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DJI Dock 4 and Matrice 5TD: Features and specs
Discover the new DJI Dock 4 and Matrice 5TD, featuring rapid battery swapping, advanced thermal imaging, AI detection, and enhanced BVLOS safety features.
DJI has launched Dock 4 and the Matrice 5TD, an automated drone-in-a-box solution featuring rapid battery swapping, advanced multi-sensor imaging, onboard AI detection and enhanced safety systems for remote operations. The new platform combines up to 59 minutes of flight time with battery swapping in under 25 seconds, supporting faster mission turnaround for inspection, security, public safety and other enterprise applications.
Key takeaways
Rapid battery swapping: DJI Dock 4 swaps aircraft batteries in under 25 seconds, enabling an operational turnaround of less than 45 seconds.
Extended flight performance: The Matrice 5TD, engineered exclusively for DJI Dock 4, delivers up to 59 minutes of flight time, with a maximum system operating radius of 10km.
First on scene: The DJI Matrice 5TD can reach a target 3km away in under three minutes: Ideal for DFR and security operations.
Advanced camera system: Three 50MP visible-light cameras, a 1280 × 1024 thermal camera with super resolution, and a laser rangefinder with a maximum range of 3km.
Intelligent obstacle sensing: Integrated LiDAR, millimetre-wave radar, full-colour vision cameras and 3D infrared sensing support safer flight.
AI-powered operations: Onboard AI recognition supports 17 target types, while DJI's evolving software ecosystem introduces AI-assisted route planning, workflow automation and data analysis.
Enhanced transmission: O4 Enterprise Enhanced, an elevated O4 Ground Station, dual 4G connectivity and base station roaming support flexible deployments.
BVLOS-focused safety: The Matrice 5TD incorporates an independent Flight Termination System (FTS) and integrates the AP1 parachute. This helps the DJI Matrice 5TD meet EU C5/C6 and UK5/UK6 compliance with the DJI AP1 Parachute installed.
Enterprise-ready software: DJI FlightHub 2, FH Copilot, Analyzer Pro, FH Sync and OpenAPI 2.0 support remote operations, analysis and third-party integration.
heliguy™ support: Access drone supply, deployment consultancy, technical training and specialist UK SORA guidance from heliguy™'s in-house teams.
DJI Dock 4 and Matrice 5TD: Key specifications
The below tables provide an at-a-glance overview of the DJI Dock 4 and the DJI Matrice 5TD.
DJI Dock 4: Key specifications at a glance
Specification | DJI Dock 4 |
|---|---|
Battery management | Automated battery swapping and charging |
Battery swap time | Less than 25 seconds |
Operational turnaround | Less than 45 seconds |
Battery storage | Up to 3 batteries across 4 compartments |
Battery charging time | Approx 27 minutes, 15-95% at 25°C |
Backup power supply | Aircraft battery in the Dock battery compartment |
Maximum system operating radius | 10 km |
Operating temperature | -40°C to 50°C |
IP rating | IP56 |
Maximum landing speed | 12 m/s |
Dock weight | 66 kg, excluding aircraft and compartment batteries |
Dock dimensions (L x W x H) | Cover open: 1750 x 640 x 550 mm Cover closed: 639 x 640 x 836 mm |
Maximum operating altitude | 5,000 m |
Transmission | O4 Enterprise Enhanced via DJI O4 Ground Station |
Compatible aircraft | DJI Matrice 5TD |
DJI Matrice 5TD: Key specifications at a glance
Specification | DJI Matrice 5TD |
|---|---|
Maximum flight time | 59 minutes |
Maximum flight distance | 53 km |
Maximum horizontal speed | 21 m/s |
Integrated payload | Yes. Wide-angle camera · Medium Telephoto camera · Super Telephoto camera · Infrared thermal camera · Laser rangefinder · Near-infrared Laser Illuminator |
Wide-angle camera | 50 MP · 1/0.98-inch CMOS |
Medium tele camera | 50 MP · 1/1.28-inch CMOS |
Tele camera | 50 MP · 1/1.5-inch CMOS |
Digital zoom (Tele) | 16x · Hybrid 176x |
Thermal camera | 1280 x 1024 native resolution · 2560 x 2048 Super Resolution · 32x zoom |
Laser rangefinder | Up to 3,000 m |
Obstacle sensing | Colour vision · LiDAR · 3D IR · mmWave |
Onboard AI recognition | 17 target types |
IP rating | IP55 |
Operating temperature | -40°C to 50°C |
Payload capacity | 450 g. Carry up to 3 accessories at once. |
Maximum take-off weight | 3.05 kg |
Integrated parachute | Yes |
Transmission | DJI Enterprise Enhanced IC: 40 km. SRRC: 25 km. CE/MIC: 12 km |
Max download speed | 20 MB/s (O4 link) · 80 MB/s (WiFi) |
DJI Dock 4: A new generation of automated drone operations
DJI Dock 4 is designed to make enterprise drone operations faster, more responsive and easier to scale.
Building on the automated deployment capabilities of previous DJI Dock systems, Dock 4 introduces a major change: automated battery swapping.
Rather than waiting for the aircraft's installed battery to recharge after landing, the Dock can exchange it for a prepared battery.
This reduces the time between missions and helps operators respond to changing requirements with minimal delay.
For organisations conducting frequent inspections, automated security patrols or time-critical emergency response missions, faster turnaround can significantly improve operational availability.
Automated battery swapping in under 25 seconds
DJI Dock 4 completes an automatic battery swap in less than 25 seconds, with an overall operational turnaround of under 45 seconds.
The dock incorporates four battery compartments and supports up to three batteries in its battery storage system.
This enables the aircraft to return, exchange its battery and prepare for another mission without the extended charging wait associated with earlier dock systems.
Key benefits include:
Rapid battery exchange: Less than 25 seconds for an automated swap.
Fast operational turnaround: Under 45 seconds between missions under specified conditions.
Multiple battery storage: Supports up to three batteries across four compartments.
Integrated charging: Combines battery swapping with wireless charging capabilities.
No dedicated backup battery: The compartment batteries provide backup power. On mains loss, the Dock can still complete battery swapping and take off, as long as two or more batteries remain.
Stand-by mode: Dock 4 only has stand-by mode - all batteries are charged to 95%.
Simultaneous dual-battery charge: Supports battery charging from 15% to 95% in 27 minutes. Supports simultaneous charging of two batteries from different sets.
Automated mission continuity: Reduces downtime between consecutive deployments.
A battery swap only occurs when the difference between the depleted battery and the highest battery is greater than 10%/the highest battery is above 90%.
The Dock swaps batteries in the following situations: when the aircraft lands; before an operation starts; one hour before a scheduled automated mission.
Built for demanding environments
DJI Dock 4 is engineered for permanent outdoor installation, including challenging industrial and infrastructure locations.
It has an IP56 ingress protection rating and an operating temperature range of -40°C to 50°C.
The dock supports landing operations in wind speeds up to 12m/s and features compressor-based air conditioning to help manage internal operating conditions.
Its closed dimensions are 639 × 640 × 836mm, with a total weight of approximately 66kg, excluding the aircraft and batteries in the battery compartment.
These specifications make Dock 4 suitable for a wide range of fixed-site deployments, subject to appropriate site assessment, installation and operational permissions.
DJI Matrice 5TD: Advanced imaging for enterprise missions
The DJI Matrice 5TD combines multiple imaging technologies into a single aircraft, supporting detailed visual inspection, thermal analysis, situational awareness and remote data collection.
Its camera system includes three 50MP visible-light cameras, a high-resolution thermal sensor, and a laser rangefinder.
This allows operators to move between wide-area observation, detailed inspection, long-range imaging and thermal assessment without changing aircraft.
The M5TD is also equipped with a Near-Infrared Laser Illuminator.
Three 50 MP visible-light cameras
Wide-angle camera
A 50MP, 1/0.98-inch CMOS sensor, with a 23.5mm equivalent focal length supports detailed imagery across larger areas.
The wide-angle camera has an electronic rolling shutter.
How does this effect accuracy - especially with surveying in mind?
Equipped with a powerful chip and an optimised DJI Terra SDK algorithm, the system compensates for accuracy errors. The drone uses this computing power to merge each 50 MP image into 12 MP, helping to make aerial triangulation colouring more accurate.
As a result, at an altitude of 120 metres, flying Nadir or oblique missions (non-terrain-following) and capturing 12 MP images, the Matrice 5TD achieves an aerial-triangulation check point accuracy of around 10 cm.
It makes the M5TD suited to general site monitoring, infrastructure inspections, and establishing situational context.
Medium Tele Camera
The 50MP medium tele camera has a 70mm equivalent focal length and features 3x optical zoom, helping operators capture more detail at intermediate distances.
Super Telephoto camera
The 50MP tele camera features a 252mm equivalent focal length. It supports 11x telephoto zoom, and up to 176× hybrid zoom.
This provides additional reach when inspecting distant assets or observing areas where closer aircraft positioning may be undesirable.
It also has an upgraded RYYB sensor for full-colour night vision.
High-resolution thermal camera
The Matrice 5TD incorporates a thermal camera with a native resolution of 1280 × 1024.
Super Resolution increases the output resolution to as much as 2560 × 2048.
Thermal imaging supports applications such as identifying abnormal heat signatures, monitoring industrial equipment, inspecting energy infrastructure and supporting search-and-rescue operations.
Actual detection and identification performance will depend on environmental conditions, target size, distance and thermal contrast.
Laser rangefinder with up to 3km range
The integrated laser rangefinder supports measurements at distances of up to 3,000m, based on a target reflectivity of 25%.
This enables operators to gather distance information and supports target positioning during inspection and situational awareness missions.
Near-Infrared Laser Illuminator
This illuminator works with night vision to support covert operations.
Camera or sensor | Specification |
|---|---|
Wide-angle Camera | 1/0.98" CMOS 50 MP f/1.8 35 mm, Equivalent Focal Length: 23.5 mm Electronic rolling shutter |
Medium Telephoto Camera | 1/1.28” CMOS 50 MP f/2.88 3x optical zoom 35 mm, Equivalent Focal Length: 23.5 mm |
Super Telephoto Camera | 1/1.5” CMOS 50 MP f/2.8 11x Telephoto. Up to 176x hybrid zoom Upgraded RYYB sensor for full-colour night vision |
Infrared Thermal Camera | 1280 x 1024 resolution, or 2560 × 2048 Thermal Super Resolution f/0.85 8μm 35 mm Equivalent Focal Length: 53 mm |
Laser rangefinder | Measurement range: Up to 3 km Ranging accuracy: ±(50 cm + 0.1% x D), where D is the distance to the target. |
Near-infrared Laser Illuminator | Works with night vision to support covert operations |
Extended flight performance and rapid deployment
The Matrice 5TD offers up to 59 minutes of flight time and up to 55 minutes of hovering. Although DJI states a practical operating time of 48 minutes.
Its maximum horizontal speed is 21m/s under specified operating conditions, allowing it to reach a target 3km away in under three minutes: Ideal for DFR and security operations.
Combined with Dock 4's rapid battery-swapping system, this enables longer missions and faster redeployment.
The DJI M5TD is built for the demands of the weather, with an IP55 rating, a -40°C to 50°C operating temperature range, wind resistance of 12m/s, and comes equipped with propellers with anti-icing materials.
Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
Maximum flight time | 59 minutes |
Maximum hover time | 55 minutes |
Maximum flight distance | 53 km |
Maximum horizontal speed | 21 m/s in FlyTo mode, 15 m/s (other) |
Take-off weight | 2,600 g with propellers |
Max take-off weight | 2,050 g |
IP rating | IP55 |
Operating temperature | -40°C to 50°C. |
Wind resistance | 12 m/s |
Flexible accessories: Spotlight, speaker and parachute
The Matrice 5TD supports an accessory payload capacity of up to 450g.
The aircraft can carry up to three compatible accessories simultaneously, including the new AL2 Spotlight, AS2 Speaker and AP1 Parachute.
This allows organisations to adapt the aircraft to different mission requirements.
The table below provides an overview of the spotlight, speaker, and parachute - although more details of the parachute will be covered later in this blog.
Accessory | Details |
|---|---|
DJI AL2 Spotlight | • Delivers 11 lux at 100m and features an adjustable beam that follows the camera's field of view. • Provides illumination for low-light operations, including night-time inspection, security and emergency response. |
DJI AS2 Speaker | • Supports aerial communication and broadcasting. •Maximum output of 120dB at 1m. • Push-to-talk functionality enables real-time communication. |
DJI AP1 Parachute | • Provides additional safety measure designed to reduce the consequences of an aircraft failure. • For UK and EU production units, the Matrice 5TD is supplied with the AP1 Parachute pre-installed as standard. |
Intelligent obstacle sensing and flight safety
The Matrice 5TD incorporates a layered sensing system combining LiDAR, millimetre-wave radar, 3D infrared sensing and full-colour obstacle-sensing cameras.
These technologies provide complementary information about the aircraft's surroundings.
The system is designed to improve obstacle awareness during complex operations, including missions near infrastructure and other challenging environments.
The aircraft also provides real-time altitude alerts when specified limits are exceeded.
Remote ID and nearby aircraft awareness
The Matrice 5TD supports Remote ID functionality, broadcasting aircraft identification and position information where the feature is enabled.
It can also detect Remote ID-equipped DJI drones within 200m, supporting situational awareness during multi-aircraft operations.
Remote ID detection is not equivalent to detecting all nearby aircraft and should not be presented as a complete airspace surveillance or collision-avoidance system.
Emergency flight control with DJI RC Plus 2
The Matrice 5TD is designed to support the DJI RC Plus 2 as an emergency controller.
This provides basic manual flight control and live video streaming when operator intervention is required.
The feature is associated with the 19.1 firmware update in DJI's launch roadmap, which is set to drop at the end of October.
Emergency-controller mode is limited to basic flight functions rather than the full range of aircraft settings.
Engineered for BVLOS operations
DJI Dock 4 and the Matrice 5TD have been developed with beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations in mind.
The platform combines aircraft safety systems, an independent Flight Termination System, parachute protection, and supporting compliance documentation.
These capabilities can help operators develop the technical and operational evidence needed for risk-based regulatory applications.
Independent Flight Termination System
The Matrice 5TD features a built-in Flight Termination System (FTS).
This is segregated from the aircraft's normal flight-control system and is designed to remain functional even in the event of a total loss of the primary control connection.
It supports both automatic and manually initiated flight termination.
DJI identifies MoC 2511 compliance as part of its independent FTS architecture.
The FTS is integrated into the aircraft rather than requiring a separate externally mounted module.
At least one 4G SIM card is required for the described FTS connectivity arrangement.
AP1 Parachute and M2 mitigation
The AP1 Parachute is designed to deploy following specified safety triggers.
These include manual activation, aircraft anomalies and geocage breaches.
The illustrated sequence involves motor termination, parachute deployment, a flashing beacon and audible alarm, followed by a final position indication.
DJI states that the parachute has been validated against ASTM F3322 through more than 45 deployment tests covering hovering and full-speed flight scenarios.
The system is also presented as supporting EASA M2 mitigation requirements under MoC 2512.
The parachute meets M2 Mitigation (EU C5) for reducing ground risk, and Independent FTS (EU C6), segregating it from the Flight Control System.
DJI O4 Ground Station: Enhanced transmission and connectivity
The DJI O4 Ground Station is an important component of the Dock 4 ecosystem.
It elevates the RTK, transmission, and storage modules above ground-level obstructions, improving line of sight and helping extend operational range.
The ground station supports O4 Enterprise Enhanced transmission and offers flexibility for more complex deployment environments.
Key features include:
Elevated transmission: Positions communications and RTK hardware above nearby obstructions to improve line of sight.
O4 Enterprise Enhanced: Supports high-bandwidth video transmission, with a maximum stated transmission distance of 12 km under CE conditions, and 40 km under IC conditions.
1.4GHz support: Provides an additional transmission band where permitted by local regulations.
Base station roaming: Supports movement between ground stations across larger operational areas.
Flexible installation: The ground station connects using PoE, with cable lengths of less than 80m and a dock-to-ground-station distance of less than 40m in DJI's deployment diagram.
The dual 4G capability is particularly useful for improving communications resilience in areas where coverage varies between mobile networks.
It's also worth noting that Dock 4 has a built-in dual 4G dongle, and two nano-SIM slots on the Matrice 5TD to support cellular connectivity using different mobile network operators.
DJI FlightHub 2: Remote drone management and automation
Hardware is only part of the Dock 4 solution.
DJI FlightHub 2 provides the software environment for managing connected docks, planning missions, monitoring flights, reviewing collected data and integrating drone operations into wider organisational workflows.
DJI's software roadmap also introduces additional capabilities for emergency response, integration, analysis and AI-assisted automation.
This suite offers a connected and complementary enterprise software ecosystem.
DJI FlightHub 2: The central platform for managing dock operations, flight missions, and collected data.
Drone as First Responder (DFR): Supports automated dispatch workflows designed to accelerate drone deployment during emergency response scenarios.
FH Sync and OpenAPI 2.0: Provide integration capabilities for connecting drone operations with third-party platforms and enterprise systems.
Analyzer Pro: Supports site change detection and the calculation of geographical coordinates for identified targets.
DJI Enterprise App: Provides operational features including live streaming, Dispatch Me, annotations and calendar functionality.
FH Copilot: Introduces AI-assisted route creation, workflow configuration, live flight control and report generation.
Onboard AI detection: From three to 17 target types
One of the Matrice 5TD's notable developments is expanded onboard AI recognition, with an increase from three to 17 supported target types.
The detection capabilities cover people, vehicles, animals and selected environmental or operational targets.
Examples include:
People and vehicles, including colour-based filtering.
Smoke and fire.
Cows, horses and sheep.
Sedans, buses, dump trucks and cargo trucks.
Forklifts and excavators.
Tankers, bicycles and motorcycles.
River debris.
This wider recognition capability can support automated inspections, monitoring, search operations, and other workflows where identifying particular objects is valuable.
FH Copilot: AI-assisted flight planning and workflows
FH Copilot extends DJI's software ecosystem with AI-assisted tools designed to reduce the manual work involved in creating missions and configuring workflows.
Wayline Copilot
Wayline Copilot supports natural-language flight route generation.
Instead of building every waypoint manually, an operator can describe the intended mission using parameters such as route type, altitude, speed, camera actions and waypoint count.
Workflow Copilot
Workflow Copilot is designed to help operators configure automated mission workflows.
The process involves understanding the user's instructions, matching the relevant operational functions, building the workflow and validating the result.
This helps simplify the creation of repeatable inspection and monitoring processes.
AI-assisted reporting and analysis
The wider Copilot roadmap includes support for live flight commands and report generation.
Combined with Analyzer Pro and map-based photo retrieval, these capabilities help reduce the time spent navigating mission data and locating relevant inspection imagery.
AI data security
DJI's states that Copilot data is processed and stored in an AWS Frankfurt cluster, with European hosting for the referenced AI models.
DJI also says that user data is not used to train AI models without authorisation and that AI-generated results are identified.
Enterprise integration and on-premises deployment
Dock 4 is designed to form part of a wider enterprise technology environment, with extensive API support, third-party integration and flexible software deployment.
The ecosystem includes more than 200 API endpoints, alongside EventAPI, MQTT Bridge and single sign-on options.
These capabilities can help organisations connect drone operations with established IT systems, operational dashboards and specialist applications.
On-premises FlightHub 2 cluster deployment
For larger deployments, DJI presents an on-premises FlightHub 2 clustering option.
Rather than relying on a single server, organisations can distribute workloads across multiple nodes.
The architecture supports:
High availability: Automatic failover allows remaining nodes to take over if one node fails.
Load balancing: Workloads and traffic are distributed according to available server resources.
Data protection: Replication and scheduled backups help reduce data-loss and downtime risks.
Private infrastructure: Deployment can use physical servers, virtualised infrastructure or private cloud environments.
DJI states that cluster functionality is unlocked with more than 20 device licences.
A single-node installation is technically supported, while a three-node configuration is recommended for high availability.
For organisations operating extensive dock networks, these capabilities provide a route towards more resilient and scalable infrastructure.
DJI Dock 4 vs Dock 3: What's changed?
Dock 4 introduces substantial changes compared with Dock 3, particularly in battery management, aircraft imaging, and intelligent operations.
Feature | DJI Dock 4 + Matrice 5TD | DJI Dock 3 + Matrice 4TD |
|---|---|---|
Battery management | Automated battery swapping | Aircraft battery charging |
Battery turnaround | Less than 25-second swap | Approx 27-minute charge, 15-95% |
Maximum flight time | 59 minutes | 54 minutes |
Aircraft operating temperature | -40°C to 50°C | -20°C to 50°C |
Transmission | O4 Enterprise Enhanced | O4+ Enterprise |
Visible-light cameras | 50 MP wide, medium tele, and tele | 48 MP wide, medium tele, and tele |
Thermal camera | 1280 x 1024 | 640 x 512 |
Thermal Super Resolution | Up to 2560 x 2048 | Up to 1280 x 1024 |
Laser Rangefinder | Up to 3 km | Up to 1.8 km |
Maximum hybrid zoom | 176x | 112x |
Onboard AI recognition | 17 targets types | Three target categories |
Integrated obstacle-avoidance radar | Built into aircraft | Optional accessory |
Dock IP rating | IP56 | IP56 |
Aircraft IP rating | IP55 | IP55 |
The most significant difference is the shift from in-dock charging to automated battery swapping.
However, Dock 4 also introduces improvements in imaging, onboard sensing, AI recognition and operational safety.
For organisations assessing an upgrade, the benefits will depend on mission frequency, inspection requirements, existing infrastructure and operational permissions.
For a more detailed comparison, including the survey-focused Matrice 4D, read our DJI Dock 4 vs Dock 3 guide.
Applications for DJI Dock 4 and Matrice 5TD
The combination of rapid redeployment, multi-sensor imaging, and remote management supports a wide range of enterprise applications.
Application | Benefit |
|---|---|
Infrastructure inspection | Use scheduled missions to monitor railways, utilities, telecommunications assets and other infrastructure. The tele cameras, thermal sensor and laser rangefinder support detailed assessment from suitable stand-off distances. |
Public safety and emergency response | Automated dispatch workflows, thermal imaging, spotlight and speaker accessories can support incident assessment and situational awareness. Rapid battery swapping is particularly valuable where repeated deployments are required. M5TD can reach a scene 3 km away in under 3 minutes. |
Security and site monitoring | Schedule patrols, review live imagery and use supported AI recognition functions to assist with identifying relevant activity. |
Energy and utilities | Capture visual and thermal data to support inspection of power infrastructure, industrial facilities, and renewable energy sites. |
Environmental monitoring | Use onboard recognition and repeatable missions to support selected environmental surveys, wildlife monitoring and site-change assessment. |
How heliguy™ can help
heliguy™ provides end-to-end support for DJI Dock 4 deployments, from choosing the right configuration to installation, training and ongoing technical assistance.
DJI Dock specialists: Expert advice, deployment consultancy, installation support, training, and accredited Dock technicians.
UK SORA consultancy: Our in-house regulatory team has secured UK SORA SAIL II BVLOS approval for remote DJI Dock 3 operations supporting Network Rail. We can help you develop your own BVLOS safety case and application, and accelerate your adoption of drone-in-a-box technology.
Ongoing support: Access to heliguy™'s in-house technical specialists throughout your drone programme.
Ready to take your drone operations further? Speak to heliguy™ about deploying DJI Dock 4 and securing your BVLOS approval.
Summary: A major step forward for automated drone operations
DJI Dock 4 and the Matrice 5TD bring together faster aircraft turnaround, extended flight endurance, advanced imaging, and enhanced operational safety.
The introduction of automated battery swapping is a particularly important development, reducing the time between missions from a charging cycle measured in minutes to a battery exchange measured in seconds.
Alongside the Matrice 5TD's multi-sensor camera system, expanded AI recognition, independent safety architecture, and evolving FlightHub 2 ecosystem, the platform offers new possibilities for organisations looking to scale remote drone operations.
For customers considering deployment, heliguy™ can provide equipment supply, site and installation consultancy, training, technical support and specialist UK SORA guidance.
