Let's compare
Dragonfish Standard RTK
Autel Robotics
Not yet assessed
- Height
- —
- Payload
- —
- Verified autonomy
- not assessed
- Real deployment
- not assessed
- Status
- —
- Price
- —
Dragonfish Standard RTK
Autel RoboticsThe Autel Robotics Dragonfish Standard RTK is a tilt-rotor VTOL fixed-wing hybrid drone designed for long-endurance enterprise missions including surveying, inspection, search and rescue, and public safety. It features dual RTK modules for centimeter-level positioning accuracy, up to 126 minutes of flight time with payload (179 minutes maximum claimed), a 30 km transmission range with base station, and a modular tool-free assembly under 5 minutes. The platform supports multiple interchangeable payloads up to 1.5 kg and includes AI-driven autonomous flight features such as waypoint missions, terrain following, obstacle avoidance, and intelligent tracking. Pricing varies significantly across retailers ($79,500–$116,300 depending on payload configuration), and the companion Dragonfish Lite variant was discontinued in 2025.
Availability
Specification
- dimensions
- 1290 × 2300 × 460 mm (L×W×H)
- weight
- 7.5 kg (with 2 batteries, no gimbal); 9 kg max takeoff weight
- max_payload
- 1.5 kg
- flight_time_with_payload
- 126 minutes (with standard payload)
- max_speed
- 30 m/s (108 km/h) in fixed-wing mode
- cruise_speed_range
- 0–17 m/s (multi-rotor mode) / 17–30 m/s (fixed-wing mode)
- transmission_range
- 10 km (GCS standalone) / 30 km (with base station) — FCC, unobstructed
- battery
- 1.3 kg per battery; 277.2 Wh; 120 min charge time
- supported_payloads
- Z2, T3, T3H, L20T, M1; also supports PSDK third-party payloads; camera gimbals, multispectral sensors
Price
No public price — contact the supplier for a quote.
Good · Bad · Ugly
Evidence-graded claims from the Autel Robotics deep report
Autel Robotics holds approximately 7% of the US UAV market and grew following US government restrictions on DJI.
Wikipedia (an independent secondary source) cites the ~7% US market share figure as of 2021 and links growth to DJI restrictions [14]; however, the figure is now several years old and no more recent independent market data is available in the dossier.
from Autel Robotics deep report →Autel Robotics was listed on the US Department of Defense Chinese military enterprise list on January 6, 2025.
Both Wikipedia [14] and Autel's own public statement [12] confirm the DoD listing as a factual event; Autel's denial of military ties is self-serving and does not alter the independently documented designation.
from Autel Robotics deep report →The EVO Max 4T and Autel Alpha are actively sold commercial products with confirmed retail pricing, representing Autel's fully commercial enterprise tier.
Autel Alpha is listed at $19,289 on both the official Autel shop and third-party retailer DroneNerds [5][9]; EVO Max 4N is listed at $8,899–$12,599 across Dronefly and DroneNerds [7][9] — independent retail listings confirm active commercial availability, though real-world deployment scale and customer outcomes remain unverified.
from Autel Robotics deep report →
The Autel Alpha achieves personnel recognition at ranges up to 8 km.
The 8 km personnel recognition figure appears only on Autel's official product page and a commerce listing (DroneNerds) [3][9] — both are vendor-aligned sources; no independent field test or third-party evaluation confirms this operational range.
from Autel Robotics deep report →The Autel Alpha is IP55-rated, operates from -4°F to 122°F, and carries a laser rangefinder accurate to ±1m within 400m — positioning it as a ruggedized enterprise platform.
Hardware specs are corroborated by both the official product page and a third-party retailer listing (DroneNerds) [3][9], lending moderate confidence, but no independent environmental or accuracy testing has verified these specifications in the field.
from Autel Robotics deep report →
Autel drones are a viable, production-ready alternative to DJI for professional UAV mapping and photogrammetry workflows.
Multiple independent Reddit communities focused on UAV mapping explicitly report photogrammetry surface quality issues, inconsistent support, and a clear preference for DJI over Autel for reliability in professional workflows [16][20][17] — Autel is described as a fallback, not an equal.
from Autel Robotics deep report →Several Autel product lines (EVO I, EVO III, EVO Nest 2, Apex, EVO Nano, EVO Lite) have been discontinued, raising concerns about long-term parts availability and support continuity.
Autel's own newsroom confirms the end-of-life status of these lines [11], and independent community users separately report difficulty obtaining spare parts and inconsistent support [15][18][19] — together these corroborate the concern, contradicting any implicit vendor claim of robust long-term support.
from Autel Robotics deep report →
About the company
Editorial directory of real robot products from leading global manufacturers. Each entry links to the manufacturer's official page.