Tag Archives: BVLOS

403 BVLOS ARC Final Report

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Public meeting scheduled for BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee Final Report, the MQ-9B STOL, Skyward is closing, bombs dropping from commercial drones, an indoor drone from DJI, Commercial UAV Expo 2022, and drone docking systems.

UAV News

FAA: Unmanned Aircraft Systems beyond Visual Line of Sight Aviation Rulemaking Committee Final Report

The UAS Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) has scheduled a public meeting for June 22, 2022. Its purpose is to give the public an opportunity to comment on the UAS BVLOS ARC Final Report.

The meeting will be held virtually from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. On the day of the event, the Livestream can be viewed on Facebook or YouTube. Members of the public who wish to provide written comments and/or oral comments may email 9-FAA-UAS-BVLOS@faa.gov. Meeting minutes and other information will be posted on the FAA webpage.

To see the March 10, 2022, final report, visit Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) Operations Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC).

MQ-9B STOL, first aircraft in its class to offer short takeoff and landing

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. developed a kit for the MQ-9B SeaGuardian giving it short takeoff and landing, or STOL, capability. The kit allows the aircraft to operate from shorter fields (less than 1,000 ft) compared to the roughly 3,500-foot runways it currently requires.

Verizon is closing its Skyward drone management company

Verizon bought the Skyward drone management business in 2017. In a surprise announcement, Verizon now says it will close down Skyward on June 30, 2022, to focus on higher near-term growth activities.

Skyward Is Closing—What Does This Mean for LAANC and for Parrot’s ANAFI Ai?

Skyward launched in 2013 and provided LAANC services starting in 2017. The company conducted a remote drone operation in 2020 without a pilot present in a Washington state wildfire, helped establish Remote ID requirements, and partnered in 2021 with Parrot to provide 4G LTE connectivity for its ANAFI Ai.

Now There’s A Drum Magazine For Dropping Multiple Bombs From Commercial Drones

Reports are unconfirmed that a Dutch company (unnamed) has developed a drum magazine for commercial drones that holds and drops multiple mortar shells. It’s said that prototypes are headed to Ukraine.

DJI may be working a new FPV drone that you can fly indoors

According to leaks, A DJI indoor drone is coming between July and August 2022. Supposedly called Avata, the drone will weigh 500 grams and features ducted propellers, a camera, and “greatly improved” battery life.

Commercial UAV Expo 2022 Program – Vegas Show is Back, and Bigger than Ever

The Commercial UAV Expo is September 6-8, 2022 in Las Vegas. Featured sessions include keynotes, deep-dive vertical market sessions, and industry update sessions. See the 2022 Conference Program.

Advances in Drone Docking Systems

On-demand drone services need a place where drones can land and await the next mission, get their batteries charged, and be protected from environmental conditions. Globe UAV and HEISHA Technology have offerings in this space.

Mentioned

PBIA approved for ‘vertiport’ for electric jet service to connect Florida cities

Lillium

381 Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight

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First responder tactical beyond visual line of sight (TBVLOS) waivers, 100,000 Wing deliveries in Australia, using Starlink for military maritime intelligence drones, DJI Mavic 3 leaked, measuring the wind for UAM safety, a drone services company meets a UAV maintenance provider, and the history of drones in Southeast Asia

UAV News

Paladin publicly launches Knighthawk, a first response drone for cities

Paladin has unveiled its custom Knighthawk and Watchtower products for first responders. The startup has built autonomous systems for cities that can be deployed to 911 calls and provide instant situational awareness. The Knighthawk drone has a 10x zoom optical camera and a thermal camera to provide video feeds day and night. The Watchtower software is available as an app. Since 2018, the company has responded to about 1,600 emergencies in Texas and Ohio.

Paladin has “First Responder Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight” (TBVLOS) [PDF] operating waivers from the FAA. These temporary BVLOS flights are flown to both reduce risk to first responders and to ensure the safety of the communities they serve. The waiver has a number of specific conditions and requirements.

Wing approaches 100,000 drone deliveries two years after Logan, Australia launch

In the first week of August alone, customers in Logan, Australia placed 4,500 orders – one every 30 seconds during Wing’s delivery window. The Wing drones delivered 10,000 cups of coffee, 1,700 children’s snack packs, 1,200 hot chooks (roasted chicken, in Australia), 2,700 sushi rolls, and 1,000 loaves of bread. Wing expects the service to expand into other markets in the coming months, including Australia, Finland, and the United States.

Drones and Starlink: Combining Satellite Constellations With Unmanned Navy Ships

The United States Navy faces an aging fleet of transport ships and personnel shortages. Autonomous maritime vessels could be a solution, as well as semi-autonomous drones that could act as a screening force for operations, provide an extended sensor net, and provide greater tactical awareness. The new SpaceX Starlink satellite constellation might provide easy and reliable connectivity for a globally operated network of maritime drones.

DJI Mavic 3 leaks with new cameras, a larger battery and longer flight times

A YouTuber leaked what is believed to be the next Mavic drone. It features improved obstacle detection utilizing new wide-angle lenses on the front and rear cameras, the main camera with a focal length equivalent to 24 mm, and an f/2.8 aperture, a second camera that supports up to 7x optical zoom, images stored on 1 TB of internal memory, and a larger battery providing up to 40 minutes of flight time.

NASA taps Kyoto startup to make maps of the wind for drones

NASA wants maps of the wind so drones and air taxis will be safer. Japanese startup MetroWeather Co. LiDAR sensors track atmospheric dust to measure wind direction and speed. MetroWeather sensors will be used by US-based TruWeather Solutions Inc. at a NASA drone testing site to show how real-time wind information can help drones choose optimal routes that avoid wind shear and other dangers.

Carbonix Partners with Robotic Skies to Advance Global Field Support

Robotic Skies, Inc provides maintenance, inspection, and repair services for the commercial drone industry with over 230 Service Centers in 50 countries. Carbonix is an Australian company with data capture UAVs for long-range and large-area aerial surveillance. The two companies are partnering to provide an international field support program for customers who operate Carbonix UAVs.

Inside Vietnam’s Forgotten Drone War

Drones played an important role in the Vietnam War target spotting for bombers, jamming radars, and dropping propaganda leaflets. The new nonfiction book Drone War: Vietnam explores that history.

UAV Video of the Week

Watch: Alligator Eats Drone In Video Shared By Sundar Pichai

An inexperienced drone operator in Florida flew his drone too close to an alligator, with serious consequences.

332 Last-Mile Drone Delivery Tested

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A major test of last-mile drone delivery, direct-seeding rice with a drone, a drone-centric kiosk you can build yourself, and a webinar to learn the BVLOS regulatory landscape.

UAV News

Last Mile Drone Delivery: Testing the Limits of Commercial Operations

DroneUp partnered with Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) and UPS on a project to quickly evaluate the concept of last-mile drone delivery. They wanted to see how unmanned aerial systems could assist with critical delivery during times of crisis.

On the vacant campus of St. Paul’s College, in Lawrenceville, Virginia, a group of pilots flew over 200 flights under a scripted plan, operating under part 107 rules, with industry-standard drones. The flights simulated the delivery of 1.275-pound payloads of medical and other critical supplies in city-like conditions. Data was collected with respect to operational capacities, airspace deconfliction, operator safety, processes, policies, and training.

Tom Walker, DroneUp’s CEO, said, “DroneUp’s drone delivery exercise was aimed at learning what is possible to do safely and effectively today while gathering data to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles in the near future.”

For more, see the 56-page report, DroneUp Resources Operation Last-Mile: Critical Drone Delivery Report.

XAG Introduces Rice Seeding Drone

XAG is a Chinese company focused on agricultural technology. In April 2020, they organized a rice direct-seeding demonstration where two workers spread 5kg of rice seeds through a muddy rice paddy. Following that, a XAG drone repeated the same task. The difference in planing time was significant.

Raspberry Pi-based Kiosk Display Shares Weather, FAA Advisories for Drones

A project from Sky Horse Tech uses a Raspberry Pi to power a custom drone-centric kiosk. The kiosk pulls in local weather data and FAA advisories through AirMap and MapBox. The data cycles every 30 seconds and is refreshed every 5 minutes. The kiosk uses a 32” display, a $35 Raspberry Pi 3 Model B or newer, some free software, and weather and FAA advisory APIs.

Navigating the Regulatory Landscape Towards BVLOS Operations

This free AUVSI webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, 2020, 03:00 PM TO 04:00 PM (EDT). You’ll learn about the regulations affecting Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flight and the factors involved in successfully navigating the regulatory environment to achieve a waiver.

Iris Automation director of airspace integration Trever Linn will explain what operators should expect before applying for a waiver, and the key components such as risk mitigation measures and CONOPS documentation necessary for approvals. Attendees will learn about current regulatory challenges, readily available solutions, and the path forward for BVLOS drone operations.

327 COVID-19 Inspired Drones

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Checking up on the public with a “pandemic drone,” a COVID-19 inspired BVLOS exemption, duck watching with drones, an unmanned BVLOS helicopter for humanitarian relief, how pre-historic flying reptiles could lead to better drones, and will fuel cells power eVTOL aircraft?

UAV News

Connecticut town tests ‘pandemic drone’ to find fevers. Experts question if it would work.

The Westport Connecticut Police Department plans to test a drone that can tell is someone has a fever or is coughing. First Selectman Jim Marpe says they want to “explore ways to prevent a possible resurgence of the virus.” The police department said that the Draganfly drone could help to “provide better health monitoring support for potential at-risk groups.”

US regulator grants exemption for drone flight during lockdown

An unnamed Houston, Texas oil and gas company has been given a waiver to fly BVLOS for critical infrastructure inspection missions. The company has a manpower shortage because of the pandemic and the waiver is good until June 30 or “the expiration of the federal, state, or local Covid-19 recommendations or requirements.”

Of ducks and drones: Researchers gear up for inaugural field season using UAVs to monitor ducks and nesting behavior

UND graduate students and their advisor plan to go duck watching. They want to monitor nearly 60 duck nests using fixed-wing and quadcopter UAVs with high-tech cameras. Flights were conducted last summer with fixed-wing and quadcopter drones to see how the ducks reacted.

UAVOS Completes Tests For UAV Delivery Service Humanitarian Relief

UAVOS Inc. has successfully tested its cargo delivery UVH-170 unmanned helicopter designed for highly automated delivery flights from a vendor to a destination and back. The flights follow pre-selected routes. The trial flight took 1.7 hours, over 62 miles carrying a 17½ pound package.

https://youtu.be/VhXQzr7yrXU

Wing structure of prehistoric flying reptiles that lived more than 200 million years ago could hold the key to developing a new generation of super drones

Two hundred million years ago, giant flying reptiles ruled the skies. At 650 pounds with a 35-foot wingspan, they were the largest animals ever to fly. Like a bat, they used a membrane to fly instead of feathers. They also had internal structures called actinofibrils for extra strength and structural support. A University of Bristol team thinks we could learn lessons from the pterosaurs that might help large UAVs launch and remain stable in flight.

Will Hydrogen Fuel Cells Play a Role in the VTOL Revolution?

Most companies developing eVTOLs have settled on all-electric aircraft using lithium-ion batteries. But are hydrogen fuel cells a better choice? HyPoint in Menlo Park, California demonstrated an air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell powertrain that produces 1000 watts per kilogram of specific power with an energy density of 530 watt-hours per kg. The next HyPoint product is to provide a specific power of 2,000 W/kg and 960 Wh/kg energy density. Fuel cells look good for longer-range aircraft, but may not be as suitable for short-range from a weight factor standpoint.

UAV247 FAA Culture Limits Advancement of Drones

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A report says FAA risk adversity limits use of drones, SenSat breaks U.K. BVLOS record, Japan set to loosen BVLOS rules, and FCC sends a strong message to drone makers, marketers, and operators.

UAV News

Risk-Averse Culture At FAA Stifles Progress On Drones, Scientists Say

A study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was mandated by Congress and sponsored by the FAA. It concludes that the FAA views drones the way they view aircraft: under a strong safety culture that is adverse to risk. George Ligler chaired the committee that wrote the report and said, “FAA needs to accelerate its move away from the ‘one size fits all’ philosophy for UAS operations. The FAA’s current methods for safety and risk management certainly ensure safety within the manned aircraft sector, but UASs present new and unique challenges and opportunities, which make it important for the agency to take a broader view on risk analysis.”

The committee wants the FAA to establish and publish guidelines to measure risks in a consistent and reliable manner within 12 months and include considerations of the safety benefits of drone use. The 66-page report is titled: Assessing the Risks of Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System

SenSat, U.K.’s Largest Drone Data Provider, Breaks BVLOS Record

SenSat broke the beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) record for the U.K. after completing a 7.5-mile (12 kilometers) BVLOS flight with a fixed-wing “Sparrow” drone. SenSat has Pathfinder status from the U.K. government which allows them to fly BVLOS. This record flight utilized multiple communication channels to ensure safety. SenSat uses Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry that uses GPS to combine digital aerial photographs with computer vision to recreate areas in high detail. A live webcast of the event is available as LIVE Webcast: 12km Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flight ops.

Japan Moves Closer to Drone Delivery with New BVLOS Regulations

Commercial drone regulations in Japan require an observer who can keep the drone in sight, thus, BVLOS is not allowed. That is about to change. According to the Japan Times, “A law requiring that a safety assistant be present during long-distance commercial drone operations will be scrapped, according to new rules announced… by the transport and industry ministries.” And “a safety assistant will no longer be required to keep the aircraft in view if flight safety can be fully ensured remotely through devices such as cameras and sensors.” The change is to be implemented by the end of 2018.

No fly zone: FCC proposes US$2.8 million penalty for marketing non-compliant drone AV accessories [PDF]

In this article, Hogan Lovells says, “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing to bring a US$2.8 million penalty against HobbyKing for marketing drone-attachable audio/video (AV) transmitters that operate on unauthorized frequencies.” The FCC is cracking down on those who make and market noncompliant UAS and UAS-attachable devices. FCC says HobbyKing offered UAS attachable audio/video devices that operate on amateur radio frequencies (which do not require FCC certification), but twelve devices operated on restricted FAA frequencies and three of the devices exceeded the allowable power levels. FCC found repeated violations, intentional marketing of unauthorized devices, untimely and incomplete responses.

The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued an enforcement advisory for marketers and operators of AV transmitters:

Only manufacture or market devices that operate on amateur frequencies, unless you receive FCC certification for operating on other bands.
Keep transmitter power within the levels of the commission’s rules.
If the FCC contacts you regarding devices you’re marketing, seek legal counsel.
If you receive a letter of inquiry, respond in a timely, complete, and accurate manner.
Both commercial and amateur drone operators have a responsibility to ensure that the equipment they are using complies with applicable FCC regulations, because they could also be subject to FCC civil penalties for operating drones with noncomplying radio frequency devices.

UAV246 AiRXOS UAS Partnerships

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AiRXOS creates partnerships to create an “air operating system,” a five-month Canadian UAS BVLOS proof-of-concept trial, using drones to identify violent crowd behavior, and a chain of custody drone program for law enforcement.

AirXOS, a digital UAS ecosystem designed for the next generation of air traffic management. Courtesy AiRXOS.

UAV News

Waze for the Sky: GE Drone Venture AiRXOS Takes Flight

AiRXOS is working with government agencies and others to help develop standard criteria for commercial drone operations. The company is a venture between GE Business Innovations (the corporate venture capital arm) and GE Aviation and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GE.

AiRXOS (the “X” is silent) says they are “currently partnering with the FAA, FCC, NASA, ICAO, GUTMA and other industry stakeholders, to help define the architecture, standards, and implementation requirements necessary for the next generation of manned and unmanned potential.”

The Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR) and AiRXOS previously announced a strategic initiative, and of the ten pilot programs under the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program (UAS IPP), AiRXOS was selected as a partner for three: the City of San Diego, the City of Memphis, and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Additionally, AiRXOS has been selected as a partner with DriveOhio’s UAS Center for UTM research, and AiRXOS is a partner with NASA’s Technical Capability Level (TCL) testing and the expansion of the LAANC service program (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability).

For more see:

IN-FLIGHT Data and senseFly partner for Canada’s largest BVLOS drone trial

Canadian commercial drone operator IN-FLIGHT Data, drone-maker senseFly, and other partner organizations are starting a five-month “UAS BVLOS Proof-of-Concept Trial.” The goal is to demonstrate that BVLOS flights can be conducted safely and efficiently. The trial will run until early November and will collect a very large amount of geo-accurate data, across many types of long-range drone applications.

Drones taught to spot violent behavior in crowds using AI

Researchers in the UK and India are developing an algorithm that analyzes drone video of crowds and indicates when violent behavior is occurring. The system uses a Parrot AR quadcopter, video over a real-time internet connection, and a “deep learning” algorithm that matches poses to violent postures, such as strangling, punching, kicking, shooting, and stabbing. Accuracy of the algorithm is an issue. See the Paper: Eye in the Sky: Real-time Drone Surveillance System (DSS) for Violent Individuals Identification using ScatterNet Hybrid Deep Learning Network [PDF] and the video demonstration.

Taser-maker Axon partners with DJI on police drone program

DJI and Axon have entered into an exclusive partnership to sell surveillance drones directly to public safety and law enforcement agencies. Under the new Axon Air program, DJI supplies drones and Axon brings its Evidence.com data management system which is used to preserve data from law enforcement body cameras and in-car cameras. This chain of custody control system is used by more than 200,000 public safety professionals, according to Axon. See the Product card [PDF].

Mentioned

The first webinar in the FAA series How to Apply for an Operational Waiver is available for you to watch:

How do I Apply for a Drone Waiver?

Be sure to contribute to the Embry-Riddle Unmanned Systems Industry Survey. Use this handy shortcut link: http://theUAVdigest.com/usis

MQ-9C Triton at Pax River by David Vanderhoof

UAV178 GoPro Karma Drone to be Relaunched

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GoPro will relaunch its Karma foldable drone, FAA approves Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) operations at a UAS test site, a drone strike on an airliner proves to be false, a new droneport is taking shape, a Canadian company offers fuel cell-powered drones, and autonomous drone swarming is a success.

The H2Quad 1000 fuel cell-powered drone, courtesy EnergyOr

UAV News

GoPro is relaunching its Karma drone after an embarrassing recall

The GoPro Karma drone

The new GoPro Karma foldable drone was quickly recalled shortly after becoming available last year. GoPro CEO Nick Woodman says that the drones loss of power and subsequent dive was caused by a “basic battery retention issue.” Details of the Karma relaunch are expected in February 2017.

Nation’s first BVLOS UAS operations approved

The FAA has granted the Northern Plains UAS Test Site in North Dakota approval to operate large unmanned aircraft beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS). The UAS test site can use ground-based sense-and-avoid technologies to phases in BVLOS operations.

African airline reports drone collision with passenger jet

African airline LAM said a Boeing 737-700 on approach at about 4,000 feet was struck by a drone. Widely published photographs showed the damaged nose. Subsequently, the Aviation Herald published Incident: LAM B737 at Tete on Jan 5th 2017, radome structural failure. After its investigation, Mozambique’s Civil Aviation Authority says most likely the radome experienced a structural failure, not a foreign object strike.

Eldorado Droneport Design Revealed

Specific plans for privately operated Eldorado Droneport have been announced. Aerodrome will offer UAS training, FAA repairman and pilot certification and testing, and other educational, research and development services for commercial and recreational drone operators. Plans for the 50-acre site include a 15,000 square foot terminal building; 860,000 square feet facilities for research and development, warehousing, hangar, office, and training; and “build-to-suit” opportunities.

French Air Force Gets Fuel Cell Powered Quad

The French Air Force is acquiring the H2Quad 1000 drone from Montreal-based EnergyOr Technologies inc. EnergyOr says “the fuel cell/battery hybrid system has been optimized based on extensive UAV flight testing in several different platform configurations. It has been tested in widely varying environmental conditions and can meet the rigorous demands of operational UAVs.”

US demos ‘one of the world’s largest’ micro-UAV swarms

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is continuing to develop autonomous swarming drones.

Originally designed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in 2013, the Perdix micro-drones have been air-dropped from an F-16 in 2014, and an F/A-18 in 2016. In its Perdix Fact Sheet [PDF], DOD says:

“Perdix are not preprogrammed, synchronized individuals. They share a distributed brain for decision‐making and adapt to each other, and the environment, much like swarms in nature. Because every Perdix communicates and collaborates with every other Perdix, the swarm has no leader and can gracefully adapt to changes in drone numbers. This allows this team of small inexpensive drones to perform missions once done by large expensive ones.”

Capturing the Swarm

The CBS television program 60 Minutes was allowed to film a swarm of 100 Perdix autonomous drones. The number of drones, their speed, and their unpredictable behavior made capturing them on video more difficult than anticipated!

UAV Video of the Week

One man’s mission to walk the Great Wall of China with a drone

http://youtu.be/kfzyR0Bhjlc