New Parrot Drone: ANAFI Thermal

French drone manufacturer Parrot has announced ANAFI Thermal: the all-in-one, drone-based solution that provides easy to use, sophisticated and high-quality thermography (drone + sensor + software), with proven reliability and outstanding performance.

Parrot has evolved its existing ANAFI platform to create this lightweight and easy-to-use solution specifically engineered to support a wide range of industries. As well as the built-in 4K HDR camera, ANAFI Thermal integrates a FLIR® thermal sensor – a benchmark product in this sector – capable of letting users see thermal imaging quickly and efficiently. With ANAFI Thermal, users can view live thermal and RGB images (4K HDR) of surfaces, structures or at-risk areas that the drone captures while in flight, creating the opportunity to better understand areas monitored and take immediate action.

The ANAFI Thermal offers a wide range of industries an all-in-one solution that can be adapted to different requirements and needs. ANAFI Thermal will provide a solution to:

• Building, construction, public works and real estate professionals

• Experts in civil security and rescue services

• Energy producers and transporters

• Environment and preservation organisations

Estimated to be available in May the ANAFI Thermal includes:

• ANAFI Thermal drone

• 1 Parrot Skycontroller 3

• 1 shoulder bag

• 3 smart batteries (26min of flight time/battery)

• 1 multi-port USB charger

• 1 tablet holder

• 8 additional propeller blades & mounting tool

• 16GB microSD card

• 4 USB-A/USB-C cables

Parrots, press brief describes its all new ANAFI Thermal as follows:

Two high-precision cameras – thermal and RGB 4K

 A FLIR® radiometric thermal-imaging camera (resolution 160×120 / temperature range -10° to +400°C) and a 4K HDR camera with 21MP Sony sensor, essential for the visual inspection of a surface or building.

ANAFI Thermal’s gimbal vertically tilts to +/-90° enabling inspection beneath structures in Zenith View or roofs and flat surfaces in Nadir View. With the x3 digital zoom, the pilot can examine results in 4K mode or with thermal imaging, hard-to-reach elements or the details of a scene, without taking any risks.

Compact, lightweight, powerful and portable

Lightweight (315g) and ultra-compact, ANAFI Thermal unfolds and becomes operational in three seconds! At a speed of 55km/h it can withstand winds of up to 50km/h, remaining operational even in complex conditions and environments.

With more than 78 minutes of cumulative flight (three batteries lasting 26 min each), ANAFI Thermal’s flight-time capability is a unique feature on the commercial drone market. Equipped with a USB-C connection, ANAFI Thermal’s batteries can be recharged from any source (computer, power-bank, 12V vehicle system, etc.). Its Parrot Skycontroller 3 remote control ensures a powerful and reliable WiFi connection, up to 4km2, meaning teams can stay at a safe distance from at-risk or difficult to access areas.

ANAFI Thermal flight parameters are available via the FreeFlight 6 app, ensuring they are accessible and can accompany the user on every assignment. The pilot can easily switch from a thermal imaging to RGB view or merge the two, to enhance the readability of the image.

The images and videos captured (Thermal/RGB) are recorded on the drone’s 16GB microSD card. Content captured can be viewed immediately afterwards through the FreeFlight 6 app and shared in seconds, directly through the app or via a computer.

Safety

To ensure its safety, ANAFI Thermal is loaded with sensors and a powerful built-in autopilot function. This demonstrates stability and manoeuvrability with exceptional accuracy. For perfectly controlled and safe flights, the pilot can edit and adapt the parameters of the quadricopter to their flight environment by:

• Setting the flight altitude;

• Marking out a flight zone by setting up a geo fence;

• Creating a flight plan with the FlightPlan feature. This flight can be repeated as many times as required to measure changing situations or even to record before/after shots of an operation, for example;

• Activating the ‘Return Home’ (RTH) function. With one press of the dedicated button, ANAFI Thermal automatically returns to its take-off point thanks to the precision of its GPS and its ‘Precise Home’ visual recognition function.

Finally, its smart battery calculates the flight time remaining and the distance it needs to cover to return to its take-off point. If the charge level becomes critical, an alert warns the pilot. ANAFI Thermal then automatically launches a procedure to return to its take-off point.

The company is pitching the drone to businesses and professionals in fields like security, search and rescue, construction, and agriculture. It’s also raising the price: the Anafi Thermal will retail for $1,900, a $1,200 increase over the cost of the regular $700 Anafi, which was released June 2018.