The world’s only third party camera integration on a DJI Mavic product. Custom gimbal components, machined from 6061 grade aluminium stabilise a powerful sensor package consisting of a Boson 320 thermal camera with the standard 2x optical zoom camera of the Mavic 2 Zoom.
The thermal video feed is transmitted through the Mavic’s systems, so no extra displays, batteries or other equipment is required. A housing on top of the drone contains video processing circuitry.
In an industry first, the MK.III is designed both in functionality and price to enable Public Safety agencies, volunteer Search and Rescue teams and government agencies to access high quality aerial thermal imaging.
When combined with the 2x optical zoom visible light camera, the MK.III can search a given area vastly quicker than other options with lower quality thermal sensors.
Our integration maintains the world renowned portability and rapid deployment of the DJI Mavic platform whilst providing a powerful host of sensors for detecting humans.
Selecting between colour palettes and gain settings is instantaneous and completed with the push of a button, allowing users to select the correct camera settings for the situation at hand with unprecedented speed.
Camera systems on the MK.III are controlled via a small module which simply plugs into the USB port of the controller. No tools needed.
A small status display and buttons provides immediate control of thermal/visual camera switching, thermal camera controls and LED status.
Physical controls allows extremely fast and intuitive use of the thermal camera without having to navigate cumbersome menus, ensuring that all users can extract the best performance out of the camera system. The majority of flights can be completed with gloves being worn, a vital feature in SAR use.
This image depicts the International Animal Rescue charity using the MK.III to search for forest fires, whilst tracking wildlife in Borneo.
All the lights on the MK.III can be switched off with the touch of a button. This feature, when combined with the optical zoom and long range thermal cameras allows the drone to be positioned out of sight, and earshot, of passers by. This enables discreet surveillance which is not possible on larger models of drone, or those with poorer quality sensors.
In the current market for off-the-shelf thermal camera drones, the main offerings in the sub $30,000 market are the Matrice 210 with XT2 camera at the top of this range, which offers excellent capability for a high price, and the Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual which offers both a low price with very limited capability.
The MK.III aims to fill this gap, with a mid-low price and midrange thermal camera capability. See below for examples on how the MK.III’s Boson sensor compares with the Mavic 2 Dual’s Lepton sensor.
In addition to our main base of operation in the UK, we have formed partnerships with established DJI dealers and repair centres in both the USA and Australia.
This allows sales and service to be locally supported, and a 1 year warranty is provided by Revolve Drones.
Our first pre-production MK.III has been used by International Animal Rescue in Ketapang Borneo since late August 2019. Besides proving the reliability of the setup, the MK.III adds extremely valuable thermal imaging capability to IAR’s drone arsenal.
International Animal Rescue have been using drones for several years as part of their global wildlife conservation programmes. Desperate for a high quality, low cost thermal imaging solution to combat the forest fires devastating Orangutan’s habitats in Borneo, they reached out to us for help.
Revolve Drones delivered and tested the pre-production model in Borneo before handing it over. Since then it has proven helpful in both combating and preventing fires, with no technical issues despite the tough conditions.
