While studying robotic design at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in 2006, Frank Wang was looking far into the future. The Hangzhou native had already won Robocon two years in a row, and, while still a student, was sneaking away from classes to Shenzhen to set up a business. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hobbyist, Wang’s dream was to build something which “allows what a bird sees.”
But like many model enthusiasts, his UAVs often crashed. Then, in 2009, Wang designed an unmanned miniature helicopter and a flight control system with algorithms inside to make for smooth soaring. He set off to the Tibet-Nepal border to prove that his dreams could be realized – and done to the extreme: Wang flew it to the top of Mount Everest. His helicopter not only survived the trip, but came back with footage unobtainable by traditional methods, proof that his ambitions were more than a student fantasy.
Fast forward to today and the business Wang was setting up on the sly in Shenzhen is DJI. With operations in Europe, Japan and the US, the business employs 1,500 people worldwide. What began in an 80-square-foot office with six others is now housed in an 11-story Silicon Valley-style commercial space in Nanshan district. Employees can nap, workout, do laundry, relax in an entertainment room or go play with one of the many UAVs in a flight area.
DJI now supplies more than 50 percent of the market demand for commercial and recreational UAVs. Wang’s former HKUST professor and mentor describes the company as “the Apple of the Pearl River Delta.”
This high praise is in part because Wang was the first to make a complicated product accessible to the public – and for a reasonable price. Anyone can order the latest ‘flying camera,’ the Phantom 2 Vision+, from the DJI website or Tmall.com for RMB7,499.
Despite being a high-tech piece of equipment, it is highly user-friendly. “Anyone can learn how to fly,” says DJI’s marketing director, Danny ‘Superman’ Zheng.
Taking a brand-new Phantom 2 Vision+ out of the box, it is assembled in five minutes by just popping on the propellers. As it whirs high up around skyscrapers, Zheng opens the DJI app on his smartphone and immediately a live feed of what the camera sees starts up.
“It has one-button share to social media,” says Zheng, explaining the features. “A flight can be programmed into the GPS mode using waypoints. More experienced pilots can use manual mode; even if there is wind it will respond to the joystick,” he says.
A flight can last 25 minutes using a rechargeable battery. And to prevent crashing, if it is flown outside of the range of the remote control, the ‘return home’ feature is activated, which will make the UAV pilot itself back to its starting point.
As often happens when innovative technology is put into the hands of the people, you never know in what imaginative ways it will be used. Hobbyists post stunning photos and high-definition videos on the DJI website of subjects shot from never-before-seen viewpoints – one person even captured a volcano erupting, getting closer than any human could have done.
Surfers and skiers are using UAVs to improve their moves, and DJI products were utilized at the Sochi Olympics, providing adrenaline-pumping footage of what athletes experienced. They are being used close to home as well: “Skateboarders at Happy Valley use them to shoot promotional videos,” says Zheng.
Despite the many positive applications, it doesn’t take long to come up with some potentially questionable ones for these devices, like in the hands of a jealous ex, for example. But, as Zheng points out, while the Phantom 2 Vision+ weighs only 1 kilogram, it is very noticeable when in flight. The machines have many add-ons and can be customized for specific uses, but DJI will not take off the lights or lower the audible buzzing sound.
What about the Big Brother potential? Surely police or military would find this handy? Zheng says they developed products for creative individuals and have "no interest in serving military needs."
And Hollywood, of course. The cost-effectiveness and ease of using UAVs have been making waves in the film industry. Zheng went to the Sundance Film Festival, Independent Spirit Awards and the Cannes International Film Festival to get LA’s attention.
“We selected the right people to give cameras to. Spielberg has one. Michael Bay was photographed using one of our products in his backyard,” he says. It was a no-brainer to give one to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, with his interest in photography and she a trained pilot. More and more movies are using DJI-shot footage, and the UAVs themselves have ended up as product placements: a recent episode of Modern Family depicted nerdy father Phil Dunphy operating one.
While film-making was the original purpose of DJI products, useful roles in other industries have begun to emerge. Architects can monitor progress on building sites. Farmers can check on where to spray crops. In Africa, they were used to film endangered wildlife on game reserves, deterring poachers.
UAVs are also being used to save lives. After the earthquakes in Japan and Sichuan province, they were employed to aid search and rescue teams. “NBC just featured firefighters using our products,” reveals Zheng. “They can send a drone in and receive instant live feed, determine if there is anyone in the building, access points and what equipment and manpower is needed. So when the firefighters go in, they know exactly what they’re looking for.” In the past, DJI has sponsored free training and donated products for such usage.
The life-saving potential also extends to Hollywood. Zheng points out that each year an average of 80 people die shooting movies. Previously, aerial footage was shot at great cost and risk by a small number of helicopter pilots. These businesses are now concerned that their businesses will fail, as more filmmakers turn to UAVs.
“There is one helicopter company that hates us,” says Zheng. “We told them that we maybe closed one market, but we opened another. We offered to train them to fly our products.
“There are not a lot of really skilled pilots yet – you’d be surprised how much Michael Bay will pay for good pilots,” he laughs.
// www.dji.com
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