How long does it take to deploy a gas detection drone on an intervention?

The Sniffer4D Nano2+ connects to the DJI Matrice 4TD in under 2 minutes. System operational within 5 minutes of arriving on site.

Is drone gas detection data usable for an official report?

Yes. Every measurement is geo-referenced and time-stamped. PDF reports and CSV exports form a factual record for authorities.

Can the gas sensor be used on several drones?

Yes. The Nano2+ is compatible with M4D/4TD (native), M4E/4T (€300 kit) and Matrice 400 (€387 kit). Transferable from one drone to another.

Before you send in your teams, send the drone

Q: What is the flight time with the Sniffer4D gas sensor?

35 to 40 minutes. The Nano2+ weighs under 200 g and doesn't significantly impact the Matrice 4TD's endurance.

It’s 3am. A gas alarm in an industrial zone. Your teams arrive on site, but no one yet knows which gases are present, at what concentration, or how far the cloud extends. Conventional methods mean sending crew members in protective suits into the zone. It’s slow. It’s risky. And spatial coverage is limited to the person’s immediate surroundings.

A Matrice 4TD fitted with a Sniffer4D Nano2+ changes the equation. Within 5 minutes of arriving on site, the drone is airborne. It detects gases, maps them in real time, and transmits the data to the command post. Your officers see on their screen where the pollutants are concentrated, how the cloud is moving, and where to set the safety perimeter, before a single crew member sets foot in the hot zone.

The gases the Sniffer4D identifies for your interventions

The Nano2+ carries up to 5 sensors that you choose based on your local risks. Here are the gases relevant to emergency services:

CO (carbon monoxide) Produced by any incomplete combustion. Present in fire smoke, heating leaks, confined spaces. Odourless and deadly.

H²S (hydrogen sulphide) Released by wastewater treatment plants, oil sites, landfills. Recognizable by its rotten-egg smell at low concentration, but the sense of smell saturates quickly. Deadly at high concentration.

NH³ (ammonia) Present in industrial refrigeration facilities, agriculture, chemicals. Severe irritant to the respiratory tract.

SO² (sulphur dioxide) Emitted during the combustion of sulphur-containing materials. Common in industrial fires and power plant emissions.

TVOC (total volatile organic compounds) A general indicator of chemical pollution. Detects the presence of solvents, hydrocarbons, volatile chemicals without distinguishing the specific molecule.

PM2.5 / PM10 (fine particulates) Smoke, dust, aerosols. Essential for assessing air quality in neighbourhoods downwind of a fire.

The Sniffer4D doesn’t replace your crew’s individual detection equipment. It complements it by providing a spatial overview that handheld detectors can’t offer.

Four situations where the drone makes the difference

Gas leak in an industrial zone

A gas cloud is reported. Nature and extent unknown. The Matrice 4TD takes off with a Nano2+ configured for H²S, CO, SO², NH³, TVOC. The drone crosses the area in a grid pattern. On the command post screen, the map builds in real time: concentrations appear as a colour gradient, maxima are located with GPS coordinates. Within 10 minutes, the officer knows where the core of the cloud is, which direction it’s spreading, and which zone to evacuate.

Fire involving hazardous materials

A chemical warehouse is on fire. Before directing the hoses, you need to know what’s burning. The drone flies over the smoke: the M4TD’s thermal camera locates active hotspots, the Nano2+ (CO, SO², TVOC, PM2.5, NH³) measures what the smoke contains. Data streams live. The officer adjusts the attack strategy and the teams’ protection level based on the gases detected.

Post-incident monitoring

The fire is out. But residents are worried. The drone carries out a monitoring flight over the surrounding neighbourhoods: PM2.5, SO², TVOC, CO. The data is geo-referenced and time-stamped, forming an objective record that health authorities can use to reassure the population or take action.

Hazardous materials transport accident

A tanker truck loses its load on a public road. The product is unknown. The drone is sent in first as a scout: the Sniffer4D identifies the gases present in the ambient air and their spatial distribution. The safety perimeter is sized based on measured data, not a rough estimate.

Why the DJI Matrice 4TD is the ideal drone for this mission

The Matrice 4TD isn’t just any drone with a sensor bolted onto it. It’s a platform built for critical operations, and the Nano2+ integrates into it natively:

Thermal + gas on the same flight The built-in thermal camera locates heat sources while the Nano2+ measures gases. Two complementary pieces of information, one drone, one flight.

IP55 Raining during the intervention? The M4TD keeps flying. Certified for rain and wind.

Direct E-Port connection The Nano2+ plugs in with no kit, no cabling, no modification to the drone. Ready in 2 minutes.

Night vision Infrared camera + auxiliary lighting. Interventions don’t stop at nightfall.

Under 200 g The Nano2+ is so light it barely affects flight endurance. Expect 35 to 40 minutes of flight time with the sensor fitted.

Recommended configurations for emergency services

All-purpose configuration (most requested)

Component	Role
DJI Matrice 4TD	Drone, thermal + video + IP55
Sniffer4D Nano2+	Base unit, 5 slots
CO + H²S + NH³ + TVOC + PM	5 modules: broad coverage of common industrial gases
4G SIM card	Real-time transmission to AIRINS.ai

Covers: industrial leaks, fires, post-incidents, air pollution.

Combustion / fire-focused configuration

Modules	Gases detected
CO + SO² + TVOC + PM + H²S	Fire smoke, combustion gases, particulates

Air quality / resident impact configuration

Modules	Gases detected
O³+NO² + SO² + PM + TVOC + CO	Regulated atmospheric pollutants

Odour and nuisance configuration

Modules	Gases detected
Odour unit + NH³ + H²S + TVOC + PM	Odours, ammonia, hydrogen sulphide

→ Use the configurator on the Nano2+ product page to build your configuration and see the indicative price

How it fits into your operations

Deployment. The drone pilot operates from the forward command post, outside the hot zone. Sniffer4D Mapper displays the data in real time on their laptop. In parallel, AIRINS.ai streams via 4G to any connected device, the officer’s tablet, the dispatch centre’s PC, a remote decision-maker’s smartphone.

No network? No problem. The Sniffer4D stores up to 12 hours of data locally on its SD card. As soon as the connection returns, everything syncs automatically. The Sniffer4D Mapper software also works on a local connection (no internet needed).

Mission change. Modules swap in seconds in the field, no tools required. You switch from a “fire” configuration to “air quality” between two flights.

Training. Drone Parts Center offers dedicated training for emergency services: getting to grips with the Nano2+, module configuration, interpreting data in AIRINS.ai, planning detection missions. Training at our Nivelles facility or on your site.

Field feedback

A demonstration conducted with the London Fire Brigade showed the system’s value in real conditions: the Sniffer4D identified in real time the pollutants present in a smoke plume above a building fire. The officer present highlighted the operational value for situational awareness and protecting nearby communities.

Source: Heliguy / AIRINS (formerly Soarability), demonstration with the London Fire Brigade and participants from Essex Police & Fire and Hertfordshire Police.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to deploy the system on site?

The Nano2+ connects to the M4TD in under 2 minutes via the E-Port. With charged batteries, the system is operational within 5 minutes of arriving on site.

Can the drone fly at night?

Yes. The Matrice 4TD has a thermal camera and infrared lighting. The Sniffer4D operates independently of lighting conditions.

Is the data usable for an official report?

Yes. Every measurement is geo-referenced (GPS) and time-stamped. PDF reports and CSV exports form a factual record usable by health and environmental authorities.

What is the flight time with the sensor fitted?

35 to 40 minutes depending on conditions. The Nano2+ weighs under 200 g and doesn’t significantly impact the M4TD’s endurance.

Can the same system be used on another drone?

The Nano2+ is also compatible with the M4E, the M4T (with a €300 integration kit) and the Matrice 400 (a €387 kit). It can be moved from one drone to another.

See it in action

UAV Gas Monitoring & Mapping for Real-World Operations (1:21)

Protect your teams with aerial detection

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Drone Parts Center, Authorized AIRINS Partner & Authorized DJI Enterprise Reseller, Nivelles, Belgium

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