Drone Safety Day is April 29, a drone that changes shape, jump-starting your car with a drone, Florida bans DJI from government agencies, decision-making for small UAVs, drones that work together without colliding, adding VTOL to a fixed-wing drone, agave farmers saving water, land a drone in Red Square.
University of Tokyo graduate students created drone prototypes that can rearrange into different structural shapes midair. The drones have individual segments with multi-axis gimbal systems. Each segment has its own propulsion unit, that can thrust in any direction. The drones can change their configuration to hold or move objects. They’ve also developed the SPIDAR quadruped robot that has joints in each leg and can fly.
This patent contemplates drones that assist motorists stranded with a dead battery. The Ford vehicle would transmit a “dead battery” signal and its location then a drone would fly to the vehicle, open the hood, connect to the battery, and jump-start the vehicle.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is forbidding government agencies from using drones manufactured by DJI. Only drones made by a small number of “approved manufacturers” can be purchased. Agencies have until January 1, 2023, to stop using drones not on the list. Many departments have already grounded their fleets. They told lawmakers that the Florida-approved drones are far more expensive and much less capable.
Sen. Tom Wright, R-New Smyrna Beach said, I’m not going to let one officer risk his life or her life because somebody thinks that these things talk to China. I cannot imagine what China would really want to see when we pull over a DUI, when we stop a speeding car, when we arrest somebody for an outstanding warrant.”
University of Notre Dame computer scientists and engineers are developing an automated decision-making system for small drones under a $5.3 million 3-year NASA grant. Notre Dame will enhance NASA’s current drone traffic management system and develop decision-making software that permits or denies flight requests by evaluating a drone’s safety track record, equipment readiness, operator preparedness, and maintenance procedures.
The Robust MADER system lets drones work together without collisions. Each drone calculates its own trajectory and checks with nearby drones to be sure it won’t collide with any of them. The system is an asynchronous, decentralized, multiagent trajectory planner. By broadcasting both the newly optimized trajectory and the committed trajectory, and by performing a delay check step, RMADER is able to guarantee safety even with communication delays. The new system has been validated through simulation and hardware flight experiments. A 100% success rate of collision-free trajectory generation was achieved.
The Flying Launch and Recovery System (or FLARES) turns a fixed-wing drone into a VTOL. The FLARES aircraft is a multicopter drone with four propeller arms. A mechanism on the underside clasps onto the body of a fixed-wing drone. The pair then rise vertically. At altitude, FLARES releases the fixed-wing drone. FLARES is manufactured by Hood Tech and was primarily designed for use on ship decks.
Boeing’s Insitu subsidiary offers a package that includes its Integrator fixed-wing drone and Hood’s FLARES system. Integrator flight time is reportedly up to 16 hours with a maximum payload of 40 lb (18 kg). Insitu says that payload capacity would be lower if Integrator had its own integrated VTOL system.
Tequila producer Diageo started using drones in 2022 to identify agave plants that need pesticides, fertilizer, and water. The 2022 pilot developed the flying skills of the agave planters and introduced more efficient farming practices with environmental benefits.
The drones work in pairs: One identifies plants that need attention and collects agave growth data while the other dispenses a water, fertilizer, and pesticide mix. Water use is dropping by two-thirds.
May 9, 2023, marks Victory Day in Russia and parades celebrate the Soviet victory in World War II. To help “celebrate,” a competition with a cash prize was launched for landing a UAV in Red Square that day. A bank co-founder who is also the developer of the Dovbush drone said, “I am officially awarding a prize to a Ukrainian UAV manufacturer, whose aircraft, with the help of the military, of course, will fly and land on Red Square in Moscow on May 9”. The prize fund is currently £440,000 and there is an open invitation for those who would like to contribute to the fund.
426 ADS-B Spoofing
Mar 31, 2023
uAvionix detects ADS-B spoofing, racing drones are delivering explosives, an aerial tanker that autonomously guides and controls multiple drones, self-flying F-16s that test loyal wingmen, the Condor heavy-lift UAV wins its first customer, a new mini light tactical UAS, and Archer Aviation and United Airlines plan air taxi service in Chicago.
uAvionix offers its SkyLine UAS BVLOS service to manage the command and control infrastructure and assets across diverse frequency and radio types. Now the company is introducing truSky ADS-B spoofing detection for Skyline. It validates that a particular ADS-B signal is actually coming from an aircraft, and not being broadcast to spoof the signal.
ADS-B spoofing can be used for nefarious purposes and interferes with ATC and detect and avoid systems. It compromises airspace awareness and risks airspace safety and security.
uAvionix truSky works with a network of low-cost dual-frequency ADS-B ground receivers. The aircraft’s signal is confirmed to come from the aircraft’s position. With multiple sensors, truSky backward calculates the aircraft’s position and compares it to the position stated in the ADS-B transmission. When used with the uAvionix SkyLine platform, aircraft are color-coded based on confidence scores.
The war in Ukraine seems to be demonstrating the use of drones in a conflict like never before. Ukraine is even using racing drones as loitering munitions. In a video released last year, a racing drone dives through an open doorway into a building occupied by Russian troops and explodes. There is even a Ukrainian military drone team called Angry Birds. They say they carry out half a dozen racing-drone attacks a day.
Airbus Defence and Space has autonomously guided and controlled drones using an A310 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) flying testbed. The technology is called Auto’Mate, which cuts down on crew fatigue, human error, and training costs. This is seen as a milestone on the way to fully Autonomous Formation Flight and Autonomous Air-to-Air Refueling (A4R).
The Air Force plans a fleet of at least 1,000 collaborative combat aircraft, or CCA. But you can’t have loyal wingmen without trusted autonomy, so the service has asked for $50 million to start Project Venom (Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model). The project would let the Air Force experiment with six F-16s to test and refine the autonomous software.
Drone Delivery Canada sold their first Condor heavy-lift UAV to the Transport Canada agency. The sale was valued at CAD $1.2 million ($880,000) and the company will provide operating and testing support. Air Canada was the sales agent brokering the deal. The Condor is 22 feet long, five feet wide, and seven feet tall with a cargo capacity of 400 pounds. The range is just over 124 miles and the operating speed is nearly 75 mph.
At the SOFINS Special Forces exhibition, SURVEY Copter presented a new light tactical UAS called the CAPA-X [PDF]. It features a modular design: Propulsion can be configured for VTOL or HTOL and the payload bay can integrate different types of sensors. Either short or long wings can be configured for hovering at high cruising speeds, or for increased flight autonomy. SURVEY Copter has been an Airbus subsidiary since 2011. They design, produce, and provide operational support for light tactical UAS.
The companies announced their plans to launch an air taxi service in Chicago in 2025. Passengers will fly a 10-minute trip between O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Vertiport Chicago. Archer Aviation has flown its prototype, the “Maker” and the production aircraft is the “Midnight.” Archer plans to deploy 6000 aircraft By 2030.
Alphabet’s Wing subsidiary wants a drone delivery network, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces consider using drones to intercept aircraft, DJI is reportedly dropping AeroScope, U.S. Senators want an assessment of DJI security risks, cardboard drones from Australia are going to Ukraine, the USAF has plans for 1,000 loyal wingmen drones, Zipline’s next-generation aircraft, and Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercept a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper.
Alphabet’s Wing subsidiary is delivering up to 1,000 packages a day in Australia, but to scale up to millions of deliveries daily, Wing says it needs to develop a network service. The Wing Delivery Network would enable the management of large numbers of drones. This would consist of three hardware elements:
The delivery drones.
Pads where drones take off, land, and recharge their batteries.
Autoloaders that allow companies to leave packages for collection.
Delivery drones would travel from pad to pad (or node to node) rather than use fixed routes that return to a “home base” after each delivery.
Chinese military flights in the East China Sea have increased and scrambling jets is expensive for Japan. So the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JDSF) are thinking about using drones instead, either the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 or the MQ-9 Reaper. It’s estimated that scrambling manned jets costs 40 times more than sending drones. The JSDF will first train its forces to use drones to identify foreign warships. If that proves successful, drones would be used to identify fast-approaching aircraft. Then if the threat is significant, the JSDF would send manned aircraft.
According to The Verge, the DJI AeroScope product page displays a pop-up that reads: “The Aeroscope is no longer in production. For the latest in DJI technology, please view our product recommendations below.” AeroScope is a drone detection platform that identifies UAV communication links and gathers information in real time like flight status, paths, and other information.
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators is asking the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to conduct an investigation and evaluate potential risks associated with DJI drones. In its letter, the Senators say, “Identification of this relationship between DJI and the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] suggests a range of risks to U.S. operators of the technology, including that sensitive information or data could wind up in PLA hands.”
SYPAQ announced it is shipping its Corvo drones to Ukraine. The drones come in flatpack form and the bodies are made of waxed cardboard. The autonomous Corvo PPDS has been shown to be simple to construct using only a glue gun, knife, pen, tape, and perhaps rubber bands. Only one tool is needed to attach the propeller. Corvo Autonomous Systems provides a family of autonomous systems for both military and commercial applications.
The USAF has big plans for loyal wingmen drones – perhaps 1,000 of them. The Air Force plans to ask Congress for funding for the collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program in the fiscal 2024 budget, as well as the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. The Air Force estimates two CCAs for each of 200 NGAD platforms, and two CCAs for each of 300 F-35s.
Zipline is showing their next-generation aircraft, called the Platform 2 or P2 Zip with an eight-pound payload and a ten-mile radius. It can land a package on a space as small as a table or doorstep. The original P1 Zip has a greater range but requires more space for takeoff, landing, and package delivery. The P2 has both lift and cruise propellers for quiet operation and better maneuverability. It can dock at a charging station and power up autonomously. Zipline says they’ve flown more than 38 million miles with its autonomous delivery drones.
Two Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jets intercepted a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, dumped fuel on the drone, and struck and damaged the MQ-9s propeller.
424 Personal eVTOL
Mar 04, 2023
Another personal eVTOL, cops flying BVLOS, military drones with facial recognition, a lethal drone designed in Australia, the Lilium Jet eVTOL, and moving air quietly.
ZEVA Aero designs and builds electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles. The company’s flagship product is the Argon, based on a pre-existing airframe. But their Zero is a personal eVTOL for one person. It launches with the pilot standing, but the position is prone in horizontal flight. The 8-foot-wide flying saucer-shaped aircraft uses 8 propellers and is expected to cost $250,000.
Zeva Zero personal eVTOL
A one-eighth-scale model has been flight-tested and tethered tests are underway with a full-sized prototype. Zeva says the prototype should be ready for remote-controlled flights within a month, and tests with a pilot could take place in three to six months.
The Chula Vista, California police department operates 29 drones. The program runs 10 hours a day, seven days a week using four launch sites. Officers routinely request aerial reconnaissance. More than 1,500 U.S. police departments use drones, mostly for search and rescue, to document crime scenes, and to chase suspects. About 225 police departments have FAA waivers to fly BVLOS. Privacy and civil liberty groups are taking notice.
The U.S. Air Force plans to deploy facial recognition technology on drones. RealNetworks LLC has the contract to supply its SAFR technology on small drones used for special operations missions. RealNetworks says SAFR Scan is “the first full-featured intelligent biometric access controlled edge solution.”
BAE Systems Australia unveiled the armed STRIX VTOL at Avalon 2023. It’s a hybrid, tandem wing, multi-domain and multi-role UAS that could be used for air-to-ground strike, persistent ISR, and as a loyal wingman for military helicopters. It can carry up to a 160kg payload over 800km with a variety of munitions. The collapsed footprint is only 2.6m x 4.5m (roughly 8.5 x 15 feet).
Vertical flight takes a lot of energy and most eVTOL designs have significant aerodynamic drag. These limit, l eVTOL range. The Lilium Jet is designed to overcome those obstacles. The wing and canard aircraft have a good lift-to-drag ratio, and power requirements are low at cruise speed. Power for both vertical and horizontal flight comes from many small electric motors pushing air through variable nozzle ducts. Electric power comes from 330 Wh/kg density batteries. Service entry will be in the premium sector.
Whisper Aero has been working on quiet propulsion technology for two years, looking for a noise reduction of about 20 dB for drones and electric fixed-wing aircraft. The company has provided no specifics but is expected to reveal details about its propulsors “toward the end of March or early April.” They’ve built a 55-pound demonstrator drone to test the concept. Reportedly, the company plans to offer different propulsion system models with different power outputs.
423 Ameriflight Cargo Drones
Feb 25, 2023
Ameriflight plans to purchase cargo drones from Natilus and Saberwing, a plan for autonomous wind turbine inspections and repair, the American Security Drone Act, an arrest made for flying a drone at Dublin airport, a new hydrogen-powered octocopter drone, and Green and Blue UAS.
Ameriflight is a regional cargo airline (Part 135) that operates 156 turboprop twins for customers such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL. They recently signed a tentative agreement with Natilus for pilotless cargo planes. Now Ameriflight has signed a Letter of Intent to purchase 35 VTOL cargo drones from Sabrewing Aircraft Co.
Saberwing Rhaegal
Ameriflight has 15 bases across the Western Hemisphere with 200 service destinations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as the Caribbean and South America. They typically experience over 1,500 weekly departures.
The Natilus agreement to purchase is for the Kona aircraft, a 3.8-ton payload, short-haul feeder uncrewed aerial vehicle. Nautilus says the Kona planes will be operated by remote control and have the ability to be fully autonomous at some point in the future.
The Flexible Offshore Drone for Wind (FOD4Wind) project envisions a system that can conduct autonomous wind turbine inspections and repair as well as package deliveries from service operation vessels to offshore turbines.
FOD4Wind illustration, courtesy University of Southern Denmark.
Drones would take off from service operation vessels and carry gear and tools to the nacelles of Siemens offshore wind turbines. The Upteko partner says “If we can replace sailing with drone flights from larger ships, then many of the trips around the wind farm will be saved. There is great potential in that – both in terms of time and CO2 emissions.”
The project, which runs until the end of 2024, is first working with payloads of 12 kilograms, with a long-term goal for the drones to be able to carry a cargo of up to 100 kilograms.
The FOD4Wind project is being undertaken by Siemens Gamesa (produces wind turbines), ESVAGT (operates the service operation vessels), Upteko (developer of the automated UAS), and the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) with Energy Cluster Denmark managing FOD4Wind.
Senator Warner: “…the purchase of drones from foreign countries, especially those that have been deemed a national security threat, is dangerous. I am glad to introduce legislation that takes logical steps to protect our data from foreign adversaries and meanwhile supports American manufacturers.”
Senator Scott: “I’ve been clear for years: the United States should never spend taxpayer dollars on anything made in Communist China, especially drones which pose a significant threat to our national security. Xi and the Communist Party of China are on a quest for global domination and whether it’s with spy balloons, TikTok or drones, they will stop at nothing to infiltrate our society and steal our data.”
The American Security Drone Act:
Prohibits federal departments and agencies from procuring certain foreign commercial off-the-shelf drones or covered unmanned aircraft systems manufactured or assembled in countries identified as national security threats, and provides a timeline to end the current use of these drones.
Prohibits the use of federal funds awarded… to state or local governments from being used to purchase [these drones].
Requires the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report to Congress detailing the amount of foreign commercial off-the-shelf drones and covered unmanned aircraft systems procured by federal departments and agencies from countries identified as national security threats.
The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Josh Hawley (R-MO).
They charged the man under section 43 of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1988. He is accused of knowingly flying a drone into the critical area of Dublin Airport which interfered with the operation of an aerodrome on July 2nd, 2022. The 41-year-old was remanded on bail to appear again on March 21, 2023. Meantime, he’s banned from flying drones and going within two kilometers of the airport.
Israel-based Heven Drones unveiled its H2D55 hydrogen octocopter drone. It can fly for over 90 minutes with a 15-pound payload. This is the first in a series of hydrogen-fueled drones to be released. The others will have longer flight times and greater payload. The drones are built to spec and take two-three months to complete. The price is not announced
The drones are built in-house, in a 20,000 sq. ft. production facility adjacent to R&D and administrative offices in the North of Israel. Up to 200 fully customizable drones per month can be built at the current capacity.
Green UAS is part of AUVSI’s Trusted Cyber Program, which seeks to verify a greater number of commercial UAS in line with the highest levels of cybersecurity and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) supply chain requirements.
AUVSI launched the Trusted Cyber Program in August 2022 in collaboration with cybersecurity firm Fortress Information Security.
Green UAS is an industry-standard assessment process that mirrors the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)’s Blue UAS certification program. It is administered by AUVSI to vet drones that are seeking Green UAS certification. Green-compliant drones that have a DoD customer/sponsor willing to sponsor and fund a DoD Authority to Operate (ATO) will have the opportunity to transition from the Green UAS cleared list to Blue UAS cleared list.
Green UAS builds on the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)’s Blue UAS certification program, an approach to rapidly prototyping and scaling commercial UAS technology for the DoD. Green UAS is meant for customers without an immediate need for Department of Defense (DoD) authority to operate and provides a more straightforward pathway to the Blue UAS 2.0 cleared list.
422 Global Drone Market
Feb 17, 2023
A global drone market report, aircraft control with artificial intelligence, a slow start to Amazon drone deliveries, drones disrupt flight operations at Dublin Airport, a testing service for microgravity research.
A report by Drone Industry Insights says: the global drone market was $30.6 billion in 2022 and it is expected to grow to $55.8 billion by 2026. DJI holds 70% market share. Global Drone Market Report 2022-2030 says that drone services will remain the biggest segment, but hardware will grow the fastest. Energy is the Industry with the highest adoption of drones. Cargo, courier services, intralogistics, and warehousing have the highest CAGR. Mapping and surveying is the top drone application, followed by inspection as well as photography and filming.
The Lockheed Martin VISTA X-62A training aircraft flew for more than 17 hours with artificial intelligence software, marking the first time AI operated a tactical aircraft. The VISTA is based on the F-16. Software allows it to mimic the performance characteristics of other aircraft.
Amazon has been making deliveries by drone in Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas. But not many. According to The Information, as few as seven houses had received Amazon packages by drone – two in California and five in Texas. The report says the FAA has safety concerns since Amazon’s drone weighs around 80 pounds (and carries a five-pound payload) and they fly over roads and people. FAA said Amazon must ask for permission on a case-by-case basis and Amazon employees had to act as spotters.
However, Amazon successfully argued last November that the new MK27-2 drone is safer and more autonomous and didn’t need as many humans or safeguards. See: Amazon Prime Air revised limitations 2023 (Corrected Copy) [PDF], a 64-page letter from FAA to Amazon Prime Air informing Amazon that FAA has partially granted their Nov 2022 petition to amend the Exemption (No. 18601).
Confirmed drone sightings caused six incoming flights to be diverted, three to Belfast Airport and three to Shannon Airport. Operations were suspended for 38 minutes on runway 28R for departures and 44 minutes on Runway 28L for arrivals.
Gravitilab provides testing services for microgravity research. They offer seven proprietary, reusable launch vehicles. One is “the world’s first commercial UAV microgravity testing platform.” The LOUIS UAV system and drop pod flew to an altitude of 2,000 feet and then released the drop pod carrying scientific experiments. The pod payload experienced over five seconds of weightlessness. Gravitilab says they “deliver up to 180 seconds of microgravity with a significant cost saving per kilo per second and short campaign lead times.” They offer “dedicated and rideshare launch capabilities, and the option to transport launch services to customers.”
A 15-minute animated film about a malfunction at a CIA press event that causes a Predator drone installed with an ethical AI personality to go rogue as it attempts to understand its purpose in the world.
421 Cargo Drone
Feb 04, 2023
A large autonomous blended-wing cargo drone and a smaller electric cargo drone, the Eaglet takes flight, taser drones at public schools, the GAO recommends the FAA create a comprehensive strategy, the Dronut for inspections, two MQ-9 Reapers for a Dollar, and a BVLOS autonomous inspection solution.
The Natilus Kona cargo drone looks a lot like the NASA X-48B blended-wing prototype. It’s autonomous so no need for pressurization and the blended wing design is efficient with up to a 50% reduction in emissions. It has a claimed 4.3-ton cargo capacity with a 900 nautical mile range. Natilus says they have “designed and developed” the aircraft. The patent-pending ‘Diamond’ cargo bay allows for 60% more volume. It’s designed for cargo and can hold a large configuration of standard pallets and outsized cargo. A remote pilot watches over.
Pyka unveiled a large, zero-emission autonomous electric cargo plane. The second-generation Pelican Spray is an autonomous electric aircraft designed for complex agricultural operations on farms. The Pelican Cargo features an extended range, increased payload capacity, and maximized cargo volume. A payload of up to 400 lbs can be carried in 66 feet of cargo space for a range of up to 200 miles (with a 20 min reserve).
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) conducted a flight demonstration of the Eaglet Air-Launched Effect (ALE) at the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah. The Eaglet was launched from a U.S. Army MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) UAS. The Eaglet is a low-cost survivable UAV that can be launched from a Gray Eagle, rotary-wing aircraft, or ground vehicles.
There was some talk about the ethics of putting tasers on small UAVs to subdue dangerous people and using “shock drones” to protect schools. Several years ago, law enforcement company Axon asked its ethics board for input on the idea. After a year-long study, the board said it was not a good idea. Then the mass shooting at the school in Uvalde, Texas happened. Axon may be rethinking the idea.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the FAA has developed planning documents to manage efforts to integrate drones into the national airspace, but it does not have a comprehensive strategy. According to the GAO, a comprehensive strategy includes seven elements and the FAA has only four of them. The FAA’s documents do not identify drone integration goals and objectives and they only partially include milestones and performance measures for all activities. The GAO recommends that the FAA address this as well as some other process deficiencies.
The Cleo Robotics Dronut® X1 is a small bi-rotor ducted drone with no exposed propellers. It fits in the palm of your hand and is powered using bi-rotor thrust vectoring technology. Applications include inspections in dangerous and confined spaces and an ISR solution for GPS-denied environments.
According to The Wall Street Journal, General Atomics is offering Ukraine two Reapers for $1.00. But Ukraine has to pay about $10 million to prepare and deliver them, and about $8 million for maintenance and support. The Pentagon would have to approve of the sale.
Percepto has FAA authorization to execute unmanned drone-in-a-box operations 200 feet above ground level without a pilot or visual observer on site. The FAA authorization is only for a large Texas solar power plant but Percepto will use this as a model for other industries, including oil and gas, mining, and utilities.
420 Toroidal Propellers
Jan 27, 2023
Toroidal Propellers offer a solution for multirotor noise, layoffs at Prime Air, Valkyrie drones for the US Marines, regulating advanced air mobility in Utah, mapping a radioactive environment with a collision-tolerant drone, and a cargo drone that can carry 100 pounds for 600 miles.
MIT might have a solution for the noise produced by multi-rotor propellers. The Structural and Thermal-Fluids Engineering Group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory is experimenting with toroidal propellers. [PDF] The toroidal propeller consists of two blades looping together so that the tip of one blade curves back into the other.
Key Features:
Decreases signals in the frequency range to which humans are most sensitive
Reduces noise without requiring supplementary components that add weight and increase power draw
Lessens the likelihood that the spinning propeller will cut, catch, or clip objects or surfaces in the drone’s path
Achieves thrust comparable to that of a multirotor drone propeller
Allows reliable fabrication with additive manufacturing techniques that make it possible to customize the propeller for various multirotor models and types
Toroidal propellers. Image copyright and courtesy MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
It’s been a decade since Amazon’s Jeff Bezos unveiled the company’s drone project on 60 Minutes. Prime Air now has drone delivery operations in two small markets, but corporate cost-cutting is rampant in the tech industry. Amazon plans to cut 18,000 jobs and Prime Air is not immune. The company won’t say how many layoffs affect the program. Sources said employees in the design, maintenance, systems engineering, flight testing, and flight operations units were part of the layoffs.
The Marines have a $15 million contract with Kratos for two XQ-58A Valkyrie drones. These large aircraft weigh about 6,000 pounds and have a 27-foot-wingspan. Likely missions include strike, intelligence gathering, and electronic warfare. Possible other applications are a “mothership” for small drones and the deployment of munitions.
The Utah Legislature has been working on drone regulations and in 2022 a study group was formed to look at updating regulatory laws. A bill is now working through the state legislature that is described as a framework for regulation. Topics being discussed include tracking software for near-ground air traffic, noise concerns, and State supremacy over local jurisdictions
A Flyability Elios 3 drone has successfully completed a 3D LiDAR mapping operation of a storage vault holding radioactive waste. The vault is planned to be removed and the data collected by the drone will aid in planning the project. The operation was conducted last November at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center at the Idaho National Laboratory Site. A team of about 50 people was involved, the top of the vault was covered with a plastic tent (thus creating an “indoor mission), and a crane lifted the vault’s lid and hatch. Flyability specializes in confined space inspections.
The MightyFly Cento autonomous VTOL drone is a hybrid with electric propulsion and a hydrocarbon combustion engine that charges the battery in flight. The carbon-fiber airframe weighs 355 lb when fully loaded with a payload of up to 100 pounds. For vertical flight, eight props provide lift while a pusher prop on the back is used for cruise flight.
A wildlife enthusiast’s drone captured the moment a moose shed both its antlers in a forest in Canada.
419 Collecting Environmental DNA with a Drone
Jan 20, 2023
An autonomous drone that collects environmental DNA, a robotic wing that measures flapping performance, a Wyoming bill to outlaw drone flights over prisons, flying drugs into the U.S. with drones, and an ex-drone manager sues Amazon.
If you want to find out what creatures live in an area, you can observe them or you can collect the “environmental DNA” they leave. Examples of external DNA include dead skin or feathers, waste, and fluids. These can be found in the soil, in water, or on rocks and tree branches. Collecting environmental DNA can be difficult and expensive. It can be unsafe if you have to climb up into the forest canopy to get the DNA samples
Now a special drone is being developed that can autonomously collect samples on tree branches. Collaborating are ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, and environmental DNA (eDNA) specialist Spygen. (A French biotechnology company created in 2011 and specializing in molecular ecology.) The drone lands on a branch and adhesive strips collect the samples. DNA is extracted in the lab.
A recent study led by Lund University in Sweden found that birds fly more efficiently by folding their wings during the upstroke. This might have implications for flapping drones and could increase their propulsive and aerodynamic efficiency. In order to study the different ways that wings could flap, the research team constructed a robotic wing that can flap the way birds do but can also flap in ways birds don’t. Wind tunnel measurements record the performance of the wing. Biology researcher Christoffer Johansson says “Flapping drones could be used for deliveries, but they would need to be efficient enough and able to lift the extra weight this entails. How the wings move is of great importance for performance, so this is where our research could come in handy,”
The Wyoming Department of Corrections says just two incidents have occurred in Wyoming that involve drones and prisons. (Those were attempts to deliver tobacco.) But other prisons have seen drone incidents. The Wyoming Corrections Director fears that drones could be used to spy on prisons and identify guards, inmates, and specific facility details. After the Senate vote, the legislation goes to the state House.
Nobody seemed to live there at the $650,000 property in upstate New York. The grounds were unkempt and expensive-looking cars came and went. Law enforcement decided to investigate and border patrol came up with a surveillance tool that could “recognize drone signatures, map their flight path, and identify starting and stopping points via GPS.” At night, a UAV flew in. Police arrived and the pilot and two others were taken into custody. The drone held a package with $110,000 (street value) of MDMA, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly called Ecstacy. At this time, only the alleged drone pilot has been charged.
The former manager is suing Amazon in King County Superior Court in Seattle, claiming racial discrimination in promotions and retaliation for raising safety concerns. He notes the lack of safety protocols in drone testing, the large number of crashes, and restrictions on employee access to flight information, videos, and pictures. The man is seeking lost earnings, and compensation for legal fees and emotional distress. Amazon said in a statement “these allegations are false and we look forward to proving that in court.” See also, Amazon Drone Crashes Hit Jeff Bezos’ Delivery Dreams.
418 Weather Prediction with Drones
Jan 13, 2023
Using drones for weather prediction, tracking warehouse inventory with an autonomous drone, an FCC NPRM for the UAS communications spectrum, Walmart delivery drone statistics, underwater drones to detect ocean carbon, hardening the electric grid from aerial attacks, and cargo delivery to moving ships.
Researchers are using DJI Mavic 2 drones to measure Arctic wind speeds. The only modification required was the addition of an inexpensive, lightweight thermal anemometer. The Japanese National Institute of Polar Research is flying drones from a research vessel.
The Vimaan StorTRACK Air autonomous warehouse drone can automate inventory control functions. It scans warehouse racks, delivers accurate inventory status to the warehouse management system, and doesn’t just read barcode labels – it includes optical character recognition and captures the entire contents of warehouse racks.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed new spectrum rules for unmanned aircraft systems. This is necessary to accommodate the increasing number of drones, which require wireless communication. The NPRM addresses the 5030-5091 MHz band, which was previously allocated to support terrestrial control links for UAS without adopting service rules. This proposal is the first step to developing those service rules for UAS operations.
Thirty-six Walmart stores in the U.S. have drone delivery hubs operated by DroneUp, Flytrex, and Zipline. 6,000+ drone deliveries were completed in 2022. The top five customer favorites delivered by drone were cookies, ice cream, lemons, rotisserie chicken, energy drinks, and paper towels. Drone delivery is operating in seven states: VA, NC, FL, AR, TX, UT, AZ.
The underwater drone, or “glider,” nicknamed Migaloo is 1.5 meters long and measures CO2 and pH ocean parameters to understand global carbon sink. The Atlantic Carbon Observatory Pilot Program (ACOP) utilizes moored bottom observatories and gliders that provide mobile pH and CO2 sensors. Real-time data collected is collected via Iridium and Fiberoptic links. The Slocum Underwater Glider is designed and manufactured by Teledyne Webb Research.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation is set to review the physical security standards of the electric grid, but that doesn’t address airborne threats. Defensive options need to be investigated, leveraging the progress that National Laboratories and the Department of Defense (DOD) are making in counter-UAS (C-UAS) technologies and systems. Current statutory restraints limit the ability of utilities to defend their facilities from drone attacks.
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) “recently demonstrated multiple unmanned systems in a first-of-its-kind mission to move supplies to ships at sea.” Two VTOLs were involved in the testing: the Martin V-BAT 128 and the Skyways V2.6 Cargo Aircraft. The Navy is looking for UAVs that have the ability to transport cargo under 50 lbs and fly to and from moving ships.
417 UAV Tether in Heavy Seas
Dec 09, 2022
UAV tether, advanced drones, building designs, Martian missions, Army short-range reconnaissance program, Apple patent, birds, Ukraine drones.
416 European Drone Strategy 2.0
Dec 02, 2022
European drone strategy 2.0, Ukraine drones, wildlife investigations, three active volcanoes, UAS frequencies, consumer attitudes, hydrogen power, Dover AFB sUAS program.
415 Amazon Prime Air Drone
Nov 25, 2022
The latest Amazon Prime Air drone, XQ-58A Valkyrie tactical drones, bringing a drone on a cruise ship, a drone light show fail, and attacking a navy with uncrewed surface vessels.
414 Operations Over People
Nov 11, 2022
Operations Over People approval for AgEagle, UAV-dominated air forces, women drone pilots in Ukraine, autonomous Black Hawk, drone facilitates robbery, BVLOS corridor in New York, autonomous firefighting helicopter, drones celebrate a game anniversary, increasing lithium battery lifespan.
413 Community-Based Drone Organizations
Oct 28, 2022
Community-based drone organizations, Navy drone swarm, Iranian drone components, FAA reauthorization, Chinese cargo drone, Bell Autonomous Pod Transport, specimen sampling with drones, Wing drone crash, Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
412 Nano Drones
Sep 02, 2022
Nano drones in Ukraine, cloud seeding with drones in China, bots that clean beaches and waterways, a STEM program for young girls, new technologies from Draganfly, and patrolling the airport perimeter.
411 Automated Inspection
Aug 26, 2022
Automated inspection of solar panels, NUAIR Public Safety Summit, supersonic target drones, Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, Pixy selfie drone, rural law enforcement, UAV that can land on steep roofs.
410 Women and Drones Documentary
Aug 19, 2022
Women and drones documentary film, Chinese drone submarine, unmanned surface vessels, drone tech to India, portable ATM system, mapping with multiple drones, Ford patent.
409 Court Ruling on Drone Remote ID
Aug 12, 2022
Court rules in favor of drone Remote ID rule, drones for Ukraine, drones on Mars, chicken by drone, lifeguard drones, mapping a mountain, NASA Zipline partnership, United sends Archer pre-delivery payment.
408 Archer Aviation Maker
Jul 29, 2022
Archer Aviation planning full transition flights of their Maker aircraft, drone shuts down Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, protecting sporting events with drones, using lasers for drone communications, RQ-4 Global Hawk end-of-life, alligator attacks drone, a Remote ID device from Aerobits, and the Zephyr UAS flies for 26 days.
Archer Aviation Maker eVTOL.
UAV News
Archer Flight Testing Gains Momentum, On Pace to Achieve Transition Flight By Year End
Archer Aviation Inc. announced it is confident it will achieve its goal of flying full transition flights with its Maker aircraft by year-end. Flight tests of the full-scale 12-motor eVTOL demonstrator aircraft with a Tilt Propeller System (TPS) have been successful.
Maker successfully completed its first hover test flight in December 2021 and since then the engineering team has focused on the development and testing of the systems needed for a full transition to horizontal flight.
Errant drone briefly shuts down D.C. airport
Air traffic was shut down at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for 45 minutes. There is no information about who was operating the drone, if it was taken down, or if it was retrieved.
The DHS told Congress that TSA has reported nearly 2,000 drone sightings near U.S. airports since 2021. Pilots had to take “65 evasive actions” after drones came too close or disturbed aircraft.
World Cup to use drones to help protect stadiums
Utah-based Fortem Technologies has reached an agreement with Qatar's interior ministry to provide the interceptor drones at this winter's Fifa World Cup in Qatar. Fortem’s “DroneHunters” that shoot nets will be able to bring down small rogue drones. These are autonomous, radar-guided drones.
Laser-Controlled Drones Can Evade Signal-Jamming Countermeasures
The counter-drone technology that physically attacks rogue drones with a net or a projectile requires that you track the drone’s movement. On the other hand, signal jamming doesn’t require such precise tracking. But now British company QinetiQ has a way to remotely operate drones without the communication signals that can be jammed. The new system uses lasers or Free-Space Optical Communications (FSO, or FSOC) signals.
Air Force’s RQ-4 Global Hawk drones headed for retirement in FY27
The US Air Force plans to phase out all remaining RQ-4 Global Hawk reconnaissance drones by fiscal 2027. Northrop Grumman was informed they should expect that the fleet will reach its end of life by that date. In a statement, an Air Force spokeswoman said, “Our ability to win future high-end conflicts requires accelerating investment in connected, survivable platforms and accepting short-term risks by divesting legacy ISR assets that offer limited capability against peer and near-peer threats.”
What a snap! Moment alligator leaps out of Brazilian river and devours nosy fisherman's drone in mid-flight
A Brazilian man was testing his new drone and had seen some alligators, so he flew back to the spot. The drone hovered over one of the alligators who eyed the drone for a few seconds. The gator then lept out of the water, grabbed the drone, and swam away.
Video: Alligator leaps out of Brazilian river and snatches drone in mid flight
https://youtu.be/rXeU7_l-PEo
The most advanced Remote ID with WI-FI and BLE technology
Aerobits has launched an advanced version of the idME PRO device that can broadcast on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It provides enhanced identification and tracking for UAS and works with MAVLINK devices. The Wi-Fi can connect to the Pixhawk drone controller via a JST connector. The Bluetooth Low Energy (or BLE) provides surveillance and drone operator identification capability via smartphones or tablets.
US Army conducts high-altitude experiments with Zephyr UAS
The U.S. Army wants to implement ultra-long endurance stratospheric UAS capabilities. During a June 2022 test flight,
407 Microsoft AirSim
Jul 22, 2022
Microsoft announces a new AirSim platform to train drone AI systems, Amazon Prime Air eyes deliveries in Texas, Russia looks at Iranian drones, DJI pushes back against the American Security Drone Act, a UK drone superhighway, and new drones from Alphabet’s Wing.
UAV News
Microsoft launches simulator to train drone AI systems
In 2017 Microsoft created the open-source AirSim simulation platform for AI research and experimentation, but a lot of technical machine learning knowledge was needed to use it. Now Microsoft has announced a new Project AirSim platform for teaching autonomous drones to fly. Microsoft is talking with regulators about how AirSim could be used for aircraft certification.
Video: Introducing Microsoft Project AirSim for aerial autonomy
https://youtu.be/mhEw-fecjQY
Microsoft AirSim
Amazon's Prime Air drones will soon make deliveries in Texas
Amazon says they’ll ask College Station residents if they are interested in drone deliveries with plans to start later this year. Mayor Karl Mooney said: "Amazon's new facility presents a tremendous opportunity for College Station to be at the forefront of the development of drone delivery technology. We look forward to partnering with Amazon and Texas A&M and are confident that Amazon will be a productive, conscientious, and accountable participant in our community."
The White House says Russian officials visited Iran to view drones for use in Ukraine
US intelligence says Russia is interested in obtaining Iranian military drones. Satellite images show Russian officials visiting Iran twice with Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones on display and in flight.
DJI reportedly making headway against US drone blacklist legislation
The Financial Times reports the DJI has been pushing back at the American Security Drone Act (ASDA). That act would prohibit U.S. federal funding from being used to buy Chinese drones, broaden the bans, and make it difficult for a ban to be rescinded. Notably, the bill was not retained in the National Defense Authorization Act passed by the House. Nevertheless, several Republican representatives vowed to make the ASDA law in a final version, or on its own.
A 165-Mile Drone Superhighway Will Soon Be Built in the UK
Project Skyway is the UK plan to build a 165-mile (265 kilometer) “drone superhighway” up to 10 km wide connecting the airspace above Reading, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Coventry, and Rugby. The project consortium is led by Altitude Angel, a UTM (Unified Traffic Management) solution provider.
Video: Project Skyway 150722
https://youtu.be/fmxFEM1OdDw
New Specialized Delivery Drones Unveiled
New delivery drones from Wing are tailored to be efficient for different delivery missions. The largest drone can carry 7 pounds while the smallest can carry up to 0.6 pounds. These use common motors, controllers, batteries, and the materials and processes to build them.
Video: The Aircraft Library | Wing
https://youtu.be/iqs8lXLCRuY
406 Coaxial Drone Patent
Jul 08, 2022
A coaxial drone patent, locals push back on Amazon, autonomous battery swapping, battlefield medicine, drones in sports, saving elm trees, investigating polluters.
405 Dufour Aerospace Tilt-Wing
Jul 01, 2022
The Dufour Aerospace CCO explains the manned and unmanned eVTOL tilt-wing platforms being developed by the company.
404 Drones Not UFOs
May 27, 2022
The Navy says they were drones not UFOs, an air assault experiment with a drone swarm, drone deployment planned for Africa, a drone that kills wasps, flying in the wind with deep learning, the unique view from above, and Walmart drone delivery service expansion.
403 BVLOS ARC Final Report
May 20, 2022
Public meeting scheduled for BVLOS ARC Final Report, MQ-9B STOL, closing Skyward, bombs and commercial drones, DJI indoor drone, Commercial UAV Expo 2022, drone docking systems.
402 Domestic C-UAS National Action Plan
May 13, 2022
We analyze the C-UAS National Action Plan recently released by the White House.
401 Air-One Vertiport Opens
Apr 29, 2022
Vertiport opens in England, military tactical UAS, detect-and-avoid deployment, Army drone swarm, drone legislation, NTSB drones, DJI suspends business in Russia and Ukraine, Drone Safety Day.
400 U-Space
Apr 22, 2022
U-Space ecosystem for UAV and eVTOL, hypersonic UAV project, Rick roll with 300 drones, Switchblade drone in Ukraine, outlook for agricultural drones, Texas drone delivery service, drones and export laws.
399 BREEZE Drone for Venus
Mar 11, 2022
BREEZE drone for Venus, first responder tethered drone, river rescue, Thor’s hammer C-UAS, UAS in the Arctic, offshore wind farm deliveries, Ukraine hobby drones.
398 Cargo Drone
Feb 18, 2022
Autonomous cargo drone, noise research, vehicle inspection drone, high-speed VTOL challenge, beach trash, UAS in unsegregated airspace, Western parts in Russian drone, longest BVLOS waiver, intelligent drone controller.
397 CycloTech Cycloidal Rotor
Feb 11, 2022
CycloTech eVTOL propulsion, autonomous Blackhawk, drug running, university 5G study, Wisconsin bill to ban govt use of DJI, Navy unmanned underwater vehicles.
396 Drone-as-a-Service
Feb 05, 2022
A drone-as-a-service network in Germany, drones as tools, impact of AI on UAV capability, hypersonic drone, apple-picking drone, digital twin of a national treasure, a lethal killer drone.
395 Counter-UAS Contract
Jan 29, 2022
A $1B counter-UAS contract, Kittyhawk air mobility, sports game halted, drones in UAE, Navajo Nation medical deliveries, locating pets after a disaster, surveying volcanos, unidentified drone spotted, a drone research contract.
394 Hydrogen Drones for Inspections
Jan 22, 2022
Partnerships for hydrogen drones and maritime drone deliveries, Li-Air batteries, U.S. troop attacks, flying over a school, UPS delivery drones, flying in the fog, save a dog with a drone.
393 Lessons for the eVTOL Industry
Jan 14, 2022
What the eVTOL industry can learn from helicopters, a counter-unmanned aircraft missile/drone, a birthday drone light show, saving lives with a drone, fused sensor data across manned and unmanned aircraft, and getting the most from the DJI Mavic 3 drone.
UAV News
5 Lessons eVTOL Can Learn from Legacy Helicopter Airlines
We see what the emerging eVTOL industry can learn from the history of helicopter airlines: safety first, encouraging public acceptance, keeping a critical eye on operating costs, maintaining tight routes, and including the first and last mile.
Dog owner spends nearly $16K on drones to celebrate pooch’s birthday
A woman in China hired 520 drones to spell out “Happy 10th birthday to Doudou” for her dog. The drone light show featured a birthday cake and a jack-in-a-box-like present. Authorities said they would have shot down the drones if they had seen them.
This Footage Of Jet-Powered Coyote Drones Obliterating Other Drones Is Incredible
Raytheon Missiles & Defense released a video showing Coyote missiles launched from a truck and taking out different fixed-wing drones. In partnership with the U.S. Army’s Integrated Fires and Rapid Capabilities Office, the tests used precision targeting radar and mobile sensing radar to detect and defeat drones of varying size and range. Raytheon says the Coyote 2s have a "dogfight-type of capability" and are capable of engaging highly maneuverable targets.
Video: Raytheon Missiles & Defense proves counter-UAS effectiveness against enemy drones
https://youtu.be/RrRScxnDfrk
Drone helps save cardiac arrest patient in Sweden
A 71-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest while shoveling snow in Sweden. Everdrone dispatched an autonomous drone with an Automated External Defibrillator. It arrived within 3 minutes and a doctor on the scene used the defibrillator at the man’s house - all this before the ambulance arrived.
Video: Everdrone’s emergency medical delivery service in action in Sweden
https://youtu.be/5P6pzy395ZQ
Two GA-ASI Avengers Equipped with Lockheed Martin Legion Pods Autonomously Send Fused Air Threat Data to Command Center
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has demonstrated sending fused sensor data to a command center. The long-range air threat data was captured passively by two Avenger® Unmanned Aircraft Systems and fused by an advanced sensor algorithm. The Avengers were each equipped with a Lockheed Martin Legion Pod®. GA-ASI Senior Director of Advanced Programs Michael Atwood said, “Avenger with Legion Pod demonstrates how collaborative autonomous platforms with advanced sensing can deliver persistent, shared air domain awareness.”
Video: Legion Pod Flies on F-16
https://youtu.be/AOzWHNnD4ck
28 MUST KNOW Tips & Settings for DJI Mavic 3
Dan from DansTube.TV recently created a tips and settings video for the DJI Mavic 3, a professional-grade cinematic drone with a 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad camera and 28x hybrid zoom.
Video: 28 MUST KNOW Tips & Settings for DJI Mavic 3
https://youtu.be/F-5DVAlbbEc
UAV Video of the Week
Drone that can fly and swim unveiled
Developed by telecom company KDDI, the drone floats on water and releases a second, underwater drone from its belly cage. The underwater drone can survey fish and shellfish farms or perform infrastructure inspection of facilities such as dams.
https://youtu.be/F5VAgvEVzXQ
382 RaceDayQuads v. FAA
Jan 07, 2022
RaceDayQuads v. FAA and the Remote ID rule, drones for law enforcement and telehealth, Russian attack drones and drones that recharge from power lines, a DARPA program for underwater drones, and finding lost hikers.
UAV News
D.C. Circuit May Blow Up the Remote Identification Rule for Drones
Oral arguments were heard in the RaceDayQuads v. FAA case where the FAA’s remote identification (RID) rule is being challenged.
In brief, the RID rule applies to small drones (0.55-55 lbs) which would broadcast a “digital license plate” over WiFi and/or Bluetooth with a unique identifier, position, altitude, velocity, control station coordinates, and other “message elements.” The broadcast would be openly accessible by anyone.
This RID capability must be either hardwired into the drone (Standard Remote ID) or attached externally in the form of a module (Broadcast Module RID or BMID). Drones without RID can only fly in FAA-recognized identification areas (FRIAs) under the purview of community-based organizations and educational institutions.
Manufacturers have until September 2022 to comply. Drone operators have until September 2023 to comply.
RaceDayQuads (RDQ) is a large online retailer that supports first-person view (FPV) drone-racing customers. RDQ’s co-founder and CEO, Tyler Brennan said he seeks “to protect the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens to be free from unreasonable searches from the government when they are flying in their own backyards.” RDQ alleges that:
The rule is a violation of the Fourth Amendment because it allows warrantless tracking in a backyard.The FAA arbitrarily and capriciously relied on undisclosed ex parte communications during the rulemaking process.The final rule was not a logical outgrowth from the NPRM.The FAA failed to comply with a legal mandate to consult with Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).The FAA failed to address significant public comments as required by the Administrative Procedure Act.
For its part, the Government contends:
Merely requiring RID technology onboard a drone does not equate to an unreasonable search. Planes flying in public view do not give rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy.Even if the rule did violate the Fourth Amendment, the special needs exception would legally justify it.
A ruling is likely to come sometime in early 2022.
Autonomous drones to respond to gunshots in new policing system
US company ShotSpotter and Israel-based Airobotics are teaming to provide Israeli law enforcement agencies with a system that detects and locates gunfire, alerts the police, and provides live drone video footage and stills of the scene. ShotSpotter would identify and locate the sound of gunshots with a network of acoustic sensors. Airobotics would deploy its autonomous drones to the ShotSpotter coordinates.
Special Delivery: Drones bring the doctor to you: Medicine’s next big thing?
Manish Kumar, Ph.D., Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cincinnati says, "We are building a telehealth drone that will have the ability to go inside people’s homes.” Engineers are designing and testing a system with sensors that allow the drones to maneuver through a front door and into a patient’s living room. Patients would connect with a doctor for a telehealth appointment. A medical kit on the drone would be used to measure and transmit health information.
Russian Orion Drone Downs Unmanned Copter
In a video, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) shows an Orion reconnaissance and attack drone that fired an air-to-air missile and destroyed a hovering unmanned helicopter. The drone is also to be fitted with an electronic warfare suite “to defend itself against missiles…and to suppress any enemy systems in the interests of other units on the battlefield.”
Video: Первое применение беспилотника «Орион» по воздушной цели
https://youtu.
391 Kinetic Energy and Flight Over People
Dec 24, 2021
Measuring drone kinetic energy, Dedrone funding, endangered heritage sites, heavy-lift multirotors, MQ-25 tests, the next Reaper, FAA grant for UAS training, drone swarms harass Navy.
390 Gliding Cargo Delivery Drone
Dec 17, 2021
Silent Arrow guided cargo delivery drone, best cities for flying a drone, bringing power to those without, sailing the Gulf Stream, airline plans drone delivery, rogue drone, DJI end of support.
389 A Perching Drone
Dec 10, 2021
A perching drone, connecting communities with drones, photography drones, vaccination deliveries, combat drones, law enforcement, Airmap acquires DroneUp, NOTAMs and drones.
388 12 Days of Drones
Dec 03, 2021
FAA 12 Days of Drones campaign, dangers to aircraft, local drone rule injunctions, Sony video drone, long-endurance electric solar drone, amphibious drone tanker, Navy drone hub.
387 Personal eVTOL
Nov 19, 2021
Personal eVTOL, military delivery and resupply drones, drones on construction sites, UAS support for hypersonic testing, weaponized drones, carrying contraband, and drone video evidence in a criminal case.
386 Fuel Cell Hydrogen
Nov 12, 2021
Where to get Hydrogen for fuel cells, Boeing loyal wingman milestone, new drone rules for Oregon, Gremlins snatched in mid-air, drone attack on the U.S. power grid, and Black Friday drone deals.
385 Hunting with Drones
Nov 05, 2021
Hunting with drones and the fair chase concept, autonomous agile flight, thermal mapping to reduce building heat loss, Trick or Treat, the delivery drone hold-up, UAS over wildfires, and a LAANC update.
UAV News
Outdoors in Maine: Drones in the woods, and the ethical debate over whether they belong
The law in Maine says hunters cannot use drones to locate game. According to Title 12 Section 11216 Hunting with aid of aircraft, “A person on the ground or airborne may not use an aircraft to aid or assist in hunting bear, deer or moose.” Section 10001(1) defines an aircraft as “a machine or device designed for flight.” In 2014, Colorado became the first state to outlaw the use of drones for scouting, hunting, and taking wildlife. The concept of “fair chase,” a registered trademark of the Boone and Crockett Club, comes into play.
Watch these autonomous drones zip through the woods
Rapid autonomous flight in complex and changing environments is difficult, but researchers at the University of Zurich in conjunction with Intel Labs are tackling this problem. Using simulations, they are training drones to imitate expert human pilots for autonomous agile flight.
Video: Learning High-Speed Flight in the Wild (Science Robotics, 2021)
https://youtu.be/m89bNn6RFoQ
Project webpage: Learning High-Speed Flight in the Wild
Warren, MN, uses drones, thermal sensors to map its heat-leaking homes
The Minnesota town of Warren is using a drone to help residents cut their energy costs. Warren is a Climate Smart Municipalities Partnership member where cities in Minnesota and Germany link up for sustainability and climate initiatives. They used a thermal sensor-equipped drone to produce a municipal map showing structural insulating inefficiencies and losses of heat. Pilots and drones came from Northland Community College.
Drones have fun at Halloween 2021
This is a compilation of drone Halloween videos and photos, including a drone light show in Dallas produced by Sky Elements Drone Shows, flying witch drones, trick or treating robots, and an Australian youngster dressed up as a Wing delivery drone.
Amazon Drone Delivery Was Supposed to Start By 2018. Here's What Happened Instead
In 2013, Amazon announced an experimental drone delivery service. Now it’s 2021, almost 2022. Where are the Amazon delivery drones? Amazon Prime Air is still committed to delivering packages by drones, and they say, “We are pioneering new ground and it will continue to take time to create the right technology and infrastructure to safely deliver packages to customers.” In the U.S., drone delivery is paced by the FAA as it develops the regulatory framework.
Hybrid rotor/fixed wing drone was used extensively over Schneider Springs Fire
In August and September 2021, the Schneider Springs Fire in Washington burned more than 107,000 acres. An L3 Latitude Engineering FVR-90 unmanned aircraft was used to monitor the fire. The eVTOL uses four electrically-powered rotors to take off, and then transitions to horizontal flight driven by a rear-mounted gasoline-powered propeller. It can fly for up to 12 hours and fly at an altitude of 10,000 to 12,000 feet. Visual video cameras and heat-sensing infrared sensors monitor and map fires, with images transmitted to the ground in real-time.
Video: UAS Type 1 Drone Used on the Schneider Springs Fire
https://youtu.be/zdjZPDxb5OY
Unmanned aircraft on wildfires — what have we learned?
Incident Management Teams used other drones on the Schneider Springs Fire. A Type 3 UAS was used at night for Plastic Sphere Dispenser (PSD) burning operations. This drone could access areas of the fire that were inaccessible to other aircraft and provided better intel and risk management. A number of challenges remain.
LAANC Update: Refined Airspace Grids & Night Drone Authorizations
The latest generation of FAA’s Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) introduces authoriza...
384 Airport UAS Threats
Sep 24, 2021
Airport UAS threats, snooping by drone, AUVSI XCELLENCE awards, construction industry issues, healthcare projects, more cargo drones, Boeing Loyal Wingman production site.
383 Heavy-Lift UAS
Sep 17, 2021
Heavy-lift UAS, NOAA data collection, motorsports coverage, delivery drones and bad weather, DRL sponsorship, VTOL collaboration, smuggling contraband, Volocopter, batteries, Drone Safety Awareness Week.
382 Terrafugia Commaris UAV
Sep 10, 2021
Commaris VTOL UAV for commercial operations, hazmat responders, QF-16 target drones, endangered porpoises, US Navy repels drones, AT&T COWs, India drone rules.
381 Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight
Sep 03, 2021
Tactical beyond visual line of sight waivers, 100,000 Wing deliveries in Australia, Starlink for military maritime drones, Mavic 3 leaked, measuring the wind, a drone services partnership, history of drones in Southeast Asia.
380 NASA System-Wide Safety Project
Aug 27, 2021
Dr. Wendy A. Okolo explains NASA’s System-Wide Safety project that is focused on safe operations of unmanned vehicles in the National Airspace System.
379 T-Mobile 5G Drone
Aug 13, 2021
T-Mobile low latency 5G drone, high speed UAVs that crash less often, solar-powered UAV, first responder drone of choice, patrolling the beach with drones, marketing real estate with drone videos.
378 UAS Incident Map
Jul 16, 2021
Interactive UAS incident map, airspace coordinator and archaeologists, drone swarm sniffs out gas leaks, X-56B UAV destroyed, making drones quiet, AI drones that find meteorites.
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