Commentary: China’s cheap drones are finally taking off, with many uses and huge implications

MELBOURNE: Think about China and drones and DJI comes to mind.

The university dormitory project-turned-world’s biggest commercial drone company is now the name on everyone’s lips with its line of drones used by hobbyists to large business operations and everyone else in between.

Founded in 2006, DJI, together with companies like Yuneec and PowerVision, have made China the largest manufacturer of drones in the world, mirroring other Chinese-made products’ virtual dominance of much of the world’s consumer markets and gaining a reputation for being good enough or better, at a competitive price point.

These have found their way into a wide array of applications and everyday tasks, including the spraying of pesticides on pecan farms in hilly Zhejiang and firefighting.

An impressive demonstration in Chongqing in early 2020 showcased multiple heavy-duty quadcopter drones lifting hoses and other firefighting equipment and…