DJI
![]() | |
![]() Headquarters at the Skyworth Semiconductor Design Building in Shenzhen | |
DJI | |
Native name | 大疆创新科技有限公司 |
Type | Private |
Industry | |
Founded | 2006 |
Founder | Frank Wang (Wang Tao) |
Headquarters | , China |
Area served | Worldwide |
Products | |
Revenue | ![]() |
Number of employees | 14,000[2] (2018) |
Divisions |
|
Subsidiaries | Hasselblad |
Website | www |
SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd.[3] or Shenzhen DJI Sciences and Technologies Ltd. (Chinese: 深圳大疆创新科技有限公司) in full,[4] more popularly known as its trade name DJI, which stands for Da-Jiang Innovations (大疆创新; 'Great Frontier Innovations'), is a Chinese technology company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, with manufacturing facilities throughout the world. DJI manufactures commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for aerial photography and videography. It also designs and manufactures camera gimbals, action cameras, camera stabilizers, flight platforms, propulsion systems and flight control systems.
DJI accounts for around 70% of the world's consumer drone market as of March 2020.[5] Its camera drone technology is widely used in the music, television and film industries. The company's products have also been used by militaries and police forces,[6] as well as terrorist groups, with the company taking steps to limit access to the latter.[7]
Some US government institutions have prohibited the internal use of DJI products,[8] but as of 2020, various agencies at the local and federal level continued to use DJI products.[6] In December 2021, the United States Department of the Treasury prohibited investment in DJI by U.S. individuals and entities, accusing the company of complicity in aiding the Uyghur genocide.[9]
History[edit]
The company was founded in 2006 by Frank Wang (Wāng Tāo, 汪滔).[10] Born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, he enrolled as a college student in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in 2003. He was part of the HKUST team participating in ABU Robocon and won third prize.[11]
Wang built the first prototypes of DJI's projects in his dorm room, selling the flight control components to universities and Chinese electric companies. He used the proceeds to move to the industrial hub of Shenzhen and hired a small number of staff in 2006. The company struggled at first, with a high degree of churn among employees that has been attributed to Wang's abrasive personality and perfectionist expectations of his employees. The company sold a modest amount of components during this period, relying as well on financial support from Wang's family friend, Lu Di, who provided US$90,000 and managed the company's finances.[12] In 2009, DJI's components allowed a team to successfully pilot a drone around the peak of Mt. Everest.[6]
In 2010, Wang hired a high school friend, Swift Xie Jia, to run the company's marketing. DJI began to cater more to drone hobbyists in markets outside of China. In 2011, Wang met Colin Guinn at a trade show, and the two of them founded DJI North America, a subsidiary company focusing on mass market drone sales. In 2013, DJI released the first model of the Phantom drone, an entry-level drone which was more user-friendly than other drones on the market at the time.
The Phantom was commercially successful, but it led to conflict between Guinn and Wang. Midway through the year, Wang made an offer to buy Guinn out, which Guinn refused. By the end of the year, DJI had locked all employees of the North American subsidiary out of their email accounts and was well on its way to shutting down the subsidiary's operations. Guinn sued DJI, with the case being settled out of court.[12]
In 2015, DJI eclipsed the success of the Phantom with the release of the Phantom 3, whose even greater popularity was in part due to the addition of a built in live-streaming camera.[6] DJI was now the largest consumer drone company in the world,[13] driving many of its competitors out of the market over the following years.[6] 2015 also marked the beginning of DJI's RoboMaster Robotics Competition (机甲大师赛), an annual international collegiate robot combat tournament held at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre.[14]
In November 2015, DJI announced the establishment of a strategic partnership with Hasselblad.[15] In January 2019, DJI acquired a majority stake in Hasselblad.[citation needed]
In 2017, DJI won a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award for its camera drone technology, which was used in the filming of various television shows including The Amazing Race, American Ninja Warrior, Better Call Saul and Game of Thrones.[16] That same year, Wang became Asia's youngest tech billionaire,[17] and world's very first drone billionaire.[18]
Also in 2017, signed a strategic cooperation agreement to provide surveillance drones for use by the Chinese police in Xinjiang.[6][19]
On 5 June 2018, police body cam and Taser maker Axon announced a partnership with DJI to sell surveillance drones to U.S. police departments.[20][21] As of 2020, DJI products are also widely used by U.S. police and fire departments.[6]
On 21 January 2019, DJI announced that an internal probe had uncovered "extensive" fraud by certain employees who "inflated the costs of parts and materials for certain products for personal financial gain."[22] DJI estimated the cost of the fraud at "up to CN¥1 billion" (US$147 million), but maintained that the company "did not incur a full year loss in 2018."[23]
In January 2020, the United States Department of the Interior announced that it would be grounding around 800 drones, which it had been using for wildlife conservation and infrastructure monitoring purposes. As of March 2020, DJI holds nearly 77% of the US market share for consumer drones, with no other company holding more than 4%.[6]
In 2020, DJI drones are being used by many countries around the world to combat the Coronavirus.[24] In China, DJI drones are used by the police force to remind people to wear masks. In other countries, such as Morocco and Saudi Arabia, DJI drones are used to disinfect urban areas and monitor human temperatures in order to contain the spread of Coronavirus.[25]
Corporation structure and infrastructure[edit]
In 2018, DJI raised roughly $1 billion in funds in preparation for an envisioned IPO at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.[26] As of July 2020, these rumors persisted with no indication that an IPO is forthcoming.[27] The company had previously raised $500 million in a 2015 funding round from investors including New China Life Insurance Co Ltd, GIC, and New Horizon Capital, the latter being co-founded by the son of China's former premier minister Wen Jiabao.[28]
DJI counts roughly 14,000 employees and has 17 offices internationally.[29] The company is known for having a very difficult hiring process, as well as an extremely competitive internal culture, where teams are often pitted against each other to design better products.[6]
DJI's factories in Shenzhen include highly sophisticated automated assembly lines. Many of the components for these assembly lines are built in-house.[6]
Products[edit]
Flight systems[edit]
Controllers[edit]
DJI develops flight controllers intended for multi-rotor stabilization control of various platforms or heavy payloads in aerial photography. The A2 controller includes orientation, landing, and home return features. Products include GPS-compass receivers, LED indicators and Bluetooth connectivity.[30][31]
Model | A2 | Naza V2 | Wookong-M | Naza-M Lite |
---|---|---|---|---|
Number of motors supported | 4–8 | 4–8 | 4–8 | 4–6 |
Has built-in receiver | yes (2.4 GHz) | no | no | no |
Hovering accuracy (m) | vertical: ±0.5m / horizontal: ±1.5m | vertical: ±0.8m / horizontal: ±2.5m | vertical: ±0.5m / horizontal: ±2m | vertical: ±0.8m / horizontal: ±2.5m |
Motor-rotor configuration | quad-rotor: +4,X4; hex-rotor: +6,X6,Y6,Rev Y6; octo-rotor: +8,X8,V8 | quad-rotor: I4, X4; hex-rotor: I6, X6, IY6, Y6; octo-rotor: I8,V8,X8 | quad-rotor: +4,X4; hex-rotor: +6,X6,Y6,Rev Y6; octo-rotor: +8,X8,V8 | quad-rotor I4, X4; hex-rotor I6, X6, IY6, Y6 |
Camera stabilization, platforms[edit]
Ronin[edit]
![](http://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20220404195923im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Habib_Wahid_with_DJI_Ronin-S.jpg/220px-Habib_Wahid_with_DJI_Ronin-S.jpg)
The Ronin (如影) is a standalone ground-based camera platform developed for cinematography and aerial filmmaking in professional environments. It is built for professional videography and photography and targets the film industry. By using three individual motors, Ronin stabilizes when moving vigorously.[32] Later models of the Ronin include the Ronin-M, Ronin 2, Ronin-S, Ronin-SC, and the Ronin 4D.[33][34]
Modules[edit]
Module | Lightbridge | PMU (A2, Wookong, Naza V2, Naza Lite) | iOSD MARK II | iOSD mini | BTU |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type (Purpose) | Video Downlink | Power Management | On-Screen Display | On-Screen Display | Bluetooth Link |
Works With | A2, Wookong-M, Naza V2 | A2, Wookong-M, Naza V2, Naza-M Lite | A2, Wookong-M, Naza V2 | A2, Wookong-M, Naza V2 | Naza V2 |
Interface | CAN Bus | CAN Bus, Battery Connection | CAN Bus | CAN Bus | CAN Bus |
Battery Requirements | 4S-6S Lipo | 4S-12S Lipo | 4S Lipo and Shared Flight Controller Power | 2S Lipo and Shared Flight Controller Power | Shared Flight Controller Power |
UAVs[edit]
Flame Wheel[edit]
The Flame Wheel (风火轮) series are multirotor platforms for aerial photography. As of 2016, there is the hexacopter F550, and quadcopters F330 and F450. The most recent is the ARF KIT.[35][36]
Model | Flame Wheel F330 | Flame Wheel F450 | Flame Wheel F550 |
---|---|---|---|
Diagonal wheelbase (cm) | 33 | 45 | 69 |
Frame weight (g) | 156 | 282 | 478 |
Take-off weight (g) | 600–1200 | 800–1600 | 1200–2400 |
Phantom[edit]
The Phantom (精灵) series has evolved to integrated flight programming with a camera, Wi-Fi or Lightbridge connectivity, and the pilot's mobile device.[37] Phantoms are made for aerial cinematography and photography applications,[38] but are also used in recreational use.[39]
There have now been four generations of the product line, the most recent one is the Phantom 4 RTK, announced on October 15, 2018.[40][41][42]
Model | Phantom 1 | Phantom 2 | Phantom 2 Vision | Phantom 2 Vision+ | Phantom FC40 | Phantom 3 Standard | Phantom 3 4K | Phantom 3 Advanced | Phantom 3 Professional | Phantom 3 SE | Phantom 4 | Phantom 4 Pro | Phantom 4 Advanced | Phantom 4 Pro v2.0 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal wheelbase (mm) | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 |
Height (m) | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 |
Power consumption (W) | 3.12 | — | — | — | 3.12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Take-off weight (g) | < 1200 | < 1300 | 1180 | 1284 | 1200 | 1216 | 1280 | 1280 | 1280 | 1280 | 1380 | 1388 | 1368 | 1375 |
Max speed (m/s) | 10 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
Endurance (min) | — | 25 | 25 | 25 | 10 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Rate of climb/descend (m/s) | 6 | 6/2 | 6/2 | 6/2 | 6 | 5/3 | 5/3 | 5/3 | 5/3 | 5/3 | 6/4 | 6/4 | 6/4 | 6/4 |
Operating temperature (°C) | −10 to 50 | −10 to 50 | — | — | −10 to 50 | 0 to 40 | 0 to 40 | 0 to 40 | 0 to 40 | 0 to 40 | 0 to 40 | 0 to 40 | 0 to 40 | 0 to 40 |
Maximum altitude (m) | 6000 | 6000 | 6000 | 6000 | 6000 | 6000 | 6000 | 6000 | 6000 | |||||
Maximum range (m) | 1000 | 4000 | 5000 | 7000 | 7000 | 7000 |
Mavic[edit]
The Mavic (御) series currently includes Mavic Pro, Mavic Pro Platinum, Mavic Air, Mavic Air 2, DJI Air 2S, Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic 2 Zoom, Mavic 2 Enterprise, Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced, Mavic 3, Mavic 3 Cine, Mavic Mini, DJI Mini SE, and DJI Mini 2. The release of the Mavic Air 2 was not without controversy, however, as DJI announced that a key safety feature, AirSense (ADS-B), would not be available on models outside the USA.[43] Shortages on components and complexities of production owing to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis at the time were blamed.
Starting with the Mini 2, the Mavic name was dropped from most of the new models such as the Air 2S and the Mini SE.
DJI released the Air 2S on April 15, 2021. [44]
The DJI Mavic 3 and the Mavic 3 Cine was released on November 4, 2021, at 10PM EDT.[45] The Mavic 3 superseded the Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic 2 Zoom and was priced for prosumers and professionals more than hobbyists.
Model | Mavic Pro[46] | Mavic Air[47] | Mavic 2 Pro[48] | Mavic 2 Zoom[48] | Mavic 3[49] | Mavic 3 Cine[49] | Mavic Air 2[50] | Air 2S[51] | Mavic Mini[52] | Mini 2[53] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maximum Speed (Sport mode, no wind) | 18.0 m/s | 19.0 m/s | 20 m/s | 20 m/s | 19 m/s | 19 m/s | 19 m/s | 19 m/s | 13 m/s | 16 m/s |
Maximum Speed (P-Mode) | 9.7 m/s | 6.9 m/s | 13.4 m/s | 13.4 m/s | 15 m/s | 15 m/s | 12 m/s | 15 m/s | 8 m/s | 10 m/s |
Empty weight (grams) | 734 (without gimbal cover) / 743 (with gimbal cover) | 430 (without gimbal cover) | 907 (max takeoff weight) | 905 (max takeoff weight) | 895 (max takeoff weight) | 899 (max takeoff weight) | 570 (max takeoff weight) | 595 (Takeoff weight) | 249 (default) / 199 (Japan) | 249 |
Flight time | ~27 Mins | ~21 Mins | ~31 Mins | ~31 Mins | ~46 Mins | ~46 Mins | ~34 Mins | 31 Mins | ~30 Mins | ~31 Mins |
Operating temperature (°C) | 0° to 40 °C | 0° to 40 °C | -10° to 40 °C | -10° to 40 °C | -10° to 40 °C | -10° to 40 °C | -10° to 40 °C | 0° to 40 °C | 0° to 40 °C | 0° to 40 °C |
Range (with controller) | 7 km, 3.5 km with CE controller | 4 km, 2 km with CE controller | 8 km | 8 km | 30 km | 30 km | 10 km, 6 km with CE controller | 18.5 km(No wind) | 4 km, 2 km with CE controller | 10 km |
Spreading Wings[edit]
The Spreading Wings (筋斗云) series are mainly industrial UAVs for professional aerial photography, high definition 3D mapping, ultra-light search and rescue, and surveillance etc. based on camera gear on board. In 2013, two models were released: S800 regular and EVO.[54]
Model | Spreading Wings S800 | Spreading Wings S800 EVO | Spreading Wings S900 | Spreading Wings S1000 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal wheelbase (cm) | 80 | 80 | 90 | 104.5 |
Empty weight (kg) | 2.6 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 4.2 |
Take-off weight (kg) | 5 – 7 | 6 – 8 | 4.7 – 8.2 | 6 – 11 |
Endurance (min) | 16 | 20 | 18 | 15 |
Operating temperature (°C) | — | — | - 10 to 40 | - 10 to 40 |
Inspire[edit]
The Inspire (悟) series is a professional series of camera quadcopters similar to the Phantom line, but with an aluminum-magnesium body with carbon fibre arms, as well as detachable props on the Inspire 2. It was presented in 2017.[55]
Inspire specifications:[56]
Model | Inspire 1 | Inspire 1 Pro | Inspire 2[57] |
---|---|---|---|
Weight | 2935 g (Battery included) | 3400 g (Battery, propellers and Zenmuse X5 included) | 3440 g (Battery, propellers and camera on board) |
Takeoff weight | 3400 g | 3500 g | 4000 g |
Hovering accuracy
GPS mode |
vertical: 0.5 m; horizontal: 2.5 m | vertical: 0.5 m; horizontal: 2.5 m | vertical: 0.5 m; horizontal: 1.5 m |
Max angular velocity | pitch: 300°/s; yaw: 150°/s | pitch: 300°/s; yaw: 150°/s | pitch: 300°/s; yaw: 150°/s |
Max tilt angle | 35° | 35° | 35° |
Max ascent/descent speed | 5/4 m/s | 5/4 m/s | 5/6 m/s |
Max speed | 22 m/s (ATTI mode, no wind) | 18 m/s (ATTI mode, no wind) | 24 m/s (ATTI mode, no wind) |
Max flight altitude | 4500 m | 4500 m | 4500 m |
Max wind speed resistance | 10 m/s | 10 m/s | 10 m/s |
Operating temperature range | −10°−40 °C | −10°−40 °C | −20°−40 °C |
Max flight time | approximately 18 minutes | approximately 15 minutes | approximately 27 minutes |
Indoor hovering | Enabled by default | Enabled by default | Enabled by default |
Release date | November 13, 2014 | January 5, 2016 | November 16, 2016 |
Matrice[edit]
![](http://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20220404195923im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Besichtigung_ICE-Instandhaltungswerk_K%C3%B6ln-Nippes_Februar_2018-9436.jpg/220px-Besichtigung_ICE-Instandhaltungswerk_K%C3%B6ln-Nippes_Februar_2018-9436.jpg)
The Matrice (经纬) series is designed for industrial applications, including surveying, inspection, search and rescue and firefighting.[58]
The Matrice 100 is a fully programmable and customizable drone, launched on July 6, 2015.[59] It has expansion bay and communication ports, which allows developers to add additional components for different purposes.[60] The Matrice 600pro was released November 2016, followed by the Matrice 200 announced in February 2017.
Spark[edit]
Released in May 2017, the Spark (晓) features a 12-megapixel camera stabilized mechanically by a 2-axis gimbal. The Spark also carries an advanced infrared 3D camera that helps the drone to detect obstacles in front of it, as well as facilitating hand-gesture control. In addition to a smartphone app with virtual controller, a physical controller can also be bought.[61]
There have been multiple complaints that the drone switches off and fall while flying.[62] DJI responded to this by releasing a mandatory battery firmware update in August 2017.[63] In November 2019 the Mavic Mini was released, replacing the Spark in DJI's consumer line-up.
FPV[edit]
On March 2, 2021, DJI announced the launch of the DJI FPV, an entirely new type of hybrid drone combining the first-person view (FPV) and high-speed performance of racing drones, the cinematic camera and reliability of traditional consumer drones, and an optional innovative motion controller that allows pilots to control the drone with just single-handed movements. Based on DJI's earlier Digital FPV system, the drone features high-performance motors for a maximum air speed of 140 km/h (87 mph) and a 0-100 km acceleration of just 2 seconds under manual mode, an intuitive user interface and the latest safety features for greater flight control. The new FPV system lets pilots see from the drone's perspective in low-latency high-definition video thanks to "O3", the third iteration of DJI's proprietary OcuSync technology. It allows pilots to capture ultra-smooth and stable 4K video at 60 fps with the stabilization of RockSteady electronic image stabilization.[64]
Camcorders[edit]
Osmo[edit]
The Osmo (灵眸) is a camcorder developed by DJI. The camera uses a smartphone to view camera footage and can record 4K and take either 12–16 MP stills. Later models include the Osmo Pocket[65] and the Osmo Action.[66][67][68]
The Osmo mobile relies on the user's smartphone as the camera. Most smartphones are accepted into the gimbal with a width range of 2.31–3.34 inch (58.6-84.8 mm). The original Osmo Mobile has reached its end-of-life and has been replaced with a second generation, called Mobile Osmo 2.[69][70][71] Osmo Mobile 3 was announced in August 2019, and is designed for the social media crowd.[72]
Zenmuse gimbal-cameras[edit]
The Zenmuse (禅思) series of gimbal cameras are a mixed system made of a compact camera and a 3-axis gimbal, designed as a part of a modular system, for example attached to UAVs. The 2019 Zenmuse X7 gimbal camera features a camera with interchangeable 4 prime DJI DL-mount lenses.
Goggles[edit]
The DJI FPV series[73] are head-mounted displays designed for FPV drone flying. There are two different product lines in the FPV series, the DJI Goggles (DJI飞行眼镜) and the Digital FPV System (FPV数字图传系统). The DJI Goggles are designed to interface with DJI-branded drones, using dual LC display screens, wireless connectivity and direct photo and video capture control. In November 2017, DJI also released DJI Goggles RE ("Racing Edition"), which featured compatibility with racing quadcopters.[74] The DJI Digital FPV System is a standalone system designed for non-DJI brand or custom-built drones.[75]
Educational robots[edit]
RoboMaster S1[edit]
On 11 June 2019, DJI unveiled the RoboMaster S1 (机甲大师 S1), its first consumer ground drone, named after DJI's annual RoboMaster robot combat competition,[76] of which it is now an unofficial mascot. The S1 is a tank-like rover remotely controlled in first-person view via Wi-Fi and an app on Microsoft Windows, Apple iOS or Google Android mobile devices. Designed to be an "advanced educational robot", the user has to assemble the S1 out of the box from loose parts and learn to program its AI functionality. Both Scratch and Python are programming languages employed by DJI along with app learning modules to teach the end user how to code.[77]
RoboMaster EP[edit]
The DJI RoboMaster EP (机甲大师 EP) was officially released on March 9, 2020, although it was first teased in a YouTube RoboMaster S1 commercial on November 25, 2019.[78] On August 8, 2020, DJI formally launched an upgraded version named RoboMaster EP Core. Intended to be a counterpart to the Engineer robot from the competition, the EP Core features a gripper and numerous infrared distance sensors that can detect between 0.1–10 m (3.9 in – 32 ft 9.7 in).
The EP supports more than 20 third-party sensors and open-source hardware such as Micro Bit, Arduino and Raspberry Pi.[79]
Controversies[edit]
Privacy and security concerns in the U.S.[edit]
U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Aviation Services said in their analysis in July 2017 that DJI's software they did not meet requirement to be to decline and lock out any device information sharing including telemetry through aircraft, software or applications preventing any automated uploads or downloads.[80] As response DJI published the offline mode that allows its drones to fly without transferring data over the internet.[81]
The Register reported in August 2017 that the DJI's Go app contained JSPatch framework which allowed DJI to hot-patch the app without triggering a review by Apple or without first seeking user consent. This was against Apple's rules and 45000 apps was blocked from App Store because of use of JSPatch at the time.[82] In August United States Army also changed its internal guidance on disallowing the use of DJI products especially in battlefield. Guidance was based on Army Research Laboratory report from May 2017 which found cyber vulnerabilities.[83][84] US Army's decision launched public research where it was speculated that the decision was because that data link between the controller and the drone was vulnerable.[85]
As result in DJI released bug bounty program for finding flaws. Security researcher Kevin Finisterre reported a security breach of private customer data at DJI to bug bounty program. In the breach which he found developers has pushed the private keys for SSL and cloud storage and firmware AES keys to GitHub repository. As Finisterre's description in Ars Technica he was able to access with the keys to flight log data and images uploaded by DJI customers, including photos of government IDs, drivers licenses, and passports. Some of the data included flight logs from accounts associated with government and military domains. However, the after the long discussion with DJI's legal team he decided to turn down the $30,000 bug bounty and publish the information.[86]
In 2018, to response to the allegations of mishandling the user data DJI commissioned Kivu Consulting to make larger analysis. Kivu found that only DJI GO 4 app was connected to the internet, it worked without internet connection and only uploaded data after user confirmation. It also used to servers which located in US except the crash reporting app called Bugly which uploaded crash reports to the server located in china.[83]
In January 2020, the United States Department of the Interior announced that it would be grounding around 800 DJI drones over security concerns, which it had been using for wildlife conservation and infrastructure monitoring purposes.[87]
In a May 2020 report analyzing the data use of DJI's Mimo app, which is used to control the Osmo gimbles from a smartphone, security research company River Loop Security made several discoveries "of concern" for users and policy-makers.[88] According to the researchers, the social media app sends a variety of data, including sensitive personal information, through insecure means to servers located in China without user consent, raising suspicions that personal user data could be freely accessible to the Chinese authorities.[88] User information was also sent to third-party servers, "where the Terms of Use Agreement supports cooperation with the Chinese Government."[88]
In July 2020, the reports by Synacktiv and GRIMM on the security of the DJI GO 4 mobile app found that it collected user information (IMSI, IMEI, the serial number of the SIM card) from phones and was able to force the installation of updates. The app also prompted the user to grant permission to "Install Unknown Apps" for installing update from DJI site.[89] The app also integrated to social media site Weibo's SDK similar way and allowed to install Weibo related third-party apps also. Synacktiv wrote "Given the wide permissions required by DJI GO 4 — contacts, microphone, camera, location, storage, change network connectivity — the DJI or Weibo Chinese servers have almost full control over the user's phone."[90]
DJI responded that "system detects if a DJI app is not the official version – for example, if it has been modified to remove critical flight safety features like geofencing or altitude restrictions – we notify the user and require them to download the most recent official version of the app from our website. In future versions, users will also be able to download the official version from Google Play if it is available in their country"[91] In the statement release DJI said that to use Weibo SDK user's need proactively turn it on.[91] DJI also responded that “DJI GO 4 is not able to restart itself without input from the user, and we are investigating why these researchers claim (that it will stay running after it is closed) ”.[92] In August 2020, Synacktiv alleged that DJI's Pilot app shares many of the same issues present in DJI GO 4, which DJI denied.
In analysis by Booz Allen Hamilton reported that he didn't find evidence unauthorized data transfers to China. The apps used the backend servers located in US. Only exception was the crash analytics which contacted to Chinese servers.[93]
In November 2020, senators Chris Coons, Rick Scott, and others criticized a decision by the United States Air Force to purchase DJI drones on security grounds.[94]
U.S. sanctions[edit]
In December 2020, the United States Department of Commerce added DJI to the Bureau of Industry and Security's Entity List.[95][96] In January 2021, Trump signed an executive order mandating the removal of Chinese-made drones from U.S. government fleets.[97] In December 2021, the United States Department of the Treasury prohibited investment in DJI by U.S. individuals and entities, accusing the company of assisting the People's Liberation Army and complicity in aiding the Uyghur genocide.[9]
Pentagon analysis[edit]
In May 2021, United States Department of Defense issued an analysis on DJI products. The unclassified portion of the report concluded that two[98] types of drone in the DJI "Government Edition" line-up shows "no malicious code or intent and are recommended for use by government entities and forces working with US services."[99] This is according to a summary obtained by The Hill[100] though the Defense Department did not respond to an inquiry asking for elaboration.
Incidents involving DJI products[edit]
In January 2015, a Phantom 3 crashed into the White House's south lawn, in Washington, D.C., US.[101] DJI later set up a no-fly Geo-system according to prohibited airspace, and forced all drones to update the firmware. The new system will forbid flights getting closer or take off in restricted zones based on its GPS location.[102]
In the 2015 Tokyo drone incident, a DJI Phantom 2 drone carrying radioactive material was landed on the Prime Minister's Official Residence. Subsequently, the National Diet passed a law restricting drone flights near government buildings and nuclear sites.[103]
In 2016, ISIS used DJI drones as exploding devices in Iraq.[104][105] DJI later created a broad no-fly zone over nearly all of Iraq and Syria.[7] That year, a DJI drone was nearly involved in a midair collision with a Chinese fighter jet. The Chinese government subsequently insisted that DJI develop an air traffic registry to track its drones within China.[6]
On 30 March 2018, Israel Defense Forces used DJI's Matrice 600 drone to drop tear gas from above, causing injuries, panic and death during Gaza and West Bank protests.[106][107]
On 4 August 2018, two Matrice 600 drones detonated explosives near Avenida Bolívar, Caracas in an apparent attempt to assassinate Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.[108]
During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that DJI drones were being used by Russia against Ukrainian forces via the drones' AeroScope function.[109] DJI technical support later replied and The Verge interviewed a company spokesperson to clarify the issue.[110] After German retailer Media Markt stopped selling DJI drones, DJI stated that their products for civilian usage and inappropriate to engage with the military.[111]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "大疆造车疑云". Jun 30, 2021. Retrieved Jun 30, 2021.
- ^ "关于大疆:DJI大疆招聘". Retrieved Apr 7, 2020.
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{{cite news}}
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External links[edit]
Media related to DJI (company) at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- DJI
- Multinational companies headquartered in China
- Manufacturing companies based in Shenzhen
- Privately held companies of China
- Chinese brands
- Unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturers
- Unmanned helicopters of China
- Multirotor helicopters
- Chinese companies established in 2006
- Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 2006