China's DJI Launches AP100 Parachute System, Priced at Approximately $1,050

en.Wedoany.com Reported - China's DJI has officially released the AP100 parachute system, designed specifically for the professional commercial drone Matrice 400, aimed at protecting the drone itself, as well as ground personnel and property, in the event of unexpected failures.

The AP100 system weighs less than 1 kilogram and does not limit the drone's maximum payload after installation. The device is IP55 certified, offering dust and water resistance, and can operate across a wide temperature range. The manufacturer has also equipped it with a redundant system to ensure normal operation even if a single component fails.

The Matrice 400 is a drone weighing nearly 10 kilograms. The system deploys the parachute within 0.6 seconds (600 milliseconds), reducing the descent speed to below 5 meters per second. Upon activation, the system immediately cuts power to the motors to prevent the ropes from tangling with the propellers.

The AP100 operates based on its own flight controller and independent inertial measurement unit (IMU), completely independent of the drone's main system. Even if the drone is fully powered off, two built-in capacitors can provide an additional hour of power to the parachute system. After activation, it cuts power to the drone's motors through an independent channel, and the system emits visual and audible alarm signals for approximately one hour to help ground teams locate the equipment.

When combined with the Matrice 400, the DJI AP100 system meets the stringent requirements of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) C5/C6 classification and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) UK5/UK6 classification, providing operators with a legal pathway for flights over populated areas and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations within the strictly regulated European airspace.

Adding the parachute reduces the drone's flight time by only about 6 minutes, even under full load conditions. The AP100 system is priced at approximately $1,050. For a drone worth over $10,000, this cost is highly attractive. Currently, the system is only available through DJI authorized dealers, and the manufacturer has not yet opened direct sales to end users.