# DJI Matrice 4E and DJI Terra Map Khumbu Icefall During 2026 Climbing Season on Mount Everest

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/dji-matrice-4e-and-dji-terra-map-khumbu-icefall-during-2026-climbing-season-on-mount-everest
- Published: 2026-07-20T20:00:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

_New Video Case Study Showcases How Advanced Drone Technology is Making Mountaineering
Safer_

SHENZHEN, China, July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DJI, the global leader in civilian
drones and creative camera technology, today released new long surveying footage
of the Khumbu Icefall on Mount Everest (Mount Qomolangma). Presented as a video 
case study, Nepalese drone company Airlift Technology showcases their aerial surveying
operations at altitudes above 6,000 meters and temperatures below -20°C. The workflow
included three components: aerial data collection with a DJI Matrice 4E, 3D model
generation with DJI Terra, and day-by-day comparative analysis. With these high-
precision 3D models, icefall doctors knew the locations of every crevasse, surface
displacement, and serac between Base Camp and Camp 1 – before ever stepping onto
the ice.

[⌊DJI Matrice 4E and DJI Terra Map Khumbu Icefall During 2026 Climbing Season on
Mount Everest⌉⌊DJI Matrice 4E and DJI Terra Map Khumbu Icefall During 2026 Climbing
Season on Mount Everest⌉[
DJI Matrice 4E and DJI Terra Map Khumbu Icefall During
2026 Climbing Season on Mount Everest

"With DJI drone technology, we can create a 3D model of the Khumbu Icefall that 
helps the Sherpas and icefall doctors locate crevasses and plan the route — without
climbing the icefall first," said Raj Bikram Maharjan, CEO of Airlift Technology."
To our knowledge, this is the first deployment of its kind in Nepal, and potentially
one of the first real-world operational uses globally at this scale in a high-altitude
expedition environment."

**Glacial Challenges of Traditional Surveying**

Ahead of each climbing season, a team of Sherpas called "Icefall Doctors" surveys
the terrain by foot, sets the ladders, fixes the ropes, and establishes the route
that every subsequent climber will follow. To do this, they must cross the Khumbu
Icefall Base Camp (5,364 m) and Camp 1 (6,500 m), which is considered the most dangerous
section of the Everest climb.

**Mapping the ****Dangerous ****Khumbu Icefall with DJI Matrice 4E**

Flying a pre–planned flight path at altitudes above 6,000 meters, the Matrice 4E
surveyed over 3 square kilometers of the Khumbu Icefall in just 3.5 hours. The compact
enterprise drone’s five-directional imaging system captured high-resolution oblique
imagery of the icefall’s complex vertical structures in a single flight. No one 
needed to risk their lives to enter the survey area.

**Reconstructing and Monitoring Glacial Movements with DJI Terra**

The collected data was processed in DJI Terra to reconstruct the Khumbu Icefall 
into a high-precision 3D model with centimeter-level accuracy using next-generation
reconstruction technologies including 3D Gaussian Splatting. These 3D models were
then compared from different periods, informing icefall doctors on how specific 
sections of ice may have moved between surveys, where instability was increasing,
and which corridors had remained stable enough to install ladders and ropes.

**Faster Data, Safer Routes, and a Record of a Changing IcefallA workflow that previously
required weeks of on-foot surveying under hazardous conditions could now be completed
in a single day. Moreover, icefall doctors no longer need to enter the icefall blind.
This proved critical during the 2026 climbing season. Overnight, a rare, large-scale
serac field formed across the icefall, sealing every route to the summit. Hundreds
of climbers were stranded at Base Camp. Fortunately, icefall doctors were able to
rebuild the blocked routes and resume operations quickly with DJI’s advanced drone
technology.

In addition to mountaineering safety, the ability to rapidly and repeatedly model
icefalls also provides scientists and environmental researchers with high-accuracy,
reproducible data for tracking long-term change. Building this digital archive will
prove to be crucial as climate change accelerates glacier thinning. 

To watch the full video case study, visit:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUYTzyZPbhk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUYTzyZPbhk)

**Availability**

The DJI Matrice 4E and DJI Terra are available for purchase through [authorized DJI Enterprise dealers](https://www.dji.com/where-to-buy/enterprise-dealers).

Learn more: 
[https://enterprise.dji.com/matrice-4-series](https://enterprise.dji.com/matrice-4-series)
[https://enterprise.dji.com/dji-terra](https://enterprise.dji.com/dji-terra)

**About DJI**

Since 2006, DJI has led the world with civilian drone innovations that have empowered
individuals to take flight for the first time, visionaries to turn their imagination
into reality, and professionals to transform their work entirely. Today, DJI serves
to build a better world by continuously promoting human advancement. With a solution-
oriented mindset and genuine curiosity, DJI has expanded its ambitions into areas
such as renewable energy, agriculture, public safety, surveying and mapping, and
infrastructure inspection. In every application, DJI products deliver experiences
that add value to lives around the world in more profound ways than ever before.

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  |  This article was produced by Cision PR Newswire, our trusted news partner. The views expressed and the content presented here are solely those of the author and may not fully reflect the opinions of Thailand Business News. |

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**Read the original article :** [DJI Matrice 4E and DJI Terra Map Khumbu Icefall During 2026 Climbing Season on Mount Everest ](http://www.prnasia.com/story/archive/5007872_AE07872_0?rand=184833)
