DJI Matrice 4T Review – $7,000 Drone That Saves Lives!

This is DJI’s latest enterprise flagship, the Matrice 4T, and it comes with four different cameras: a wide-angle camera, a 3× optical zoom, a 7× optical zoom, and a thermal camera for nighttime operations, Search and Rescue, and more. It also includes an auxiliary light and a laser rangefinder. The drone is equipped with numerous intelligent functions and can easily detect vehicles and boats during search and rescue operations or routine flights.

Intelligent Features and Laser Rangefinder

The new laser rangefinder enables real-time, precise measurements. With simple operations such as point marking, line drawing, and area calculation, you can complete tasks like marking target locations for security purposes or calculating the area affected by a Wildfire. In addition, you can use the Matrice 4T for high-efficiency inspections, surveying, first response, precision mapping, and much more.

Dji Matrice 4T Review - $7,000 Drone That Saves Lives

Design and Controller

Here is the Matrice 4T in all its glory, paired with the DJI RC+ 2—the impressive remote controller for this drone. What’s interesting is that the Matrice 4T is based on a Mavic drone; however, DJI has differentiated the two lines. The Mavic series is now reserved for consumer drones, whereas the Matrice series is dedicated to enterprise solutions, such as the Matrice 4T and Matrice 4E.

The drone remains very portable, although it is slightly larger than a regular Mavic 3. It now features a built-in RTK module on the top—a welcome upgrade from the previous additional accessory. There are also slots for additional accessories. The drone boasts a robust camera system, with four different cameras and two sensors on the front, complemented by five-directional vision-assist views provided by sensors on the front, back, and underside. The underside sensor is especially helpful when hovering or landing, as it allows you to monitor what’s beneath the drone.

The DJI RC+ 2 controller is not only large and comfortable to hold, but it also performs well in sunny, bright conditions with minimal glare and excellent screen visibility. Its two large antennas support a range of up to 20 km. Even after flying in urban areas with interference and multiple obstacles, I experienced a rock-solid signal throughout. DJI’s technology for reducing transmission issues between the remote and the drone has been very effective.

AI Features and Smart Tracking

Exploring the AI features of the Matrice 4T is truly exciting. By pressing the AI button, you can see that the drone detects various objects, such as cars (and, optionally, boats). You can disable certain detections—for example, to avoid the clutter of personal vehicles—and then zoom in with the 7× zoom to view all the detected subjects.

Selecting “Smart Track” allows the drone to automatically zoom in and follow a chosen subject. Although it can be challenging when subjects, like cars, pass by quickly, the AI continuously adjusts by predicting the subject’s speed and reappearing position. Even with obstacles like bridges, the system maintains focus using AI, even at up to 27× zoom. Once tracking is complete, you can disable it and zoom back out. The drone hovers in one place, rotating and zooming to create the illusion of following the subject.

Inspection and Mapping Capabilities

For inspection scenarios, consider a large building with a rooftop that requires a quick check. Using the 112× zoom—a combination of optical and digital zoom—you can inspect details such as pipes for damage or leaks. Although the infrared (IR) mode does not offer as much zoom, it enables you to analyze temperature differences. By selecting a specific point, you can cycle through various IR color modes. The “infrared tint” mode, for example, clearly highlights hot spots, while the “iron red” mode effectively distinguishes between cold and hot areas.

The Matrice 4T offers several IR options:

High Gain Mode: Provides a small measuring range with high accuracy.
Low Gain Mode: Offers a larger measuring range with slightly reduced accuracy.
High Resolution Mode: Distinguishes subjects with slight temperature differences (note that temperature measurement is not supported in this mode).

Laser Rangefinder and Additional Functions

The laser rangefinder, activated by the “RNG” button, provides very precise distance measurements. For example, when targeting a small bridge, the system measures it at approximately 345 m. Selecting the target ensures the drone consistently detects the intended object. This function can also work with AI object detection to give real-time distance information for various subjects.

Using the range function, you can add points to an area and calculate the total acreage of a field’s perimeter. Once complete, the area remains visible in augmented reality, allowing you to change the surface color, add more points, generate an auto map, or save the data for future use—all within minutes. The drone’s capabilities in these areas are truly mindboggling.

Another handy feature for search and rescue is the observed area function, which records the regions the drone has already scanned. This prevents double-checking areas and saves valuable time. Additionally, the drone offers a discrete mode that turns off all lights—including the auxiliary light—for security purposes, as well as a beacon feature that activates a built-in beacon light to comply with FAA regulations during night flights.

Night and IR Modes for Search and Rescue

For example, when searching for a missing person in a forest, switching to IR mode makes the subject immediately visible. In IR mode, a person may appear in a distinct yellow, making it easier to spot movements like waving arms. The drone’s diverse camera features—such as the 3× optical telephoto lens, which can identify screws and cracks from about 10 m away, and the 7× telephoto camera, which can capture details like signs and license plates from up to 250 m away—provide valuable data. Even at around 400 m, the license plate on a car remains readable.

In challenging conditions such as fog, haze, or high humidity, the drone employs electronic dehazing to enhance image clarity. It also features a dedicated night scene mode that improves image quality through noise reduction, IR cut filtering to produce accurate colors, and the blocking of near-infrared wavelengths while allowing visible light. The Matrice 4T’s new illumination hardware can light distances of up to 100 m, ensuring clear visibility in dark environments—ideal for applications like Wildlife protection.

Accessories and Additional Features

The Matrice 4T supports various accessories that extend its functionality:

A gimbal-following spotlight, extremely useful for search and rescue.
A real-time voice speaker.
The RTK3 multifunctional station for even greater precision during mapping operations.

Final Thoughts

I want to emphasize that I am not an enterprise user by any means—this is only my second enterprise drone after the Mavic 3E. Coming from a background in camera and standard drones, I find that enterprise drones open up a whole new world of possibilities. Every time I fly an enterprise drone, I am amazed by the opportunities and the potential to use these devices for good, including life-saving applications.

This Review is not the most comprehensive analysis of an enterprise drone, as I am still learning. However, I hope you’ve gained a glimpse of what the Matrice 4T can do. I am only scratching the surface of its potential. I want to thank DJI for allowing me to try it out for a few weeks, which has truly elevated my experience with Drone Technology.