Tag Archives: Intel

385 Hunting with Drones

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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)

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

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 authorization requests for nighttime drone flights in controlled airspace, as well as refined airspace grids. Skyward customers can request automated and near real-time access to controlled airspace for any time of day, as well as request higher altitude LAANC authorizations in portions of controlled airspace. Skyward is one of seven FAA-approved LAANC UAS Service Suppliers.

This next generation of LAANC is available on the Skyward web platform as well as the Skyward InFlight mobile app for iOS and Android. Users can request airspace access and view authorization documents in the office or the field.

358 Insitu Lawsuit

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Boeing settles the Insitu lawsuit; Intel neuromorphic chips in drones; betting on drone races; connected drone delivery from Verizon, UPS, and Skyward; and new drones from Cadillac, Sony, and Autel Robotics.

UAV News

Boeing to pay $25 Million to settle Insitu Lawsuit

In a federal whistle-blower lawsuit, Insitu was accused of fraudulently overcharging the U.S. government. Surveillance drones were sold to the government and billed as new, but Insitu provided used drones. This was on no-bid military contracts that were signed between 2009 and 2017. The Department of Justice accused Insitu of “knowingly submitting materially false cost and pricing data” for contracts to supply surveillance drones to both the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and the Navy. Insitu said in a statement that “our disclosures to the government at the time satisfied all requirements.” The company does not admit any wrongdoing.

Intel envisions drones with biological brains and eyes

Intel is installing neuromorphic chips into drones. The “Loihi” chip has 2 billion transistors which simulate 130,000 neurons and 130 million synapses. Intel is initially applying neuromorphic technology to drone cameras. The hope is that Loihi will allow cameras to function more like natural eyes, responding almost instantly to visual change.

DraftKings announces it will now allow betting on drone races in some states

Sports betting company DraftKings has teamed up with the Drone Racing League (DRL). Betting on the races will be allowed for residents of Colorado, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Regulatory approval is pending for other states.

News from CES 2021

The Cadillac personal drone is the Cadillac of personal drones

The Cadillac-branded single-seat eVTOL is a concept study featuring a 90-kilowatt hour electric motor powering four rotors.

Sony offers first glimpse of its Airpeak drone that can carry an Alpha camera on an adjustable gimbal and capture footage and images from the air

The Sony Airpeak quadcopter was designed to carry the Sony Alpha mirrorless camera system. Two landing gear extensions retract upwards during flight. Price and availability were not announced.

Airpeak will support the creativity of video creators to the fullest extent possible, aiming to contribute to the further development of the entertainment industry as well as to improved efficiency and savings in various industries.
Sony statement.

Verizon, UPS, and Skyward announce connected drone delivery at CES 2021

The collaboration between Skyward, A Verizon company, and UPS Flight Forward™ plans to deliver retail products with drones connected to Verizon 4G LTE. 5G testing and integration will also be conducted. Deliveries of retail products via connected drones will start at The Villages in Florida.

Video: Building the New Smart City | CES 2021 | Verizon

Verizon at CES 2021

Autel Robotics releases the new Dragonfish VTOL and EVO 2 RTK series at CES

Aute l Robotics released two new drones at CES. The Dragonfish VTOL has autonomous capability, a maximum flight time of 120 minutes, an 18.6-mile video transmission range, and a deployment time of under four minutes. The EVO 2 RTK series drones use Real-Time Kinematic technology to improve the accuracy of GNSS data, allowing sub-inch accuracy.

Videos of the Week

Drone Captures Stunning Scenes After Snowstorm Hits Central Idaho

Breathtaking aerial video of Washington’s snowy mountains

308 Droneresponders Working Group

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Droneresponders forms a working group for public safety agencies, protestors and C-UAS, TSA and C-UAS, cannon-launched drones, the QF-16 target drone, names for different types of passenger drones, and drone light shows.

UAV News

Droneresponders Major Cities Working Group

Non-profit Droneresponders announced the formation of a Major Cities Working Group designed to “unite and assist public safety agencies operating UAS in urban and large metropolitan areas.” The group will establish communications with other public safety agencies and partner with other non-profit organizations like AIRT (Airborne International Response Team), AUVSI, and the NPPA (National Press Photographers Association).

Chilean Protestors Down Drone By Dazzling It With Dozens Of Laser Pointers

Protesters aimed high-powered handheld laser pointers at a drone observing them. The lasers blinded the optical sensors, causing the drone to crash.

‘Sorely lacking:’ Congress Members Blast Homeland Security Counter-drone Plan

The Department of Homeland Security planned to allow TSA air marshals to neutralize drones over airports. However, two House Republicans sent a letter to the DHS saying the plan overreaches the agency’s congressional authority. The lawmakers say the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 gives DHS narrow authority to deploy counter-drone technology, but that authorization doesn’t apply to airports. The other concern is that the TSA lacks the training and skills to operate C-UAS technology.

This transforming drone can be fired straight out of a cannon

Researchers from Caltech University and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have come up with a drone that can be launched with a cannon. It’s a quadcopter called SQUID, short for Streamlined Quick Unfolding Investigation Drone. The 27-centimeter long drone weighs 18 ounces and has four spring-loaded rotor arms that open after launch.

Video: Design of a Ballistically-Launched Foldable Multirotor

What It Takes to Turn a Vintage F-16 Into a Drone

The F-16 has computer systems that are easily modified to turn the fighters into drones. Boeing installs Drone Peculiar Equipment at a cost of $1.9 million on old aircraft from an Arizona boneyard. The automatic flight system enables takeoffs and landings at the press of a button.

Passenger Drones: Understanding Their Varieties and Specifications

Drone Industry Insights notes the confusing names being used for passenger drones: air taxis, flying cars, eVTOLs, etc. They present a graphic that defines these names based on the power source (gasoline/kerosene, battery, hydrogen) and takeoff and landing type (VTOL, STOL, CTOL).

Forget fireworks. SeaWorld wants to test 500 drones for a new nighttime light show in San Diego

SeaWorld in San Diego has been given permission to test a 15-night light show in February 2020 using up to 500 Intel “Shooting Star” drones. The show could eventually replace fireworks.

UAV Video of the Week

Incredible Video Shows Giant Plane Made Of 800 Drones Floating Through Sky. This demonstration was flown during this year’s Nanchang Flight Convention.

275 UAS Traffic Management

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Guest

Kevin Gallagher, President and CEO of Simulyze, contributing UAS Traffic Management technology.

Kevin Gallagher is President and CEO of Simulyze, a provider of operational intelligence and technology applications for both federal and commercial organizations.

He has more than 30 years of experience in system engineering and operational support. Kevin co-founded Simulyze to specialize in operational intelligence, situational awareness, and traffic management technology for the Department of Defense and intelligence operations. Now Simulyze has entered the commercial drone space.

Their platform enables commercial UAS operators to process and analyze large streams of data from disparate sources in real-time and achieve a common operating picture in real-time in a customized graphical interface.

Simulyze is the only company that has exercised with every build of NASA’s UAS Traffic Management platform. In 2018, Simulyze completed the deployment of its Mission Insight application during NASA’s Technical Capability Level 3 (TCL 3) National Campaign testing of its UTM research platform. Simulyze will serve as a UAS Service Supplier for two Integration Pilot Program projects awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Kevin began his career in General Electric’s Space Division where he held a number of analysis, engineering and management roles. In 1993, Kevin joined Aegis Research Corporation and started the company’s Information Technology group, which provided system engineering and programmatic support to a variety of customers, including the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. intelligence community.

Kevin earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Pennsylvania State University and his master’s degree in computer science from Villanova University.

UAV News

Drones defend, entertain at the Super Bowl

An Intel Shooting Star drone formation spelled out “ONE” and “LOVE” during Maroon 5’s halftime performance. Meanwhile, Skyfire Consulting co-founder Matt Sloane and a team of pilots were on a nearby rooftop with a tethered DJI Matrice 210 quadcopter. Skyfire’s video feeds were shared among various agencies using a platform built by DroneSense to enhance situational awareness. The tether system was provided by Drone Aviation Corp.

At least six drones in the exclusion zone before game day were confiscated. Three drone-hunting drones operated by Fortem Technologies were reportedly on-site, although it is unclear if those systems with nets captured the rogue drones in flight.

268 Drone Surveillance Systems

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Drone surveillance systems for your home, around your yacht, and at maritime ports. Also, Intel inspects bridges with drones, a drone down under flies over an Airport, and a former FAA Administrator finds a home with drones.

The "Bee" drone surveillance system. Courtesy Sunflower Labs. — The “Bee” drone surveillance system. Courtesy Sunflower Labs.

UAV News

Sunflower Labs is building a drone surveillance system for high-end homes

Sunflower Labs is developing an outdoor home security system with three components: an autonomous drone with a camera called the “Bee,” sensors that also light up the area called “Sunflowers,” and a self-charging station for the done called the “Hive.” The Sunflowers identify people, cars, and animals and determine speed and direction of approach. The Bee flies autonomously to the scene, guided by the Sunflower sensors, and streams live video. When the Bee is done, it returns to the Hive which recharges the drone, protects it from the weather, and houses the system’s computer.

Port of Amsterdam trials GPS-based UAV monitoring system

Martek Anti-Drone Systems is providing its M.A.D.S. (Marine Anti-Drone System) in a 4-week trial at the Port of Amsterdam. Port customers are looking at their own legitimate drone operations but there is also the opportunity for illegal drone operations. The Port wants to find out who is flying what, where, and why.

Martek also markets its system to yacht owners. When a threat is detected, M.A.D.S. creates an electronic exclusion zone around the yacht. If a drone enters, the system blocks the drone’s control/video communications signal, which initiates the drone’s fail-safe mode to land or returns to its operator.

Intel Collaborates with Two Departments of Transportation for UAS Bridge Inspections

Intel’s Falcon 8+ drone hardware and software were used for bridge inspections and the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge over the Ohio River connecting Ohio and Kentucky, and the Stone Arch Bridge in Minnesota, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge.

The 8-lane Daniel Carter Beard Bridge would normally experience lane closures for the inspection. With inspection by drone, this was not required. Inspection hours at the Stone Arch Bridge was reduced by 28 percent, at a cost savings of about 40 percent. Video: Intel Commercial Drones Speed Up US Bridge Inspections.

Hunt after drone flies near plane at Perth Airport

A drone was spotted flying over Perth Airport, first by a pilot in a plane taking off and then by an airport worker. Air traffic control alerted all pilots and the Federal Police and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority were notified. Neither the drone nor the operator has been found.

Mr. Michael Huerta, Former USA FAA Administrator, has Joined ParaZero’s Advisory Board

Huerta is now on the Advisory Board at ParaZero, the drone parachute system we talked about in Episode #262.

Mentioned

The UAV Digest will be attending the 4th Annual FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Symposium, February 12-14, 2019 at the Baltimore Convention Center. The FAA, industry, academia and other government agencies will discuss the latest topics related to the growing use of UAS and its integration into the national airspace. Registration for the 2019 event is now open.

UAV242 Rockwell Collins CNPC-1000 Data Link

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Testing at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site utilized the Rockwell Collins CNPC-1000 UAS command and control data link, the DOT published procedures for obtaining operator exemption to hold economic authority, New Zealand police ask the public to report drones instead of shooting them down, drones as autonomous air ambulances, battlefield deliveries by drone, the Customs and Border Protection drone program comes under fire, and Intel wants to play a major role in processing drone sensor data.

CNPC-1000 UAS command and control data link. Courtesy Rockwell Collins.

UAV News

Rockwell Collins Enables Airspace Management During Test Flights For NASA’s UAS Traffic Management Program

Two weeks of tests were conducted for the NASA Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) program. Under a NASA contract, the tests were organized by the Northern Plains UAS Test Site. Rockwell Collins was the UAS Service Supplier (USS) for the safe management of a UAS flying beyond visual line of sight, utilizing Rockwell’s CNPC-1000 Command and Control data links. The University of Iowa Operator Performance Laboratory partnered with Rockwell Collins, integrating the CNPC-1000 links with its Pulse Aerospace Vapor 55 unmanned test vehicle.

DOT Takes Step Toward Expediting Drone Delivery Authorizations

A “Notification to UAS Operators Proposing To Engage in Air Transportation” was published in the Federal Register [PDF] on April 30, 2018. This document sets forth the procedure to seek an air taxi operator exemption to hold economic authority from the Department of Transportation (DOT or Department) for companies proposing to engage in certain air transportation operations with unmanned aircraft systems. This authority is separate and distinct from any safety authority required by the FAA.

Nothing to suggest link between drones and burglaries

A Facebook post shared with a number of community pages claimed drones were being used by burglars to scope out properties. Some comments suggested that people should shoot down the drones. However, police in Selwyn, New Zealand say they have no evidence of this and they are telling residents not to shoot down drones.

Drones Being Tested as Ambulances

Researchers at CalTech have been developing a “personal rescue system” and they are testing a one fifth scale model of an autonomous drone ambulance. Internal sensors would monitor the patient’s vital signs, and the actual vehicle would be the size of a small car.

DOD seeks battlefield blood delivery drones

The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) calls itself “a fast-moving government entity that provides non-dilutive capital to companies to solve national defense problems.” They accelerate commercial innovation for national defense by “contracting with companies offering solutions in a variety of areas – from autonomy and AI to human systems, IT, and space – to solve a host of defense problems.” The Unit had a solicitation for the ability to deliver a 5-pound package over 100 kilometers in “austere environments.”

The Marine Corps’ Next Generation Logistics branch and DOD’s Rapid Reaction Technology Office recently tested the Hive Final Mile project. In that system, a group of UAVs are autonomously deployed to deliver small supplies such as food or ammunition to marines on the field.

Drones on the Border: Efficacy and Privacy Implications

The author believes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) “should wind down its drone program and in the meantime establish more robust privacy protections.” Issues include surveillance of Americans living along the border with minimal oversight and without warrants, the cost of the drone systems, and the lack of effectiveness.

Intel Wants Its New Drones to Find Jobs Outside the Spotlight

Why is Intel so into drones? They have shown huge PR displays at events like the Olympics and the Super Bowl and the industrial-grade Falcon 8+ drone just received UL 3030 certification. Well, Intel wants to rely less on the personal computer market and be a “data-centric” company. They want Intel technology to be central to whatever new market emerges for data processing. And that describes the massive processing of sensor data required for some commercial drone missions.

UAV Video of the Week

1,374 dancing drones break world record

China-based Ehang used a fleet of 1,374 Ghostdrones and beat Intel’s record of 1,218 flying drones at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in February. But as Digital Trends points out in China nabs world record for biggest drone display, but it’s a bit of a mess, all didn’t go according to plan.

UAV Conference

The fourth annual Drone Focus Conference will be held May 30-31, 2018 in Fargo North Dakota. Short-format talks from over 50 speakers on topics ranging from cybersecurity and innovative hardware to policies and ethics regarding autonomous systems. The short-format talks challenge speakers to present relevant information quickly and concisely, with only four to twelve minutes on stage.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to get hands-on with interactive workshops, focused lunch panels, and a party with live demos. Other elements of the conference include a Drone Focus Film Festival, student pitches, and celebration of National Autonomous Vehicle Day (May 31st).

More information and tickets are available online at https://dronefocuscon.com.

UAV241 Intel Falcon 8+ Certified Under UL 3030

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The Intel Falcon 8+ becomes the first drone certified under UL 3030, DJI responds to security and privacy concerns, hydrogen fuel cells for drones, combating the Zika virus with drones, and an air taxi startup draws on an outside designer.

Intel Falcon 8+ Courtesy Intel.

UAV News

First Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) Certified by UL

UL issued their first UL 3030 electrical system safety certification to the Intel® Falcon 8+ UAS. Anil Nanduri, VP and GM of Intel’s Drone Group said, “The Intel Falcon 8+ drone is designed for advanced flight performance with redundancy built in for safety and reliability. Our successful UL listing of the Intel Falcon 8+ drone to UL’s 3030 safety standard demonstrates Intel’s commitment to safe operations needed for commercial applications such as inspection, surveying and mapping.”

Video: Intel Falcon 8+ Drone

DJI releases findings of Kivu report to stem concerns that China might use DJI’s drones to spy on the U.S.

Kivu’s report on DJI’s UAV Data Transmission and Storage practices – Are DJI drones really spying for China?

DJI has been in the news over concerns that user data was transmitted to China. Some U.S. Government entities even issued directives prohibiting the use of DJI drones. In response, DJI asked McDermott Will & Emery to undertake an independent investigation and Kivu Consulting, Inc. was retained to conduct the investigation. The report concludes that “users have control over the types of data DJI drones collect, store, and transmit.” But there’s more to it…

UAV Propulsion Tech Bringing HES Hydrogen Solutions to U.S. Drone Market

Singapore’s HES Energy Systems Pte. Ltd has appointed UAV Propulsion Tech to be their authorized U.S. representative for lightweight hydrogen fuel systems for UAVs. Press release. [PDF]

‘Breakthrough’ in mosquito-packed drones to combat Zika in Brazil

The Zika virus will be combated in Brazil using drones to release millions of sterile laboratory-bred male mosquitoes. The male mosquitoes breed with females but no offspring are produced. Over time, the mosquito population is significantly reduced.

Lilium Air Taxi Startup Hires McLaren Designer Frank Stephenson

A noted supercar designer has joined Lilium as they develop an electric vertical take-off and landing jet.

UAV Video of the Week

Stunning Manta Ray Sighting Off Florida Coast

A new species of manta ray may have been discovered off the coast of Florida.

Mentioned

SMi’s third annual UAV Technology conference in Prague September 26-27, 2018.

UAV231 The Drone Services Industry

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The changing landscape for drone services, drone swarms for urban tactics, a simulated drone attack in Idaho, European airport operators embrace the value of drones but look for protections, MIT develops a mapping system for drone navigation, the Department of the Interior uses UAVs with great results, and Intel at the Olympics.

UAV News

Here’s Why The Drone Services Industry is in Trouble

In the “old” days, the Section 333 process was long and difficult. The hardware was tricky to operate and getting data from the drone was not easy. So companies used drone service providers to accomplish the desired missions. Now, a Part 107 is easy and cheap to obtain, flying drones is easier, and data from the drone is not as difficult to acquire. This means companies can create their own in-house drone capability.

PrecisionHawk Acquires Droners.io and AirVid to Launch the Nation’s Largest Network of Commercially Licensed Drone Pilots

PrecisionHawk has acquired Droners.io and AirVid to deliver on-demand, drone-based imagery to enterprise clients. The companies will merge and operate under the Droners.io name. Combined, they form a network of more than 15,000 commercially licensed drone pilots, which PrecisionHawk will use to service its enterprise customers in insurance, agriculture, energy, construction, and government. Part 107 certified pilots can join the network and start accepting jobs in their region by creating a profile at www.droners.io.

Participants wanted for UAV swarm-based tactics test bed

Northrop Grumman is the Phase 1 Swarm Systems Integrator for the DARPA OFFSET program (OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics). The program “envisions future small-unit infantry forces using swarms comprising upwards of 250 small unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) and/or small unmanned ground systems (UGSs) to accomplish diverse missions in complex urban environments.” Northrop Grumman is about to launch its first open-architecture test bed and they are looking for participants to create and test their own swarm-based tactics on the platform.

Idaho Technology Company Black Sage Plans Drone Defense Demonstration at Idaho State Capitol

On February 21, 2018, Boise, Idaho-based Black Sage plans to demonstrate a drone defense system as they create a drone attack on the state capitol. Black Sage will create a virtual fence around the capitol, fly a swarm of drones directly into the protected area, and demonstrate the counter-UAS system to safely defeat the threat.

European airport operators call for adoption of drone rulebook

Airport Council International for Europe (ACI Europe) says safety issues involving drones and airports are increasing, and they want to see “an effective regulatory framework.” ACI Europe released the 6-page position paper on drone technology, ACI Europe Position on Drone Technology [PDF] in January. The paper recommends:

- Airport-specific protection policies, including standardized protected zones
- Technical systems to detect and neutralize drones
- Traffic management for drone operations at airports
- Readying the airport industry for future drone technology opportunities.

MIT teaches drones to fly with uncertainty

MIT researchers are developing the NanoMap system for drones. The system navigates a drone from point to point while avoiding random obstacles. Where other models have the drone map the environment, then fly through it, NanoMap creates maps on the fly.

Interior’s magic bullet: Drones that are DoD castoffs

The Department of Interior has a fleet of drones, many of which are hand-me-downs from the Department of Defense. Nevertheless, the drones are performing tasks that take one-seventh the time at one-tenth the cost, such as: land surveillance, wildlife monitoring, assistance with natural disasters, and dam inspections.

UAV Videos of the Week

High-tech drones steal the show at the Winter Olympics

Intel | The Tech Behind a Record-breaking Drone Show at PyeongChang 2018

https://youtu.be/wFi5SkhUjR8

Mentioned

Questions remain after drone collides with helicopter on Kauai

UAV226 Drones at CES 2018

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Drone news from CES 2018, drones and asymmetrical warfare, situational awareness for sense and avoid from Insitu, a Cargo Air Vehicle prototype from Boeing, and GoPro exits the quadcopter market.

The Volocopter 2X autonomous air taxi at CES 2018.

UAV News

Drones fly over Bellagio fountains during Las Vegas CES

Intel Corp. flew 250 light-emitting Shooting Star drones over the Fountains at Bellagio at CES 2018. Intel plans a drone show at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Video: Intel’s drone light show sends 250 drones flying over Las Vegas at CES 2018

Volocopter 2X: An Autonomous Flying Taxi In Flight At CES 2018 In Las Vegas For The First Time

The Volocopter 2X autonomous passenger drone lifted off on the stage at CES 2018. The flight was short and tethered for safety.

Yuneec announces Typhoon H Plus alongside first fixed-wing and racing drones

Yuneec showed three drones at CES 2018: The Typhoon H Plus for pro photographers and videographers, the Firebird FPV fixed-wing drone, and the HD Racer small racing drone.

Images from CES 2018

These photos were provided by junior21 in our Slack listener team:

Law enforcement drone at CES 2018.

Yamaha Frazer at CES 2018.

CES 2018 drone safety booth.

Defining Asymmetrical Warfare: Extremists Use Retail Drones to Attack Russian Air Base in Syria

There are reports of insurgents modifying commercially available quadcopters to deliver explosives such as mortar rounds and grenades. Social media photos show the damaged tail of a Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft in Syria. There is speculation the Russians have intercepted the drones with the Pantsir S-2 integrated missile and gun vehicle.

Insitu Demonstrates Broad-area Airspace Situational Awareness System for Unmanned Air Systems

Insitu completed a successful flight demonstration of their real-time, ground-based UAS airspace situational awareness system. The system allows commercial UAS operators to detect and avoid nearby aircraft flying both within and beyond line of sight. The system is specifically designed to help detect and avoid “non-cooperative” traffic. Insitu collaborated with Boeing Phantom Works International in Australia under a program sponsored by the Queensland Government.

Boeing Unveils New Unmanned Cargo Air Vehicle Prototype

The unmanned electric VTOL multi-copter Cargo Air Vehicle (CAV) prototype is designed to carry up to 500 pounds. Boeing will use it to “test and evolve Boeing’s autonomy technology for future aerospace vehicles.” Initial flight tests were successfully completed at Boeing Research & Technology’s Collaborative Autonomous Systems Laboratory in Missouri.

Future of autonomous air travel: Boeing unveils new cargo air vehicle prototype

GoPro Plunges After Announcing Job Cuts, Revenue Miss

GoPro Inc. had a difficult fourth quarter. The company is cutting more than 20 percent of its global workforce and ending its drone business. GoPro says they will sell off the existing inventory of Karma drones but will continue to provide service.

UAV Video of the Week

Brain Controlled UAV

A hacked Star Wars Force Trainer uses the operator’s thoughts to control a small drone in this ARCLab ACE Project.

Feedback

NASA chief historian Bill Barry sets the record straight on the origins of the winglet. It was Richard Whitcomb at NASA that gets credit for the aeronautical innovation, not DARPA.

Dryden Flight Research Center: Winglets

UAV182 Super Bowl Goes Gaga Over Drones

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Drones appear at the Super Bowl, Kansas wants to be an unmanned aircraft leader, UAS for newsgathering gains momentum, an unmanned air combat drone, drones that seed clouds, and those that pollinate.

Intel® Shooting Star™ drones light show at Super Bowl LI

UAV News

Lady Gaga Halftime Drone Swarm Was Pretaped to Shield Crowd

The Super Bowl LI halftime show included 300 drones choreographed by Intel. The drones were filmed in advance to comply with the requirement for no flights over people, and the TFR in effect for the event. Also, One of Amazon’s delivery drones showed up in a Super Bowl ad. In the Amazon TV commercial, an Amazon Echo is used to order Doritos from Amazon Prime Air, then the drone appears outside the window.

Kansas UAS director outlines initial drone plans

Kansas Department of Transportation’s unmanned aircraft systems director Bob Brock wants to make the state a leader in UAS technology. Brock wants to protect privacy, ensure public safety, help farmers and ranchers adopt UAS to reduce costs and increase yields, and make Kansas a leader in the UAS industry.

WBRC FOX6 News first to use drones for news, weather, traffic coverage

WBRC FOX6 News in Birmingham, Alabama now has two licensed drone pilots. They plan to use their “Sky Tracker” drone for weather and traffic coverage, newsgathering, marketing and creative services, tower inspections, and sales initiatives.

More Details Emerge On Kratos’ Optionally Expendable Air Combat Drones

Kratos Unmanned System Division (KUSD) is developing the XQ-222 unmanned air combat vehicle (UCAV). In 2016, Kratos was awarded a demonstration contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory under the Low-Cost Attritable Strike Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Demonstration (LCASD) initiative. KUSD said under the contract award, they “will design, develop, deliver, demonstrate and test a technical baseline for a high-speed, long-range, low-cost, limited life-strike UAS.”

Can drones make it rain? Nevada officials upbeat on cloud-seeding prospects

In 2016, the Nevada Institute For Autonomous Systems (NIAS) successfully tested a cloud-seeding payload flown by a fixed-wing drone. This generated a lot of interest from around the world. They expect to make major strides with cloud-seeding operations within the next few weeks.

Scientists Are Building Bee-Like Drones to Fight the Coming Bee-Pocalypse

Some data suggests that the bee population is shrinking worldwide. Bees are critical for pollination so the potential impact on crops is large. Now scientists from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan are exploring a solution. They found that a certain sticky substance was good at picking up pollen. Then they glued animal hair to the bottom of a tiny G-Force PXY CAM drone and applied the sticky goo to the hair. Just by flying around and knocking into flowers, the drone picked up and deposited pollen grains.

UAV Videos of the Week

DARPA demonstrates SideArm UAS capture system

DARPA’s SideArm research effort seeks to create a self-contained, portable apparatus able to horizontally launch and retrieve unmanned aerial systems of up to 900 pounds. In December 2016, Aurora Flight Sciences successfully tested a full-scale technology demonstration system.

Mavic Pro on Floats

Listener Mike attended the Central Florida Mavic Owners group meet-up, and one of the guys had a Gator Skinned Mavic on floats. He recorded some video of the float Mavik with his own Mavic.

Mentioned

The “RETREEV Compact Retrieval Tool” from TEC Accessories, a very small pocket-sized grappling hook that might be helpful to retrieving drones from trees (or your keys from a storm drain).