DJI Matrice 4T - Ultimate Search and Rescue Drone?

The Release of the DJI Matrice 4T

2025 kicked off with the launch of the DJI Matrice 4T, the first release of new enterprise drone tech of the new year. 

The thermal drone features a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor, a 48MP wide-angle camera, a medium telephoto camera, a telephoto camera, an infrared thermal camera, a NIR auxiliary light, and a laser rangefinder.

With all these features and more, the DJI Matrice 4T is the ultimate search and rescue tech.

DJI Mavic 4T Use-Cases

This powerful drone is designed for industrial, commercial, and public safety applications to name a few. As well as search and rescue, the drone has proven its contributions in emergencies, public safety, infrastructure inspection, firefighting, urban planning, agriculture and environmental planning, security and surveillance and maritime and offshore operations.

DJI Matrice 4T vs Polar Bear

In one of our recent Behind the Remote YouTube videos, our team put the DJI Matrice 3T’s thermal and tracking abilities to the test by taking it to a local wooded area where there had been supposed sightings of an escaped polar bear…

This may sound like an unlikely and impossible task, but with the Matrice 4’s high-resolution thermal camera, the team was keen to see if it was up to the challenge. 

The drone’s infrared capabilities allow us to detect heat signatures, making it an ideal tool for tracking elusive wildlife - even in tricky environments.

Real-World Scenarios

Beyond searching for a polar bear, we wanted to see just how far we could push the Matrice 4’s thermal technology. We tested it in various real-world scenarios, including:

• Tracking Birds in Flight – could the Matrice 4 lock onto a moving target? We followed birds mid-flight to see how well the thermal sensor could distinguish them from the background.

• Spotting Small Animals – from rabbits to foxes, we tested whether the thermal camera could pick up smaller creatures, even at a distance.

• Following Moving Cars – could the drone keep up with vehicles on the road? The results highlighted the drone’s high-speed tracking and detection accuracy.

Redefining Thermal Technology

The DJI Matrice 4T is redefining standards in aerial thermal imaging, offering a new and improved level of accuracy, range, and adaptability. 

Designed for professionals in search and rescue, wildlife conservation, and industrial inspection, it provides cutting-edge capabilities for mission-critical operations.

See its performance in action by watching the full YouTube video. Click the link below to watch!