China's drone industry advances, empowering various sectors

Cargo drones transport plums from a plum garden in Ganyuan village of Wushan county, southwest China's Chongqing, July 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China's drone industry has achieved continuous breakthroughs in performance while expanding into new application scenarios.

Statistics show that China has remained the world's largest exporter of civilian drones for several consecutive years. The country now accounts for over 70 percent of global drone-related patent applications, cementing its position as the leading source of drone technology worldwide.

The rapid progress of artificial intelligence, 5G and new energy technologies in recent years has enabled the integration of drones with large AI models, lithium batteries and other industries. This has accelerated product iteration, gradually forming a comprehensive ecosystem that meets diverse application needs with lower costs, higher reliability, better performance and enhanced safety.

"The power battery serves as the drone's heart, determining how far it can fly," said Chen Zhongwei, a researcher at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province. In recent years, drone batteries have seen continuous performance improvements.

In the airspace over Changhai county in Dalian, a drone equipped with high-energy-density, wide-temperature-range batteries completed a three-hour test flight.

These lithium batteries reach an energy density of up to 400 watt-hours per kilogram, boosting drone endurance by 20 to 40 percent. The battery module's energy density is 340 watt-hours per kilogram, enabling stable operation across a temperature range of minus 40 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius. This provides reliable power for drones used in cold regions, emergency rescues, and patrol and monitoring missions.

The "brains" of drones have also undergone continuous upgrades, becoming increasingly intelligent.

"Our drones make decisions based on AI. Users only need to define a general area, and the drone will autonomously plan its flight route," said Gao Fei, founder and CEO of Differential Robotics Technology Co., Ltd.

An increasing number of drones have evolved from passive executors into autonomous decision-makers — now capable of not only plotting flight paths but also executing precise obstacle avoidance and completing a range of complex tasks.

With advances in new materials, sensors, batteries and software, drones have been used across various industries.

For example, traditional manual methods of mine detection are not only inefficient but also highly dangerous. The emergence of drones has brought transformative change to this work environment.

In abandoned mine areas — signal-free zones with complex and hazardous structures — drones equipped with intelligent algorithms can autonomously navigate tunnels, generate high-precision 3D models in real time and transmit multiple sets of detection data.

Drones have also become "delivery couriers." According to the Shenzhen Municipal Postal Administration in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, the city now handles an average of 20,000 drone-delivered packages daily.

"This not only demonstrates the maturity of drone technology but also proves the viability of its business model, providing replicable experiences for developing the low-altitude economy nationwide," said Wang Qiwen, deputy director of the Low-Altitude Economy Professional Committee of the China Association of Development Zones.

At disaster sites, China's Wing Loong drones have played a key role in relief operations.

"Moving forward, we will integrate 5G, the industrial internet, AI, big data and other emerging technologies to promote efficient drone applications in scientific expeditions, surveying and mapping, logistics and other fields," said Li Yidong, chief designer of Wing Loong drones.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's drone industry has continued to grow in scale while deepening integration into tourism, agriculture, transportation and other sectors. The industry has become a key driver of China's low-altitude economy.