Aerial robots
Robots that fly — drones, in everyday language — lifted by spinning rotors, by a wing, or both.
- drone
- UAV
- UAS
- unmanned aerial vehicle
- DJI Agras T50DJI · CNPayload 50 kgUSD 17,999seen 2026-10-28Aerial robot > Multirotor
- DJI Matrice 4 SeriesDJI · CNPayload 0.2 kgUSD 5,189seen 2026-10-28Aerial robot > Multirotor
- DJI Mavic 4 ProDJI · CNMass 1.063 kgGBP 1,879seen 2026-10-28Aerial robot > Multirotor
- DJI Mini 4 ProDJI · CNMass 0.249 kgGBP 869seen 2026-10-28Aerial robot > Multirotor
- Skydio X10Skydio · USMass 2.11 kgPrice on quotationAerial robot > Multirotor
What it is
An aerial robot stays aloft under its own power and flies a route with little or no hand piloting. Flight buys it what no ground robot has: it ignores terrain and puts a camera anywhere within minutes. It pays with endurance (minutes, not hours), payload from a few hundred grams on a camera drone to tens of kilograms on a sprayer, sensitivity to wind, and aviation rules that follow its weight.
Drone, UAV and UAS mean the same thing here and cover multirotors and fixed-wing alike. In this taxonomy the one rule is that the primary operating medium is air; the children are split by how lift is produced.
The types
- Multirotors — hover, take off anywhere, fly slowly and precisely; nearly every camera, inspection and spraying drone. Shortest endurance.
- Fixed-wing — efficient, so they cover long distances, but need room to launch and land and cannot hover.
- Hybrid VTOL — rotors for take-off and landing, a wing for cruise: range from a confined site, at a cost in weight.
What to compare
| Attribute | Why it matters | In this catalogue |
|---|---|---|
flight_time |
The hard limit on every job; multirotors are measured in tens of minutes | 34 min (DJI Mini 4 Pro) – 51 min (DJI Mavic 4 Pro) |
max_takeoff_weight |
Sets which registration rules apply, and how much wind it can take | 1.43 kg (DJI Matrice 4 Series) – 103 kg (DJI Agras T50) |
payload |
A camera gimbal at one end; a spray tank at the other | 0.2 kg (DJI Matrice 4 Series) – 50 kg (DJI Agras T50) |
ip_rating |
Whether it can fly in rain at all | 2 entries |
autonomy |
Obstacle avoidance and mission flight vs a pilot on the sticks throughout | semi-autonomous (2), assisted (2), autonomous (1) |
sdk |
Enterprise lines expose a flight SDK; consumer ones mostly do not | proprietary (5) |
Price picture (observed 2026-10-28)
- Professional / industrial: GBP 1,879 (DJI Mavic 4 Pro) to USD 17,999 (DJI Agras T50).
- Education, hobby & consumer: GBP 869 (DJI Mini 4 Pro).
- On quotation: Skydio X10.
Prices are the latest observation per product, in the seller's currency; see each record's offers for history and VAT notes.
In the catalogue
Professional / industrial: DJI Agras T50 · DJI Matrice 4 Series · DJI Mavic 4 Pro · Skydio X10
Education, hobby & consumer: DJI Mini 4 Pro
Edge cases
- Drone with a gripper: still aerial; the medium decides.
- Tethered drone powered through a cable: still aerial.
- Rotor count does not decide the split; the wing does.
Related
Robot · Arm · Humanoid · Legged robot · Ground robot · Mobile manipulator · Aquatic robot · Wearable robot · Stationary robot · Kit · Multirotor (5) · Fixed-wing (0) · Hybrid VTOL (0) · Camera
Rule of membership
Primary operating medium is air.
Category rb-6 in the whatrobot taxonomy.