Autel EVO Max 4T is a new generation of enterprise drone released by Autel Robotics at CES 2023. It has a high-quality camera, long-lasting battery life, and superior 720° omnidirectional obstacle avoidance. It introduces advanced millimeter-wave radar technology to achieve wireless Visual blind spots.
Capable of providing day/night, all-weather, obstacle avoidance capabilities, the EVO max is the first drone on the market to do so. The EVO Max 4T can fly in GPS-disabled environments with advanced sensors to create a real-time 3D flight path, navigating autonomously using only its onboard sensors.
The most notable feature that Autel has given to the EVO Max is a new way to detect objects. The drone emits a millimeter-wave radar, which can detect surrounding objects, making it have an absolute omnidirectional detection area. When paired with traditional sensors, the EVO Max can see objects as small as half an inch, even in low light or rain, Autel says.
Autel Robotics has been committed to the innovation and research and development of drones. In the obstacle avoidance of drones, Autel MAX 4T is the first commercial drone that uses the combination of traditional binocular vision system and millimeter-wave radar technology.
At the same time, the binocular vision obstacle avoidance of Autel MAX 4T adopts fisheye lens imaging, which has a shorter focal length and a larger field of view.Such an obstacle avoidance system undoubtedly adds double protection to the flight safety of the drone.
What is millimeter wave radar technology?
Millimeter wave (mmWave) is a special class of radar technology that uses short-wavelength electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic wave signal emitted by the radar system is blocked by objects on its emission path and then reflected. By capturing the reflected signal, a radar system can determine the distance, velocity and angle of an object.
Millimeter waves refer to electromagnetic waves with a wavelength between 1 and 10 millimeters, which have the advantages of long detection distance, many tracking targets, high accuracy, high data refresh rate, and no weather influence. Millimeter-wave radar is suitable for moving target detection in complex ground environments, and can effectively detect human-machine perception capabilities in obstacle avoidance applications. MAX 4T can detect up to 32 kinds of objects.
Autel MAX 4T Millimeter Wave Radar Obstacle Avoidance Specifications
| Frequency | 60Ghz~64Ghz |
| Size | 38*14*2mm |
| Weight | 2g |
| EIRP | 18dbm |
| Distance Detection Range | For Obstacle Avoidance：0.2m~100m For Height Measurement：0.05m~200m |
| Ranging Accuracy | For Obstacle Avoidance：0.1m For Height Measurement：0.02m |
| Speed Measurement Range | ± 60m/s（4D Mode）；±28m/s（3D Mode）； |
| Speed Measurement Accuracy | ≤1% |
| Max. Tracking Target Number | 32 |
Drone obstacle avoidance technology comparison
The drone obstacle avoidance stages include the stage of sensing obstacles and stopping, the stage of acquiring depth images of obstacles and autonomously avoiding them, and the stage of building a regional map and reasonably planning the path.
These three obstacle avoidance technologies correspond to several sensors: ultrasonic, millimeter wave, laser infrared, binocular vision, electronic map, etc.
Visual Localization: Applied to most consumer drones, capturing two-dimensional images is not enough to build a spatial map. Vision sensors are more dependent on the environment, so in harsh conditions, drones are prone to accidental collisions.
Ultrasonic ranging: Ultrasonic sensing can be used to assist drones in landing. It can detect the distance between the bottom of the drone and the landing area, determine whether the landing site is safe, and then slowly descend to the landing area. At the same time, the directionality of ultrasonic ranging is poor, and it is susceptible to external interference.
Laser ranging: The laser ranging sensor can measure the distance of obstacles in the front of the UAV, and measure the height to the ground sideways. The light wave signal emitted by the laser also has the characteristics of high precision and strong anti-interference ability. Since the laser beam is extremely narrow, multiple laser beams can be used simultaneously to form an array radar, and the obstacle avoidance accuracy of the laser radar is greatly improved.
Millimeter-wave radar: millimeter-wave radar altimetry measures relative heights, and can easily penetrate dust and water mist without being affected by light. Strict requirements of distance and real-time performance. The introduction of millimeter-wave radar obstacle avoidance technology can provide real-time feedback control on the flight status of UAVs.
