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US Customs and Border Protection plans to test drones that provide agents with situational awareness. Also, a modular hydrogen fuel cell UAV platform, a UAS Traffic Management Pilot Program concludes, FPV drones that use your phone for video, a traffic control drone in China, a new all-electric helicopter UAS, and a test that teams manned and unmanned aircraft and munitions.
UAV News
UAVs Recruited for Border Detection
US Customs and Border Protection has been working with the Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate to build and test small drones. Planck Aerosystems will be granted $200,000 to test its prototype in operational environments over the next three to six months. The autonomous small UAV will launch from and land on the bed of a moving vehicle, provide fully autonomous navigation, have advanced computer vision capability, and include customized communications interfaces.
ISS Aerospace Launches Sensus Hydrogen Fuel Cell UAV with AMS Cylinders
ISS Aerospace has developed the Sensus, a modular hydrogen fuel cell UAV platform. It includes an ultra-lightweight, carbon composite gas cylinder from AMS Composite Cylinders and the air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell module was developed by Intelligent Energy.
Video: Fuel cell power for UAVs
FAA, Nasa and UAS partners conclude pilot programme
This portion of the UAS Traffic Management Pilot Program sought to test safe drone operations beyond visual line of sight at less than 400 feet altitude. Technology tests and evaluation included flight planning, communications, aircraft separation, and weather services for drones. Also, connections to FAA flight management servers and LAANC services (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability). Based on the results, the FAA will form the UTM regulatory framework.
See also, Unmanned Traffic Management Pilot Program: FAA Drone Flight Testing Lands First Milestone.
10 of the most popular FPV drones on Amazon this fall
This is a list of FPV drones that use your phone for the video.
Police Drone Caught Barking Orders at Chinese Driver
In this video from China, a police drone sees a group of scooters stopped at a traffic light and one of the riders isn’t wearing his helmet. The drone has a loudspeaker and can be heard ordering the man to put his helmet on, which he does.
Video: Traffic officer in China uses drones to give orders from above.
AeroVironment Unveils VAPOR All-Electric Helicopter UAS at DSEI, Adding New and Expanded Mission Capabilities to Its Family of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
AeroVironment announced the VAPOR all-electric helicopter UAS, now added to their line of fixed-wing tactical systems. With a GTOW of up to 55 pounds, the copter has a maximum cruise endurance of 60 minutes with a full payload.
Army Night Stalker Chinook Teamed Up With Bomb-Slinging Drone In Complex AI-Enabled Test
The test integrated an MH-47 Chinook special operations helicopter, an MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone, a Dynetics GBU-69/B glide bomb, and personnel on the ground using an AI-driven networked sensor system. The Air Force has a similar project, called Golden Horde.
UAV Video of the Week
Drone follows a rollercoaster and takes you on a wild ride in this epic video