Tag Archives: Disney

309 X-Wing Drones

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Disney is reportedly testing X-Wing drones for its Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge promotion. Also, counter UAS technology tested at Dover AF Base, drones that help manage weed infestations, using a UAV to safely sample water in a volcano crater, and a large fine for landing a quadcopter at an airport.

UAV News

Disney Testing X-Wing Drones to Fly Over Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Reportedly, Disney is testing large X-Wing drones to fly over Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Blog Mickey has aerial spy photos to support the speculation, and they received a grainy photo of one of the X-Wing drones. They say Disney has been working on the secret project from a temporary tent in the cast member parking lot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Dover AFB partners with Delaware CAP for counter UAS testing

A UAS is an obvious potential threat to military installations, and U.S. military forces are training and equipping to counter the threat. At a Dover Operational Readiness for a Multi-domain Agile Response Exercise this month, the 436th Airlift Wing tested its C-UAS counter unmanned aerial system capabilities. The Delaware Civil Air Patrol provided commercial drones for the test, as well as trained and certified pilots.

Drone Tech Takes Weed Control on the Farm to a New Level

This article discusses agricultural drone applications, including weed identification and mapping, the aerial application of herbicides, and UAVs for aquatic weed management.

Volcano Watch: Pondering the pond — what Halema‘uma‘u water chemistry tells us

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) used a multi-rotor to take a sample from a water lake in a collapsed crater. The water has been rising a meter a week since July and the water’s chemistry can tell scientists a lot about what is going on underground.

Video: Fissure 8 view from UAS provides critical geologic information

Drone pilot fined $20,000 after fly-away DJI Phantom 3 lands at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas

After a drone landed right next to an active runway at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, the pilot was fined $14,700 by the FAA. When the man failed to pay the fine, or appeal the fine, it increased to $20,000. The FAA had to expend some effort to identify the pilot because the drone registration number was invalid.

UAV158 Fly Like a Bird

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Drones and law enforcement, Disney and Google drone patents, a call for anti-drone systems, and a drone that looks and flys like a drone.

The Bionic Bird

The Bionic Bird

News

Modesto Police Unveil New Crime-Fighting Drones

The Modesto, California police department has a DJI Phantom painted like a patrol car and recently they used it to track a suspected robber. Three officer pilots will use the drones for official police work only. Fox News reports: “The Modesto Police Department said their drone footage is subject to the same rules as their officers’ body cameras.”

Cops get eyes in the sky as N.J. county deputizes drones

A New Jersey county has an exemption to operate drones for emergency response missions. Initially, there was just one pilot – a police officer with a fixed-wing pilot’s license. But now, other public officials can fly drones after taking an aviation ground school class at a local college. They have used drones to search for a homicide suspect, a missing person, and a berm breach.

1st-ever civilian drone death? Woman killed in police pursuit after UAV spotted over prison

Police received a report of a drone flying over Wandsworth prison in England. Officers chased a car seen leaving the scene, which crashed and the driver, a woman in her 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene.  She may be the first person to die in a non-military drone-related incident.

Disney Might Be Building Drones To Use In Its Theme Parks

Disney applied for three drone-related patents:

  1. Aerial Display System with Floating Pixels, which contemplates using drones as floating pixels (or flixels) that could replace fireworks.
  2. Aerial Display System with Floating Projection Screens, which describes drones that can carry a full-sized projector and a screen for images and video.
  3. Aerial Display System with Marionettes Articulated and Supported by Airborne Devices, which explains a swarm of multicopter drones operating marionettes and puppets.

Google wants to have drones buzzing around offices, projecting our faces at meetings

Google was awarded a patent (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Collaboration) for a small drone fitted with a projector and optionally a small screen that can be used as a mobile telepresence system in an office environment.

Interior Ministry announces tender for drone-killer system

Czech police don’t have a way to bring rogue drones down, so the Czech Interior Ministry has announced a public tender for an anti-drone system. It would be used to take down drones in no-fly zones and other restricted areas.

This Startup Wants to Build a Drone-Proof Fence to Protect Your Property

The founder of Drone Go Home believes that the proliferation of inexpensive consumer drones will lead to the need for electronic perimeter fences around properties, such as prisons, power grids, and backyards. The company has a video, Drone Go Home Proof of Concept Demonstration.

Video of the Week

This drone looks and flies just like a bird

The Bionic Bird is a drone designed to look and fly just like a real bird. The drone can fly up to 12 miles per hour for 10 minutes at a time. A patented control system uses wing bending, enabling fast and instantaneous maneuvers.