Ever wished your drone could shout orders or light up the night? DJI’s got you covered. Today, April 16, 2025, they unleashed the Zenmuse V1 speaker and Zenmuse S1 spotlight for the Matrice 350 RTK and Matrice 300 RTK. These aren’t just fancy add-ons – they are game-changers for public safety, search and rescue teams, and those hard nighttime inspections. Let’s break down why these new toys are about to make your drone flights a whole lot louder and brighter.
Zenmuse V1: Your Drone’s New Megaphone
Imagine this: you’re coordinating a rescue op, and you need to yell “stay put!” from 500 meters away. The Zenmuse V1 speaker is DJI’s first multi-payload audio beast, and it is loud at 127 decibels from a meter away.
You have got three broadcast modes. Record and blast messages through the DJI Pilot 2 app, turn text into speech with adjustable tones, or upload audio files for quick playback. It syncs with other payloads to aim sound exactly where you need it. At 0.69 kg, it’s light enough not to tank your flight time, and with an IP54 rating, it’ll shrug off dust and splashes from -20° to 50°C.
Oh, and it’s got your back with hearing protection – a pop-up in the app warns if the volume’s cranked too high on the ground. One-press recording via the remote’s shortcuts? Yes! That’s the kind of efficiency we love.
Zenmuse S1: Lighting Up the Dark
If the V1’s the voice, the S1’s the eyes. DJI’s first spotlight for multi-payload platforms, the Zenmuse S1, uses Laser Excited Phosphor (LEP) tech to throw light up to 500 meters in “Both On” mode. That’s half a kilometer of crystal-clear illumination. It’s also Matrice 350 and 300 RTK compatible, weighing a svelte 0.76 kg.
The S1’s got four lighting modes to match your mission. Low Beam (15° FOV, 150 meters) is great for close-up searches or pairing with a 5x zoom camera. High Beam (4° FOV, 300 meters) punches through for 15x zoom scenarios – think spotting a lost hiker in a mountain. Both On mode cranks the brightness to 35 lux at 100 meters, covering wide areas for max situational awareness. And Strobe? That’s your “look over here!” mode for signaling in emergencies.
It’s not just bright – it is smart. The S1 dims to 40% when grounded to save your eyes, keeps its casing below 50°C to avoid burns, and sips only 17W in High Beam for better flight endurance. With an IP54 rating and a -20° to 40°C operating range, it’s as tough as your Matrice drone. Customizable remote shortcuts for brightness and modes make it a breeze to use mid-flight.
Why These Matter
So, why should you care? These payloads turn your Matrice into a Swiss Army knife for serious work. Public safety entities can now light up crime scenes or broadcast evacuation orders while relying on DJI´s build quality. Rescue teams get pinpoint illumination and clear comms over vast distances. Even power-line inspections get a boost, with the S1’s focused beams catching every rusty bolt in the dark.
The Mobile SDK support for the V1 is a cool thing to developers too. Want to code a custom app for auto-broadcasting alerts? Go for it. And since both payloads play nice with single or dual gimbal setups (upward or downward), you can mix and match with cameras or LiDAR (L1) without overloading your 2.7 kg payload limit.
Final Thoughts
DJI’s Zenmuse V1 and S1 are like giving your Matrice a megaphone and a spotlight. They are built for the tough stuff – rescues, safety, inspections – yet intuitive enough not to slow you down. And finally after so many years you have payloads by DJI itself, ensuring top quality and constant functionality. There were similar 3rd party sensors for the Matrice 300 and 350 in the past, however reliability was always a problem – firmware incompatibilities, errors, weird notifications, sensors bumping in each other and so on. Now you have it by DJI, so you should not worry more about this.
If you’re flying a Matrice 350 or 300 RTK, these payloads are your new best mates.
Got thoughts on these new payloads? Drop a comment or hit us up on DroneHiTech’s Facebook and Instagram. Happy flying!
