping, emergency services, power transmission, construction, transportation, and agriculture.
DJI Terra is an excellent platform to use for area mapping, as it can create 3D models by importing images captured from multiple angles. Image reconstruction can be done in diverse scenarios in either a high, medium, or low resolution. This aids surveying and mapping in scenarios such as accident sites, power grid equipment, and even progress-tracking for construction projects.
You can also use DJI Terra to generate 2D maps in the form of high resolution orthomosaics, allowing you to get detailed and accurate measurement results. With multispectral data, you can generate radiometrically calibrated reflectance maps for remote sensing research and more, as well as produce vegetation index maps including NDVI and NDRE.
The DJI SmartFarm app allows drone users to view their drone data more clearly than ever before. The app provides end-to-end service support for spraying and spreading missions, including data display, device management, and field sharing. It also includes drone tutorials, mission collaborations, and measurement tools to enhance your experience with DJI drones. You can view the data aggregated in the app on either a daily or periodic basis, with the maps displaying flight trajectories and mission parameters for easy viewing.
The DJI Mavic 3M retails at CDN $5,945. In the box you’ll get the Mavic 3 Multispectral aircraft with RTK Module, a remote controller, and all the necessary chargers and cables. You can also add on popular accessories such as additional Intelligent Flight Batteries, Low-Noise Propellers, a Battery Charging Hub, and the Enterprise Series Battery Kit that includes 3 Intelligent Flight Batteries and a Battery Charging Hub.
If you’re trying to perform aerial surveillance, mapping, or any form of agricultural maintenance, the new DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral is one of the best drones you can get. Its fully integrated imaging system gives you reliable access to the kind of data you need to get the job done. The combination of the RGB camera and the multispectral camera ensure that the drone captures crystal clear details no matter what the weather or lighting conditions. Buy the DJI Mavic 3M today to take advantage of its incredible capabilities, superior flight time, and extreme user-friendliness.
Dr Drone
Author
DrDrone is Canada's leading provider of drone technical services, with over a decade of experience and the distinction of being the first company in the country to offer drone servicing and repairs. As the largest drone vendor in Canada, we are also the primary supplier of Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) to the Canadian government. Our team members possess extensive knowledge of each drone's technical specifications and have a wealth of hands-on experience. For more than ten years, we have been dismantling and reconstructing drones, ensuring a deep understanding of these systems.