DJI’s AirWorks 2020 Virtual Conference started today: one of the first of the fully virtual drone events to take place this year. AirWorks has become one of the major conferences for the drone industry, offering updates and information from the world’s largest manufacturer on new products and new partnerships, and providing the drone industry ecosystem a platform for sharing information on new applications. In DJI AirWorks Keynote address, Christopher Tuazon, DJI’s Senior Brand Manager, provided stakeholders with insight into DJI’s future plans – including their vision of a standardized, integrated drone data platform.
Among the themes at this year’s DJI AirWorks Keynote were integration and interoperability. DJI announced a new integration with GIS system ESRI. “Through a direct integration between DJI hardware and ESRI’s Site Scan for ArcGIS, we will be advancing joint-developments of highly integrated solutions for the AEC, urban planning, public safety, and energy industries,” says DJI.
DJI’s also announced a new mission management platform. “FlightHub software will evolve from a fleet and pilot management tool into a comprehensive mission management platform centered around flight operations,” says DJI. “With the new system, drones will deliver live data on top of an enhanced reality model for better coordination between field operators and command centers.”
Tuazon emphasized DJI’s vision of having managers schedule drones to complete routine tasks automatically and deliver usable data quickly. Automating routine tasks and moving towards advanced autonomy is part of what Tuazon refers to as a focus on “intent driven flights,” and DJI has a plan to build out the ecosystem to make it happen.
“Interoperability is a priority,” says Tuazon. “Drones will work together by function – it’s an opportunity to include third party developers.” Another of DJI’s announcements is new support and opportunities for the more than 20,000 developers and 1,000 DJI apps. DJI will improve its software development kit (SDK) tools and provide more access to support and resources: including the might of DJI’s global sales channel, a strong motivation for developers. In addition: “DJI’s new UX SDK changes the way developers and enterprises interact with DJI’s software and gives them more control over their DJI drone fleet – enabling them to meet stringent security requirements and ship unique, integrated software that meets the most demanding enterprise requirements,” says DJI.
Virtual Drone Shows: AirWorks Looks Like a Success
How was the virtual format? DJI clearly invested a lot in making it easy – and it worked. They communicated the how-to clearly and made joining sessions a quick, one-click process. With shorter, easy-to-find sessions and the opportunity to listen at your convenience if you miss it the first time, the virtual format may lack the spontaneity of an in-person event: but has its own set of advantages.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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https://dronelife.com/2020/08/25/dji-airworks-keynote-integration-interoperability/