The Biggest Drone Launches of 2023
BY Zacc Dukowitz
27 December 20232023 was a massive year for drone product launches.
DJI alone released six drones, Skydio launched the X10, and BRINC put out the second generation of its public safety drone, the LEMUR 2.
Keep reading for the 11 biggest drone launches we saw this year.
1. The Skydio X10
This year, Skydio unveiled the Skydio X10 at Ascend, the company’s first ever live event (it had both virtual and in-person sessions).
The last commercial drone Skydio launched was the X2. So why the jump from X2 all the way to X10?
The name of the X10 doesn’t come from a sequential order, like the Inspire 3 coming after the Inspire 2. Instead, the X10 gets its name from the fact that it has 10X more computing power and 10X more effective navigation pixels than X2.
In effect, this means Skydio’s new drone is 10X more capable when it comes to autonomy. And Skydio is known for its autonomous drones, so to think it’s found a way to 10X those capabilities is pretty impressive.
Specs & Features
- Flight time. 40 minutes.
- Transmission range. 7.5 miles.
- Weight. 4.6 pounds.
- Deployment time. <40sec.
- Max flight speed. 45mph.
- Weather protection. IP55, certified against dust and water.
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2. The BRINC Lemur 2
This year, BRINC launched the second version of its LEMUR drone for public safety agency work. At the time of the original LEMUR’s launch, it was one of the only drones made just for public safety work.
The company’s founder Blake Resnick started BRINC after the Mandalay Bay shooting in 2017. Resnick is from Las Vegas, NV, where the shooting took place, and he wanted to create technology that could help law enforcement work to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The LEMUR 2 comes with a robust array of sensors, combining 10 unique systems for data collection made to support a variety of tactical ops. These sensors include:
- Visual 4K
- Tracking camera
- Spotlight with a strobe
- Night vision with multiple night vision illuminators
- Thermal imaging with a FLIR thermal imager
- Two-way communications with a microphone and loudspeaker, as on the original LEMUR
- LiDAR
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3. Teal Drones’ Teal 2
Teal Drones launched the Teal 2 this year, a military-grade drone made for military, government, and commercial applications.
The Teal 2 comes with state-of-the-art intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) technology, making it a high quality tool for work in private security or reconnaissance during military operations, as well as for inspections or other common commercial applications.
One of the biggest selling points of the Teal 2 is that it has robust support for night ops, as indicated by the tagline Teal’s using to promote it—Dominate the Night.
Here are some highlights for the Teal 2:
- Multi-vehicle control. The Teal 2 supports multiple drones being flown by one pilot using Teal’s 4 Ship drone swarm system.
- Portable design. The Teal 2 has a compact and rugged design, making it easy to transport and deploy.
- Secure encryption. The Teal 2 provides a high level of security through its full encryption using the AES-256 standard, ensuring that data and communication remain confidential and protected from unauthorized access.
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4. The DJI Inspire 3
The Inspire 2 came out way back in 2016, the same year the FAA released its Part 107 rules. And in April of this year, DJI finally released the next version of the Inspire—the DJI Inspire 3.
The DJI Inspire 3 is a high-end 8K camera drone, ideal for professional filmmakers that offers significant advancements over its predecessor.
Here are some of its standout specs and features:
Specs & Features
- Flight time. 28 minutes, supported by the Inspire 3’s new swappable TB51 intelligent dual batteries.
- Speed. The Inspire 3 can go fast—over 58.4mph (94km/h), with a dive speed of up to 33 feet/second (10 m/s).
- Camera. The Inspire 3 comes with the new Zenmuse X9-8K Air gimbal camera. The camera shoots video at 8K/25fps CinemaDNG video and 8K/75fps Apple ProRes RAW, and uses CineCore 3.0, DJI’s latest image processing system.
- Storage. The Inspire 3’s swappable 1TB SSD has 1,100MBps write speed and 900MBps read speed.
- Transmission. New 03 Pro transmission system has a video transmission range of 9.3 miles (15km) with one controller and 7.5 miles (12km) in dual-control mode. Live feed at 1080p/60fps has ultra-low latency, with live feeds supported at 4K/30fps for a reduced range of 3 miles (5km)—producing ultra-HD livestreaming, which will help support high end work on cinematic projects.
- Obstacle avoidance. The Inspire 3 has cutting edge obstacle avoidance enabled by nine different visual sensors, allowing it to send obstacles in all directions.
- RTK. The Inspire 3 comes with RTK centimeter-level positioning, helping ensure more accurate flight-route planning and execution.
- Remote control. Comes with the DJI RC Plus remote controller.
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5. The DJI Mini 4 Pro
DJI released so many drones this year that it was a surprise to many when leaks started surfacing about another mini drone being in the works. The leaks kept coming, and soon DJI officially launched the DJI Mini 4 Pro—a drone no one expected to come out this year.
Of course, the Mini 4 Pro weighs less than 250 grams, just like all the drones in the Mini series. That low weight means that Mini drones don’t have to be registered with the FAA, since 250 grams is the threshold weight for the registration requirement.
Within that low weight, DJI has managed to pack even more capabilities than ever before in the Mini series.
The 4 has better obstacle avoidance and a longer flight time than its predecessor. (The Mini 4 Pro has a flight time of 45 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, compared to the Mini 3 Pro’s 34 minutes—but that battery is an add-on, and will push the drone over the 250 gram weight threshold.)
Specs & Features
- Flight time. 45 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Battery plus, which is an upgrade, or 34 minutes with the standard Intelligent Flight Battery.
- Camera. 1.3” CMOS sensor that shoots stills at 48MP and video at 60fps HDR. Also allows for vertical shooting.
- Transmission quality and range. 1080p/60fps FHD live feeds up to 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) with 04 video transmission.
- Obstacle avoidance. Omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, with four wide-angle vision sensors and a pair of downward vision sensors.
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6. The DJI Air 3
As is customary these days with DJI launches, a series of leaks revealed almost everything there was to know about the DJI Air 3 before it finally came out.
The Air 3 comes with a dual camera system, 46 minutes of flight time, a brand new controller, and a redesigned look similar to the Mavic 3.
Specs & Features
- Cameras. The Air 3 has a dual wide-angle and tele camera system vs. the single visual sensor found on the Air 2S.
- Photo resolution. The Air 3 can shoot stills at 48MP vs. the 20MP stills you can shoot on the Air 2S.
- Low light. The Air 3 is a good option for shooting in low-light and dark settings vs. no low-light support on the Air 2S.
- Flight time. The Air 3 has 46 minutes of flight time vs. the 31 minutes of flight time found on the Air 2S.
- Obstacle sensors. The Air 3 has an omnidirectional binocular vision system and a bottom-mounted infrared sensor vs. the forward, backward, upward, and downward obstacle sensing found on the Air 2S.
- Obstacle avoidance technology. The Air 3 has the latest generation of obstacle avoidance technology from DJI, APAS 5.0 vs. the APAS 4.0 found on the Air 2S.
- Transmission. The Air 3 has a max transmission range of 12.4 miles (20 km) supported by Ocusync 4.0 vs. the 7.4 miles (12 km) supported by Ocusync 3.0 found on the Air 2S.
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7. The DJI Matrice 3D and DJI Dock 2
The Matrice 3D was first revealed in leaks alongside leaked images of the Mini 4 Pro, with some speculating that it was a souped up Mini (which didn’t make sense, because the definition of a Mini drone is that it weighs less than 250 grams).
Along with the Matrice 3D, DJI launched the next generation of its Dock, the Dock 2, which is also only available in China. The two are being sold as an enterprise package. The Matrice 3D is even smaller than the Matrice 30, with a smaller airframe that is specifically designed to accompany the smaller Dock 2.
The new Matrice 3D comes with two cameras—a telephoto zoom and a wide-angle. It can also be equipped with a thermal camera, in a version called the Matrice 3TD.
For now, the Matrice 3D and the DJI Dock 2 are only available in China.
Specs & Features
- Weight. 3.1 pounds.
- Wide-angle camera. 4/3″ CMOS; equivalent focal length of 24mm; 20MP; and mechanical shutter.
- Telephoto camera. 1/2″ CMOS; equivalent focal length of 161mm; 12MP.
- Flight time. 50 minutes.
- Transmission range. 6.2 miles.
- Max speed. 47 mph (in Sports mode).
- Max wind resistance. 26.8 mph.
- Weather resistant. IP 54 rating.
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8. The AgEagle eBee Vision
AgEagle, the U.S. drone company that acquired senseFly, launched a new drone in the eBee series this year called the eBee Vision.
Like the other drones in the series, the eBee Vision is a fixed-wing made for commercial operations that can be deployed in three minutes by a single operator.
But where many of the previous eBees targeted mapping and surveying, the Vision is made specifically to support surveillance, and is intended for both commercial and government use.
Specs & Features
- Flight time. 90 minutes.
- Cameras. Visual sensor with 4K HD video and 32X zoom and a thermal sensor enabling nighttime operations.
- Weight. 3.5 pounds (1.6 kilograms).
- Transmission range. live HD video feed up to 12 miles (19 km).
- GNSS denied. Can operate without GNSS, which could be attractive either for operations in remote environments or for security considerations.
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9. The DJI FlyCart 30
The DJI FlyCart 30 is another drone that DJI only released in China this year. (But it’s reportedly coming to the U.S. soon, and has already received FCC approval to do so.)
DJI’s first ever delivery drone, the FlyCart 30 can carry up to 66 pounds (30 kilograms) on a dual battery or a whopping 88 pounds on a single battery (40 kilograms). And it can fly up to 10 miles when fully loaded, and 17 miles when empty.
To take on delivery loads, it has both a container system and a crane system. The easiest method to use is the container system, but it does require that you be able to actually land the drone at the delivery’s destination.
For deliveries where landing isn’t possible, the crane can be used to lower the package while the drone hovers in the air. The cable is 65 feet (20 meters) long, and the crane system can automatically release the package once it’s on the ground.
Specs & Features
- Weight. 10 pounds.
- Maximum payload. 14 pounds.
- Flight time. 45 minutes.
- Maximum speed. 55 mph.
- Maximum transmission range. Six miles.
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10. The Autel Alpha
Credit: Autel
The Autel Alpha is a foldable, medium-sized drone made for commercial applications with an impressive battery life of 45 minutes. The drone was first revealed in leaks from an in-person event Autel hosted, where several other drones, including the Autel Titan, were also unveiled.
The Alpha comes with a multi-sensor camera gimbal and the ability to support multiple payloads, making it customizable for specific types of work. It also has four jacks on the top of the drone, allowing users to load it with accessories, such as LED beacons.
Specs & Features
- Battery life. 45 minutes max.
- Transmission range. 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) image transmission distance.
- Flight speed. 65.6 f/s (20 m/s) max.
- Service ceiling. 22,965 feet (7,000 m).
- Obstacle avoidance. 360° obstacle avoidance.
- IP rating. 55.
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11. The DJI Matrice 350 RTK
Like the Mini 4 Pro, no one really expected the Matrice 350 RTK to be launched this year. The M350 RTK is an upgrade for the M300 RTK, which came out almost exactly three years ago, in May of 2020.
Now that DJI is making smaller drones in the Matrice series, there are basically two lines within one—the large flagship drones, of which the Matrice 350 RTK is the most recent, and the smaller drones like the M30 and the new Matrice 3D.
Specs & Features
- Flight time. 55 minutes, same as the M300.
- IP rating. IP55, up from IP45 with the M300. (The RC Plus has an IP54 rating.)
- Cameras. Enhanced night vision FPV camera.
- Payload capacity. Six pounds (2.7 kg).
- Transmission. Upgraded O3 enterprise transmission provides 1080p video for a range of 12.4 miles (20 km)—the M300’s range was 9.3 miles (15 km).
- Wind resistance. 39 feet/second (12 m/s) wind resistance.
- Max flight altitude. 4.3 miles (7,000 meters).
