DJI is a name now synonymous with drones, thanks to an estimated 74% market share across consumer, professional and enterprise markets. In the second of our ‘quick chat’ interview series, we speak to we talk to Charlie Sun, R&D Director at DJI to find out a bit more about the company’s perspective on the industry and how they are looking to stay ahead.
The drone industry is growing. Who are the new drone users and what is the potential for future growth?
The drone industry is certainly growing fast. However, it is not yet mature, and we are more optimistic than most forecasts for the market. We believe that growth will be down to the revolutionary experience our future products will provide. This has been proven by our past key milestone products, such as the Phantom1, Phantom3, Mavic Pro and the Mavic 2.
How do you differentiate yourself in an increasingly competitive market?
For us, our core competence is based on our continuous investment in building up a strong technology advantage. We have made breakthroughs by creating products that define their categories and are highly reliable.
How important do you believe having onboard AI is for the development of drone technology?
We have broadly adopted onboard AI technologies in our products currently in volume production. AI is used in capabilities such as obstacle avoidance, tracking, gesture control, and water surface detection. Furthermore, AI will have even wider applications in the products that are in development today. We believe that onboard AI will drastically improve the customer experience. It will be indispensable for human-machine interaction and autonomous flying.
What do you look for when you’re selecting technology partners for creating your SoCs?
We focus on the partner’s technological abilities, it’s eco-system value chain, and its sustainability in the long term.
What are the biggest challenges you think you’re going to face in the next five years?
The biggest challenge will be how to continually innovate to maintain our technology edge. Therefore, working with Imagination is so important to us.
