Tag Archives: AeroVironment

400 U-Space

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:19 — 22.2MB)

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS

Creating a U-Space ecosystem for UAV and eVTOL, a hypersonic UAV project in Australia, how to Rickroll a crowd with 300 drones, the Switchblade drone in Ukraine, the outlook for agricultural drones, drone delivery service in Texas, and drones and export laws

UAV News

Droniq CEO Jan-Eric Putze on Creating a UAV and eVTOL Ecosystem

Droniq is a German company that provides hardware and software solutions for UAS Traffic Management (UTM). They started in 2016 as a research project of Deutsche Telecom and DFS, which is Germany’s air navigation service provider. CEO Putze says, “We have a highly regulated air environment and a highly unregulated drone world. We’re trying to come together.” He notes that the drone economy innovates using trial and error but manned aviation doesn’t work that way. Also, the drone industry and manned aviation can learn from each other.

The U-Space system is in test in Germany but other EU states are behind and probably won’t meet the January 2023 U-Space deadline.

Australian hypersonic UAV project awarded $2.95 million federal funding

The project partners are developing the DART CMP Airframe, a hydrogen-powered vehicle using the Hypersonix SPARTAN scramjet engine. Fully reusable, with ceramic matrix composites (CMC) components, the DART CMP should travel at speeds up to Mach 12. The project will begin in July 2022. Partners include Hypersonix Launch Systems (Sydney), the University of Southern Queensland (Toowoomba), LSM Advanced Composites (Harlaxton), and Roma r Engineering (Sefton).

300 Drones Formed a QR Code That Rick Rolled Dallas on April Fools’ Day

Sky Elements Drone Shows formed a giant QR code with 300 drones over Dallas on April 1, 2022. Those who followed the link wound up at Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” music video.

Switchblade: A look at the drone the US is sending to Ukraine

The AeroVironment Switchblade (sometimes called the Kamikaze), was introduced in 2011 and developed for US Special Forces in Afghanistan. The Switchblade 300 is designed to attack personnel and light vehicles, can be carried in a backpack, and is just over ½ meter long. The larger Switchblade 600 has a Javelin anti-armour warhead, requires a 10-minute setup, weighs 23 kg, and can fly out 40 km in 20 minutes, then loiter another 20 min.

Global Agriculture Drones Market Forecasts to 2026: Exemptions Provided by US FAA for the Use of Agriculture Drones and Increasing Investments

ResearchAndMarkets.com is offering the Agriculture Drones Market – Forecasts from 2021 to 2026 report. The agriculture drones market was projected to grow at a CAGR of 32.49%, reaching US$7 billion by 2026. Drone use in agriculture is growing and is seen as a reliable and cost-effective tool. Just published is a new report: Agriculture Drones Market – Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 – 2027) with a lower 7.1% CAGR, largely due to the industry effects of COVID-19.

More drone delivery services take flight in North Texas

The drone food delivery service Flytrex has started Granbury, Texas. Using the Flytrex app, customers can order from several restaurants and have their food delivered by drone to their yard. Flytrex also operates in three North Carolina locations. (Holly Springs, Raeford, and Fayetteville).

Video: Flytrex Sky Delivery Takes Off In Texas

As Drones Grow More Sophisticated, Export Rules Still Stuck in 1980s, Experts Say

The 1987 Missile Technology Control Regime defines unmanned systems in the same category as missiles. To comply, the State Department has frequently killed proposed foreign military sales of drones. But if the drones can’t be purchased from the U.S., others are more than happy to supply them, including China. A recent paper from The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies discusses the issue: Building Alliances and Competing with China: The Imperative for UAV Export Reforms.

Commercial UAV Expo 2022

September 6 – 8, 2022 Las Vegas

The Commercial UAV Expo is a leading trade show and conference that focuses on the integration and operation of commercial UAS with more exhibitors than any other commercial drone event.

Industries covered include Construction; Drone Delivery; Energy & Utilities; Forestry & Agriculture; Infrastructure & Transportation; Mining & Aggregates; Public Safety & Emergency Services; Security; and Surveying & Mapping. The Commercial UAV Expo was launched in 2015 and it gathers the international drone ecosystem under one roof.

You’ll find educational opportunities, unparalleled networking, and more exhibits than any other commercial drone event. It’s really a must-attend event if you hope to keep up with the newest technology and developments. The Expo is presented by Commercial UAV News and organized by Diversified Communications. Use the hashtag #expouav.

330 Passenger Drone Hotel

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:00 — 21.4MB)

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS

A passenger drone hotel, a pub drone for beer delivery, UFOs that might be drones, distance-learning UAS education, flying creatures make drones better, measuring whales from above, and a close encounter with the Blue Angels.

UAV News:

A Passenger Drone Hotel: EHang and LN Holdings Make it a Reality

EHang plans to create a passenger drone hotel in China. Hotel guests could travel to and from the hotel via EHang’s passenger drones and they could take sightseeing tours of the area with the drones. The first passenger drone hotel will be in a Guangzhou coastal district. EHang and the Chinese government have an agreement to establish Guangzhou as “China’s first and the world’s leading UAM smart city.”

Video: EHang Joins Hands with LN Holdings in Building the World’s First “UAM” Theme Hotel

Irish pub using drones to fly beer to its customers during COVID-19

The doors of McKeever’s Bar and Lounge outside Dublin are closed during the pandemic. But thirsty customers have an option since McKeever’s is now using a drone to fly beer and wine to patrons.

Newly released incident reports detail US Navy’s ‘UFO’ encounters

Videos of US Navy F/A-18 fighters encountering “unidentified aerial phenomena” have been circulating for some time, and the Pentagon has officially declassified and released the videos. Now the Navy has publically released incident reports that describe many of the unidentified aircraft as “Unmanned Aerial Systems.”

In June 2013, the encountered “aircraft was white in color and approximately the size and shape of a drone or missile.”
In November 2013, the aircraft was described as having a 5-foot wingspan. “…the aircraft was determined to be a UAS.”
From a March 2014 incident: “The unknown aircraft appeared to be small in size, approximately the size of a suitcase, and silver in color.”

How Are Drone Programs Utilizing Distance-Learning Setups?

The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide Campus offers distance-learning for some of their drone programs. Christian Janke, the Program Chair for the Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Systems Applications program offered by ERAU, was interviewed by Jeremiah Karpowicz for Commercial UAV News. The ERAU Worldwide Campus offers distance-learning.

How the wings of owls and hummingbirds inspire drones, wind turbines and other technology

“…biomimicry draws inspiration from natural inventions to design and improve upon our current technologies.” The hummingbird offers large wing muscles to continuously flap their wings, a long chest bone for the surface area needed for those muscles, and a figure-8 wing-beating pattern. The AeroVironment’s Nano Hummingbird prototype for DARPA (the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) draws on these qualities.

Video: Stunning Slo-Mo Footage of Hummingbirds Hovering in Air

Video: AeroVironment’s Nano Hummingbird – 360 degree Lateral Flip

Meanwhile, the owl employs silent tactics, despite it’s huge wings. Owl wing feathers have leading-edge serrations that break up the turbulence that causes noise. Also, fringes at the end of the feathers further disburse turbulence and reduce noise. Similar turbulence-disrupting structures can reduce the noise produced by wind turbines and fans.

Video: Experiment! How Does An Owl Fly So Silently? | Super Powered Owls | BBC

I measure whales with drones to find out if they’re fat enough to breed

Many whales and dolphins spend little time at the surface of the water, so they are hard to find and difficult to study. A Southern Cross University PhD candidate and scientist plans to use drones to find and measure the length and width of whales. Using photogrammetry techniques, video will be recorded of humpback and pygmy blue whales in Australian waters. With the measurements taken, the size and volume of a whale can be calculated. This provides an indication of its health.

Video: See Blue Whales Lunge For Dinner in Beautiful Drone Footage | National Geographic

Drone Flies Dangerously Close to Blue Angels in Detroit America Strong Flyover

The name Giovanni Lucia has been associated with a drone video of the Navy Blue Angels America Strong flyover in Detroit, Michigan on May 12, 2020. At one point, the Blue Angels fly past the drone at an apparently very close range. The video is currently on the Moss Photography YouTube channel, copied from Lucia’s FB page before he took it down.

328 Blockchain for Unmanned Aircraft

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:23 — 20.3MB)

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS

The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a report showing the benefits of blockchain for unmanned aircraft. Also, drone cinematographers and a labor agreement, a drone modeled after a dragonfly, VTOL reconnaissance, AI controllers, and AUVSI virtual sessions.

UAV News

US Transportation Dept. Says Blockchain Could Bring More Trust to Commercial Drones

In a report titled Blockchain for Unmanned Aircraft, the U.S. Department of Transportation says blockchain could help in areas with large numbers of drones operations, especially near high-risk areas like airports or in crowded areas. The report says “Blockchain technology is being looked on to deliver a framework that can be used by stakeholders in the commercial drone industry, as it can ensure security and provide for identity management as well as providing a supporting role in aircraft traffic management, UAS conflict management and flight authorization.”

Cinematographers Guild Celebrates Drone Victory Over Warner Bros. in Arbitration

The International Cinematographers Guild initiated arbitration over a dispute with Warner Bros. The Guild said drone operators filming for productions are covered under the labor agreement. Those who work in “all phases of motion and still picture photography,” including members of a drone crew, should be treated the same as aerial directors of photography, camera operators, and camera technicians. They say the drone crew should get the same health and pension benefits.

The stealthy little drones that fly like insects

Animal Dynamics is a technology start-up that takes lessons from wildlife and applies them to drone design. The Skeeter project uses flapping wings to power a small hand-launched drone, mimicking the dragonfly.

AeroVironment unveils fully-automated hybrid vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aircraft system

The AeroVironment Quantix™ Recon is a lightweight and rapidly deployable reconnaissance solution that is fully-automated. It produces high resolution, georeferenced terrain, vegetation, and infrastructure imagery. The VTOL transitions to a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft and can survey up to 0.6 square miles or 12.4 linear miles with a 45-minute flight time. The aerial imagery data is compatible with many geographic information systems (GIS)

Hybrid Drones: Coupling Disruptive Mechanisms to Reshape UAV Industry

The MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Dartmouth, and the University of Washington have developed an AI-based system that uses “reinforcement learning” to train the model. This approach is being applied to VTOL designs that transition from vertical to horizontal flight. The AI works with the popular OnShape CAD software.

AUVSI Launches UAS Webinars

AUVSI postponed XPONENTIAL 2020 (tentatively scheduled for August 10-12, 2020). In the meantime, five webinars will be offered starting May 4, 2020:

Digital Twins – the Future of Virtual and Mixed Reality Robotic Avatars
Drone Delivery Supporting Public Health
NASA’s Vision and Role to Enable Urban Air Mobility
Advancing Autonomy Through DARPA Challenge to Benefit First Responders
Aerial Connectivity Joint Activity – Bridging the Gap Between Cellular and Aviation

304 UAS Flight Demonstrations

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:37 — 19.7MB)

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS

Several UAS flight demonstrations are in the news: the Boeing MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueler, a microturbine propulsion system, and a high altitude pseudo-satellite. Also, counter-drone tech from both the Secret Service and Raytheon, and drones that study dust devils.

UAV News

Boeing shows capability of unmanned aircraft refueler

The MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueler has been demonstrated through an autonomous taxi and takeoff, followed by a flight over a pre-determined route. Boeing test pilots directed the flight from a ground control station, validating basic flight functions and operations. The intended mission is a carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling aircraft for the U.S. Navy.

UAV Turbines Unveils Microturbine Propulsion System for Drones

UAV Turbines announced the first flight of their Monarch Microturbine engine at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, NY. Two successful test flights were conducted with what the company calls the turboprop a “microturbine propulsion system.” Intended for mid-sized commercial and military drones, the small gas turbine engine produces about 20 HP.

Video: UAV Turbines Introduction to the Monarch Microturbine

Solar drone makes historic flight

AeroVironment Inc. announced the successful first flight of the HAWK30 high altitude pseudo-satellite UAS, The flight occurred on September 11, 2019, at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. The 260-foot wingspan HAWK30 is powered by 10 electric motors and solar panels cover the surface of the wing. The aircraft is designed for continuous operation for months at a time at an altitude of approximately 65,000 feet. HAPSMobile Inc. is a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp and minority-owned by AeroVironment, Inc.

Secret Service testing counter-drone tech at U.N. General Assembly

The Secret Service is piloting counter-unmanned aircraft systems or C-UAS technology at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City. The Secret Service is employing radio frequency (RF) detection, radar imagery, and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) cameras to identify objects flying in the area and differentiate drones from birds and flying debris.

Raytheon developing advanced high-power microwave system for USAF deployment to counter enemy drones

Under a U.S. Air Force contract, Raytheon Company will deliver a prototype high-power microwave (HPM) system that troops would use it to destroy hostile drones. The HPM system uses directed energy to take down drones. The HPM beam is wide so it could disable multiple targets at one time. Under another UASF contract, Raytheon will build two prototype high-energy laser (HEL) systems. Both systems are designed to be deployed overseas and can be used independently or used together to counter UAS threats.

Raytheon video: Using directed-energy systems to down drones

Scientists use drones to probe earthly dust devils, with an eye toward Mars

The Boise State Dust Devil Collaboration has been flying drones through dust devils to better understand the phenomena on Earth and on Mars. Scientific models of dust devils don’t align with what occurs in nature. The drones carry cameras, pressure sensors, and temperature loggers. They measure the structures of the dust devil and take particle samples.

UAV Video of the Week

Drone camera captures magpie swooping at it

302 Drones for Border Protection

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:14 — 21.5MB)

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS

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.

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

300 It’s Called a Drone

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:39 — 24.6MB)

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS

The Commercial Drone Alliance wants to see regulations for large drones, sUAS are vulnerable to impacts, using AI-enabled drones to identify specific individuals (human and otherwise), drones donated to universities for precision ag, and BVLOS for the UAS Integration Pilot Program.

UAV News

DON’T SAY ‘DRONES,’ Beg Drone Makers

This is the first story we covered, from Episode #1.

Commercial Drone Alliance calls for focus on large UAS in letter to new FAA administrator

The Commercial Drone Alliance sent a letter to the new U.S. chief technology officer and to the new FAA Administrator. The letter notes that the FAA has mostly focused on sUAS and the Alliance wants to see regulators look at large UAS. Lisa Ellman, executive director of the Commercial Drone Alliance and partner at Hogan Lovells, said: “The Commercial Drone Alliance looks forward to working with newly sworn-in FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson and recently confirmed U.S. CTO Michael Kratsios to develop common sense and business-friendly regulations for large UAS.”

Lessons for drone defense from a tennis ball

XKCD cartoonist Randall Munroe asked Serena Williams to try and take out a DJI Mavic Pro 2 with a tennis ball. She did. On her third serve, Serena nailed the quadcopter. Consumer drones are not very hardened against impact.

Little Ripper deploys croc-spotting AI drones

In Episode 287 we talked about Little Ripper drones being used in New South Wales and Queensland to spot sharks. Now the same drone technology is being used to spot crocodiles in Queensland.

Drones that recognize you? Amazon has a patent for that.

This article describes two patents granted to Amazon.com: One includes launching unmanned aircraft from freight cars and the other utilizes one or more drones to locate the delivery customer.

In other package delivery news:

Video: Bell Autonomous Pod Transport 70 Achieves First Autonomous Flight

AeroVironment Donates 87 Quantix Drones and AV DSS Ecosystems to 35 U.S. University Agriculture Departments to Advance Drones in Farming

The AeroVironment 2019 Quantix and AV DSS University Collaboration Project seeks to advance academic research, applications, and crop production practices through the use of UAS and advanced data analytics.

Video: The Next Generation of Quantix & AV DSS

Drones on the farm: Using facial recognition to keep cows healthy

An automated drone system that can monitor the health of cattle in the pasture is being developed by a team of professors and student researchers in the UK. Testing is being conducted with 3DR Solo drones modified with a Raspberry Pi. The autonomous drones could identify each animal, determine its location, and measure health information like weight, size, facial features, and physical activity.

FAA OKs Airbus Aerial UAS Operations in North Dakota

The FAA authorized Airbus Aerial to operate UAS at the Grand Forks, North Dakota, test site under the UAS Integration Pilot Program. Airbus Aerial will use a SenseFly eBee drone to survey power distribution lines, BVLOS. Press release: Airbus Aerial Receives Waiver for Urban BVLOS UAS Flight Operations Over Populated Areas in North Dakota.

GA-ASI Receives FAA No-Chase COA for Unmanned Flights in North Dakota

The FAA also granted General Atomics Aeronautical Systems a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) for BVLOS. They will use a Ground-based Sense and Avoid (GBSAA) system that incorporates the Grand Forks Air Force Base Air Surveillance Radar (ASR) and the L3Harris Technologies VueStation and RangeVue systems. These meet the “see and avoid” requirements over large airspace.

Videos of the Week

Video of man fishing while dangling from drone under investigation by CASA

The man posted a video on social media showing him fishing, drinking beer, and even catching a fish. Now the Civil Aviation Safety Authority is investigating.

Your new best travel buddy is this autonomous suitcase that’s always by your side

“Self-driving technology allows the Ovis Suitcase to follow alongside its owner, while computer vision tech lets it see and avoid obstacles.” Ovis is equipped with GPS location tracker, smart alarm, embedded weight sensor, TSA-approved digital lock and removable airline-compliant LiPo battery that doubles as a charging station.

Video: Introducing Ovis by FowardX, the World’s First Vision-Powered Side-Follow Suitcase

297 Nano Drones, Swarms, and AI

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:44 — 24.6MB)

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS

A drone crash halts Swiss package delivery, AI used to detect drone faults and locate/track other drones, swarming nano-drones, mesh networked drones for precision agriculture, a drone mesh for event security, UAS for airport and public safety, and the reliability of drone sightings from aircraft.

UAV News

Swiss drone crashes near children, forcing suspension of delivery program

In May, a 22-pound Swiss Post drone crashed 50 yards away from a group of children. As a result, the drone delivery program in Switzerland has been suspended indefinitely. Swiss Post has asked Matternet to make several changes to the system: parachutes connected to the UAV by two ropes instead of one, ropes reinforced with metal braiding, and a louder emergency landing whistle.

Fault Diagnosis of Drone Propellers Using AI

Propeller defects in drones can cause them to fall from the sky and researchers have used different methods to perform fault diagnosis. But a new study by Italian researchers takes a different approach and focuses on measuring the noise emitted by the drone. Different noise patterns are used to build an artificial intelligence (AI) model that detects unbalanced blades in a UAV propeller. See Fault Diagnosis for UAV Blades Using Artificial Neural Network.

Drones Chasing Drones Using Deep Learning and AI

A Canadian study proposes target-detection and target-following using AI techniques for UAV pursuit-evasion. Deep reinforcement learning predicts the actions to apply to the follower UAV to keep track of the target UAV. A deep object detector and a search area proposal predict the position of the target UAV for tracking purposes. The proposed framework uses vision data. See Drones Chasing Drones: Reinforcement Learning and Deep Search Area Proposal.

The amazing world of nano drones

Nano drones have been studies for several years. Draper Lab’s DragonflEye drone project was announced in 2017. A real dragonfly wears a tiny backpack fitted with electronics, sensors, and a solar cell. AeroVironment has been working on a nano-hummingbird since 2011. The market for the nano drones alone is expected to reach $13.4 billion by 2023.

If one drone isn’t enough, try a drone swarm

Drones are being used for precision agriculture, but there are shortcomings with one drone and a big farm. Many battery changes may be required and the survey could take a lot of time. The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and Rajant Corporation in the US are working on a drone swarming approach with decentralized communications, self-organizing drones, and little human supervision. The technology uses Rajant’s “Kinetic Mesh®” radio technology and “foreign function interface” distributed computing software.

Atlas Multi-Drone System Used by Rio Military Police to Secure Soccer Tournament

Atlas Dynamics partnered with the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State to use the AtlasPRO at the Copa America soccer (football) tournament. The AtlasPRO was flown in single and multi-UAS missions along the perimeter of the stadium during the tournament’s final series. Data was gathered on public safety hazards and to facilitate emergency response. This was the first time the Atlas mesh multi-drone UAS technology was approved for use at a major sporting event. The mesh multi-node communication capability allows a single operator to command and control a drone network from a unified ground control system. The operator can divide missions among several UAS and maintain constant “eyes in the sky” using autonomous hot-swap capabilities.

Report: Data Management a Challenge for Public Safety UAS Programs

Droneresponders has released the 2019 Mid-Year Public Safety UAS Report. Three out of four public safety agencies say they are already either operating drones or working on implementing a drone program. More than 80% of public safety UAS operators either have obtained or are pursuing, their FAA Part 107 certification. 82% of public safety agencies with a UAS program are operating multi-rotor systems, while only 11% are using fixed- or delta-wing drones. Over 35% of public safety UAS programs are using the FAA’s LAANC system for airspace requests.

UAS Used For Part 77 Airport Inspections in Washington

AeroTEC has completed proof-of-concept aerial surveys in Washington State at Sunnyside Municipal Airport (1S5) and Prosser Airport (S40). The AeroTEC system looks for runway obstacles using photogrammetry to meet the requirement of FAA FAR 14 CFR Part 77. See AeroTEC Conducts First UAS Part 77 Survey of Washington State Airports for WSDOT.

Video of the Week

Epic Long Range FPV Mountain Surfing – 7km round trip

Mentioned

Drone Sightings (2014-2018) from the FAA from Rupprecht Law.

UAV214 Autonomous Air Taxi Takes Flight

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:24 — 20.3MB)

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS

An Autonomous Air Taxi test flight over Dubai, the SpiderMAV perching drone, Flirtey plans for delivery of emergency defibrillators by drone, using the Insitu ScanEagle to fight wildfires, the Zenmuse X7 professional camera, and drones for traffic management studies.

The Autonomous Air Taxi (AAT) Over Dubai. Courtesy Volocopter.

UAV News

Volocopter Completes Test Flight Over Dubai

The German-designed Volocopter (recently renamed the Autonomous Air Taxi or AAT) performed a test flight over Dubai on September 25. Dubai wants a fleet of autonomous vehicles to handle 25% of all passenger transport by 2030. The 18-rotor AAT flew unmanned and testing is expected to take five years before regular AAT begins. See the video: First ever public demonstration of an autonomous urban air taxi in a mega city by volocopter

SpiderMAV Drone Shoots Webs for Perching and Stabilization

Researchers from Imperial College London’s Aerial Robotics Laboratory have developed the SpiderMAV. This perching drone is based on a DJI Matrice 100 drone with a customized perching module mounted on top and a stabilizing module at the bottom.

Flirtey Partners with Pioneering Ambulance Service to Launch First Emergency Drone Delivery Program in United States

Drone delivery company Flirtey and the Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA) announced a partnership to launch the first automated defibrillator drone delivery service in the United States.

Insitu Demonstrates Revolutionary UAV Integrated with GIS for Fighting Wildfires

Insitu successfully completed flight tests at the Warm Springs (Oregon) FAA UAS Test Range of a system that supports firefighting efforts. A week later, Insitu deployed its INEXA teams to Oregon to help firefighters with the Eagle Creek fire. The ScanEagle was equipped with electro-optical daylight sensors, infrared video for nighttime flights, and mid-wave sensors, and provided near real-time data for firefighters and first responders. Press release: Insitu Demonstrates Revolutionary UAV Integrated with GIS for Fighting Wildfires.

DJI Releases The Zenmuse X7

The Zenmuse X7 is a Super 35 camera designed for professional aerial cinematography. It uses a 24 MP CMOS sensor with 14 stops of dynamic range and offers both 6K CinemaDNG and 5.2K Apple ProRes. The X7 is priced at $2,699 USD and is scheduled to ship in early November 2017. It works with the DJI Inspire 2 drone.

Drones To Conduct Traffic Study On Black Rock Turnpike In Fairfield Today

The Town of Fairfield, Connecticut is using drones to aid in traffic management studies. Seven drones were to be flown simultaneously for approximately 20 to 30 minutes during the evening rush hour. The pilots were to operate the drones from the edge of the road and the Fairfield Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit was to be on site at the time.

Mentioned

A possible drone strike on an Army Blackhawk helicopter.

Listener Mark’s list of fixed-wing VTOL drones:

UAV171 UAS Flights Over Unsheltered People

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:08 — 16.2MB)

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS

Rulemaking for sUAS flights over people moves forward, fuel cell-powered UAVs, a drone detection system, a Predator for humanitarian relief, drones flying in formation, and autonomous aircraft collaboration.

Hywing long endurance fixed-wing UAV demonstrator, courtesy H3 Dynamics

News

Big News: Proposed Small UAS Rule for Flights Over People at White House for Review

Hogan Lovells reports that the FAA sent to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) the proposed rulemaking for the operation of sUAS over unsheltered people not directly participating in the operation. OIRA reviews draft regulations before they are implemented and any member of the public can request a meeting with the agency to discuss the proposed rule.

UAV Update: Fuel cells, Droneboxes and hostile drones

This article is a round-up of a number of newsworthy drone stories, including:

Singapore energy storage company H3 Dynamics has applied fuel cell technology to its Hywings UAV and claims up to 10 hours flight endurance. The company also created Dronebox that can be used as a remote base station for drones. Dronebox can recharge drone using solar panels, and offers the possibility for stationing drones for autonomous missions, like crop surveys.

Elbit Systems in Israel announced ReDrone which detects, tracks, and takes out drones. The system can determine the direction of the drone and the operator, operates over 360 degrees and provides real-time situational awareness of multiple drones.

General Atomics is offering the Angel One for humanitarian relief missions. Based on the Predator-C Avenger UAV, it can carry up to 8,500 pounds of Humanitarian Daily Ration packets (HDRs) for 3,400 people

AeroVironment is looking to the commercial market with its Quantix vertical takeoff and landing quadrotor drone. Controlled with an Android tablet, data can subsequently be processed within the AeroVironment Decision Support System (AV DSS). Availability is expected by spring 2017.

Drexel University Student Charged After Drone Flies Over Center City Protesters

A drone was observed flying over 300 protesters marching in Philadelphia. Police and news helicopters followed the drone which led them to a man operating the drone from a rooftop. A SWAT team took a 20-year-old man into custody inside the building. He could face various charges, including recklessly endangering another person and risking a catastrophe.

Disney’s Latest Attraction? 300 Drones Flying in Formation

The “Starbright Holidays” in Orlando will feature 300 Intel Shooting Star quadcopters with LED lights. Each weighs a little over half a pound and is constructed of soft materials such as plastics and foam. The drones are assigned light show roles only after each has been queried by the system to assess details like battery level and GPS signal. Then each gets its assignment and an operator deploys them all with the push of a button.

Human-Machine Teams: Lockheed Martin UAS and Optionally-Piloted Helicopters Validate Firefighting and Search-and-Rescue Capabilities

Lockheed Martin conducted a demonstration of firefighting and search-and-rescue capability using four autonomous vehicles. The optionally-piloted Kaman K-MAX, the Sikorsky Autonomy Research Aircraft (SARA), the Indago quadrotor, and a Desert Hawk 3.1 fixed wing UAS worked collaboratively. Indago located hot spots, sent that information to an operator who directed the K-MAX to autonomously retrieve water from a pond and drop it on the fire. Then, the Desert Hawk located the missing person, and the K-MAX and SARA completed the search and rescue mission.

Video of the Week

Lockheed Martin Autonomous Aircraft Conduct Firefighting, Rescue Mission

UAV098 HeliVideo to Provide Footage at U.S. Open

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:31 — 16.4MB)

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS

HeliVideo to cover U.S. Open, commercial drone market share, China uses drone to catch cheaters, using TV signals to sense aircraft, a Google drone patent, and UAS full type certificates.

News

How FOX Sports will use drones at the U.S. Open, and why the FAA is watching

FOX Sports is using octocopters from Austin-based HeliVideo to cover the golf championship at Chambers Bay. HeliVideo says they provide “FAA approved cinematography for television and film.” The HeliVideo fleet includes a Small Sensor Hexacopter with a Panasonic Lumix GH3, a Full Frame Octocopter sporting a Canon 5D Mark 3, an EPIC 6k Dragon Octocopter, and an EPIC 6k Dragon Single blade helicopter.

For the golf tournament, HeliVideo is bringing a four-man team and more than $1 million in equipment — including the DJI Spreading Wings 1000 drone. HeliVideo received their exemption last September. An authorized, licensed pilot will fly the drones, while a visual observer will keep tabs on the devices at all times.

Forty eight p ercent of commercial drone platforms in the USA made by DJI

sUAS News reports that DJI has 48.4% of the “commercially licenced platforms” in service. AeroVironment follows with 12.1%, 3DR with 7.6%, and Precision Hawk with 3.9% This is from a total population of 380 platforms.

Authoriz ations Granted Via Section 333 Exemptions

This list from the FAA shows Petitioners, Grant Issue Date, Operation/Mission, and the Authorizations document.

China Uses a Drone to Curb Cheating on College Placement Exams

The National College Entrance Exams in China are critical to the future success of the 9.5 million students who take the 2-3 day test. This has led to cheating schemes where students send exam questions out to others, who then transmit answers back to the student.

Now Chinese education authorities are fighting back with a drone. It flies over testing centers and scans for signals being sent to devices brought in by students. The drone is reported to be about the size of a gas station pump and cost tens of thousands of dollars.

TV signals a possible alternative to radar

Air traffic control company NATS has been working with Thales and contract R&D company Roke Manor to see if television transmission signals could be used to detect and direct aircraft. In a trial conducted over London, more than 30 aircraft were tracked at altitudes of up to 10,000 feet.

Google Working On Fleet of Drone Ambulances To Save Your Life, Reveals a Newly Granted Patent

Google was granted United States Patent 9,051,043 titled “Providing emergency medical services using unmanned aerial vehicles.” It provides for a fleet of UAVs configured to: identify remote medical situations, determine the target location, select a UAV with the proper configuration, and deploy the UAV to the target location to provide medical support. Sounds a lot like the Amazon drone delivery patent.

FAA Working Eight UAS Full Type Certificates

A type certificate would allow a UAS manufacturer to fly the aircraft throughout U.S. airspace. Larger UASs like the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle and AeroVironment’s Puma fly under type certificates issued in the Restricted category. Experimental type certificates have been issued to other UASs which generally prohibit commercial uses. There are no type certificate requirements for UASs under 55 pounds.

Mentioned

Expert: Drones Causing Major Aviation Disasters Is ‘A Question Of When It’s Going To Happen, Not If’

David provides expert opinion to CBS DC.