Tag Archives: solar

263 Civil Drone Regulations for India

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India releases civil drone regulations, detect and avoid testing begins in Kansas, the future of recreational drone flights, unmanned industry consolidation trends, an over 55-pound UAV approved, and a Chinese HALE drone.

UAV News

India’s First Step Towards Regulating Drones

The Director General Civil Aviation’s (DGCA’s) Civilian Aviation Requirements (CAR) for Unmanned Aircraft System, was released August 27, 2018. The CAR takes effect December 1, 2018. Requirements include using the Digital Sky Platform on the DGCA’s website for administrative and procedural control of drones, registration numbers, and filing of flight plans.

Tests for UAS Integration Pilot Program begin – Iris Automation

The Kansas Department of Transportation is in the testing phase of the Integration Pilot Program, with a focus on new detect and avoid capabilities for drones. Iris Automation will test fly its computer vision and artificial intelligence technology for collision avoidance against a manned aircraft.

Video: Airborne Drone Collision Avoidance Field Trial – Iris Automation

https://youtu.be/d4oM7n4mb00

The dark future of civilian drone operation

Justin Oakes from Droneworks Studios flies commercially but asks if measures under the recent FAA reauthorization will cause an end to recreational drone flying.

Video: Drone Pilots are FINISHED (New FAA Laws)

https://youtu.be/kAIeVTi6TDs

After Airware’s Demise, Consolidation Looms For The Commercial Drone Industry

Director of Corporate Analysis at Teal Group Philip Finnegan looks at the reasons we’ll continue to see consolidation in the drone industry.

FAA Approves HSE Over 55 lb Crop Sprayer Drone for Commercial Use!

UAV company Homeland Surveillance & Electronics, LLC (HSE) and aviation consulting firm UASolutions Group, Inc. were granted approval from the FAA for the AG-V6A+ multirotor UAS for Commercial Operations over 55 lbs. The AG-V6A+ is fully autonomous and designed for precision spraying.

A huge solar-powered drone that can supposedly stay in the air for months at a time has taken flight in China

China has a solar-powered high-altitude, long-endurance drone. Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has flown the Morning Star UAV. The 20-meter (66-foot) wingspan drone flew at an altitude of more than 20,000 meters (66,000 feet).

UAV Videos of the Week

This is Fall Foliage in Groton Vermont – October 8th – Green Mountain Drone

Utah Fall Colors at Snowbasin by Drone

UAV257 Solar-Powered Quadcopter

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A solar-powered quadcopter, a drone assisting in the study of whales, using drones to fight cocaine, capturing intruder drones, improving crop yields with a drone service, and a quadcopter with legs.

A solar powered quadcopter from National University of Singapore.

A solar-powered quadcopter. (From the left.) Mr Yeo, Mr Goh, Assoc Prof Danner, Mr Kuan and Mr Teo. Courtesy National University of Singapore.

UAV News

Asia’s first fully solar-powered drone lifts off

This prototype solar-powered quadcopter was developed by the engineering students at the National University of Singapore. It uses 148 silicon solar cells on a four square meter carbon fiber frame. The prototype weighs and can be controlled by remote or fly autonomously.

100% solar-powered quadcopter drone

The Scientists Who Study Whale ‘Defecation Events’

Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute is studying whale feces because analysis allows them “to document the reproductive and stress hormone variation of gray whales.” When a gray whale defecates, the result is a brown plume in the water. It dissipates fast and there isn’t much time to collect a sample. The researchers are using drones to follow the whale while they watch for the plume. A small chase boat then arrives to collect the sample.

Gray whale defecation event

Columbia is now using an army of drones to poison cocaine crops

The Colombian government is testing ten drones that spray herbicide to kill crops. Loaded, the drones weigh about 50 pounds. The herbicide application is more precise than spraying from an airplane and less expensive.

The DroneHunter knocks killer drones out of the sky

Fortem Technologies is developing the DroneHunter that captures intruder drones. In an NBC video report on this Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS), Fortem CEO Timothy Bean said the DroneHunter, “patrols the airspace, detects any unwanted objects in the airspace, enemy drones or other robotics, pursues them, and then safely captures them and tows them away to a safe location.” DroneHunter autonomously detects intruder drones, shoots a net at 80 MPH to a target drone up to 25 feet away, captures the enemy drone and carries it away.

Company promotional video (see the NBC report for the DroneHunter in action):

Fortem Technologies: Enabling the Benefits of a Drone World

https://youtu.be/H3KzPUDIo6A

Pollen Systems Launches Drone-Based Data and Analysis Solution to Improve Vineyard and Crop Yields

Pollen Systems Corporation in Bellevue, Washington announced a managed service that helps farms and vineyards monitor their crops. Subscribing farms and vineyards get weekly visits by a certified Drone Technologist. The Pollen Scout UAV captures RGB, NDRE (Normalized Difference Red Edge), and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) images. These help farmers identify issues with crop growth, irrigation problems, pests, and diseases. The Pollen Scout is already flying at several early adopter vineyards in Washington State.

Watch this delightful aerial robot dance with its dangly legs

University of Tokyo researchers have developed a quadcopter with spindly legs. The Aerial-Biped senses the forward velocity of the quadcopter and automatically manipulates the legs through servos – giving it a dancing-like motion. Paper: Aerial-biped: a new physical expression by the biped robot using a quadrotor. Abstract:

“We present a biped robot which can move agiler than conventional robots. Our robot can generate bipedal walking motion automatically using the proposed method. By using a quadrotor for balance and movement it is possible to make an agiler movement, and generate a gait interactively and in real time according to the motion of the quadrotor using the optimized control policy of the legs. Our system takes the velocity of the quadrotor as an input and legs motions are produced so that the velocity of the foot in contact with the ground to zero, and bipedal walking motion is generated. The control policy is optimized using reinforcement learning with a physics engine.”

Aerial-Biped: a new physical expression by the biped robot using a quadrotor

UAV244 Solar Powered Drone

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A long endurance solar-powered drone, UAVs used for offensive and defensive applications, autonomous pollination drones, and DJI interest in the UAS Integration Pilot Program.

A solar-powered drone. Courtesy Alta Devices.

UAV News

Naval Research Lab Adds Solar Power to Hybrid Tiger UAV Project

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) will use Alta Devices solar technology to help power the Hybrid Tiger UAV, a long endurance UAV with a planned flight time of at least 3 ½ days. The Tiger uses solar cells, a hydrogen fuel cell, and autonomous soaring algorithms. Alta Devices develops “efficient, thin and flexible mobile power technology” that enables solar-powered drones.

MyDefence Launches the WINGMAN 103 – Wearable Drone Detection for Special Operations Forces

Dutch anti-drone technology company MyDefence has the vision “To protect those who protect us” and their mission is “To deliver products within Electronic Warfare, by extensive research and development in the field of mission critical RF equipment.” MyDefence offers the Wingman series of wearable drone detection platforms, the newest of which is the Wingman 103, designed for special operations forces.

Israel Uses Drone Racers To Down Incendiary Kites And Drones To Dispense Tear Gas Over Gaza

The Israeli Defense Forces enlisted local drone racers to fly into “incendiary kites” and snag them with fishing hooks. Video: צפו בתיעוד: רחפן של צה”ל מיירט עפיפון מעזה [IDF skimmer intercepts a kite from Gaza]

Robotic Bees Are a Real Thing—and the Company Funding Them Might Surprise You

Walmart has filed a patent for autonomous pollination drones, along with five other patents for agricultural applications.

DJI appeals for involvement in first-of-its-kind UAV integration programme

DJI didn’t show up in the DOT list of initial 10 projects under the UAS Integration Pilot Program. However, the company still wants to make contributions in the areas of AeroScope remote identification, drone equipment, software development kit, policy collaboration, custom geofencing, educational outreach, and access to the DJI user community. See press releases: DJI Seeks To Partner With State, Local And Tribal Governments (November 16, 2017) and DJI Welcomes New Drone Integration Pilot Programs (May 10, 2018).

Ohio Governor John Kasich Signs Executive Order Authorizing Autonomous Vehicle Testing in Ohio

AUVSI says, “The order authorizes researchers to test on the state’s roadways ‘as long as their vehicles meet certain safety requirements and are capable of complying with Ohio traffic regulations.’” Executive order (2018-04K) also asks that researchers register their vehicles with the DriveOhio initiative.

UAV Videos of the Week

This New Video Showing DARPA’s Master Plan For Its Gremlins Drones Is Awesome

Gremlins: Airborne Launch & Recovery of Unmanned Aerial Systems

Spectacular light show of 350 drones over #ALJAWHARA🇸🇦 Stadium in Jeddah during the final football match of the King’s Cup

Mentioned

From UAV Expert News: Fortress UAV Will Host Drone Day Event with DJI, CyPhy Works, Intel and Yuneec. June 1, 2018, in Plano Texas.

UAV088 Conversation with a Section 333 Exemption Holder

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We talk about the recent FAA policy change designed to streamline the process of granting a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) for holders of a Section 333 exemption. Also, we look at solar electric drones in the news, as well as the package delivery testing being done by Amazon in Canada and morphing robotic wings.

Guest

Mark Burns owns Burnz Eye View LLC, a promotion and marketing company specializing in aerial filming. We talked with Mark in Episode 83 after Burnz Eye View became the 16th company in the United States to receive a Section 333 exemption from the FAA. Mark has joined us again to give his observations on the impact of the FCC policy change for COAs on Section 333 exemption holders.

Be sure to follow the Burnz Eye View Blog for posts on topical issues, including Dear FAA, What use are Rules without Enforcement?

Also, note that Mark will be a panelist at the Unmanned Systems Institute Conference September 23-25, 2014 in Las Vegas.

News

First Solar-Electric Drone Enters Production

Silent Falcon UAS Technologies (SFUAS) has begun production of the Silent Falcon solar-electric aircraft. The Silent Falcon is a composite, fixed-wing sUAS with solar cells on its wings.

According to SFUAS, “The patent pending Silent Falcon™ is a solar/electric, all composite, modular small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) designed for commercial, public safety, and military applications. With Silent Falcon’s™ solar electric propulsion system, rugged composite structure, and three interchangeable wing configurations, it is the first sUAS capable of meeting long range and long endurance mission profiles.”

Facebook’s UAV Flies, Builds On Developments In Solar Power

Facebook announced the first flight of the Aquila subscale prototype of a solar-powered unmanned aircraft. The stratospheric “atmospheric satellite” is intended to bring the Internet to remote parts of the world. The full scale version is under construction.

Amazon tests delivery drones at secret Canada site after US frustration

The Guardian reports that Amazon is testing package delivery technology at a “secret” site in British Columbia, Canada. Amazon is said to have purchased some land where plain-clothed security guards keep those away who might wander into the area. The company is looking at using the airspace from 200 feet to 500 feet to carry the 5 pound or less packages that represent 86% of all packages they ship.

Morphing R obotic Wing Developed to Help Drones Manage Collisions

Birds can move their wings to help navigate through obstacles like tree branches, but man-made aircraft don’t have that ability. Except now researchers at Stanford University have created mechanisms that can passively morph their wings in ways similar to what birds and bats do.

Mentioned

Drone devel opment i n Al aska s till on track

The Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) is one of the six FAA UAS test sites. Funding cuts threatened the program, but a Senate subcommittee has taken action to restore the money.

Reminder

Visit http://theUAVdigest.com/nprm and you’ll be redirected to the regulations.gov web page where you can find the NPRM and submit your comments online on or before April 24, 2015.

UAV050 Manufacturing Drones with a 3D Printer

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BAE Transformer 3D drone printers, continuously airborne UAVs, hacking drones, flying UAS over airports and sports events, a petition to the FAA, and mapping mud a landslide with a hexacopter.

The News

BAE Systems Unveils Concepts of On-Board Aircraft 3D Printers Able to Print Incredible UAVs During a Mission

The BAE Systems 25-year outlook includes technology for “on demand” UAV production, from inside an aircraft! In a possible scenario, the larger aircraft approaches an unknown situation, like a military conflict or a SAR event. It then manufactures a cloud of surveillance drones that go out, gather data, and return to the mother ship. Then, using the collected data, mission-specific UAV’s are manufactured to respond to the situation. (In the case of SAR, maybe a vehicle that could retrieve a person.) Another idea is a “transformer” made of multiple UAVs that could group and ungroup as needed.

New type of drones: Firm looks to create drones with unlimited flight time

A collaboration between Packet Digital LLC, the U.S. Department of Defense, and others hopes to create very long endurance UAV’s. First, to double the current flight time, but eventually unlimited endurance. By developing a “solar soaring power management system,” continuously airborne drones could be created with applications for the military, agriculture, search-and-rescue, and first responders. Flight testing will take place at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site in Grand Forks.

Exclusive: Civilian drones need costly fixes to avoid hacking, study indicates

GPS navigation is a key UAS technology, and we’ve seen examples that suggest that GPS has vulnerabilities. In 2012, the FAA initiated a study by the GNSS Intentional Interference and Spoofing Study Team (GIISST) to look at vulnerabilities in GPS navigation.

The report has not been released publicly, but FAA has given an overview at a conference, saying, “Inexpensive, and readily available, GNSS repeaters and GNSS simulation tools can transmit hazardously misleading information ‘spoofing’ GNSS use.”

In September 2013, the FAA released a Navigation Programs Update [PDF] that gives some information about the GNSS Intentional Interference and Spoofing Study Team.

High-Altitude Drone Flight Prompts FAA Warning At Airport

A pilot flew his DJI Phantom on a video mission thousands of feet above the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama. This triggered an automated warning from the FAA about unauthorized drones near a homing beacon.

DJI: The Spirit of Football Video Contest

A DJI soccer/football video contest is underway to showcase the spirit of football. Submit your YouTube or Vimeo videos in aerial and non-aerial categories through August 20th.

Maine man wants FAA to change UAV regulations

Edward Lyons, the CEO of FPV America, says the FAA ban on UAS has “shut down his business before it was really able to take off.” So he’s started a petition at change.org asking the FAA to “Rescind Your Latest Ruling On Model FPV Flying And The Personal & Commercial Use Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.”

From the petition: “We The People have a right to OUR airspace to practice and engage in our hobby. We have a right to commercial purposeful use of this airspace as well.”

UAV Mapping of a Landslide

Czech unmanned aerial vehicle and mapping company Upvision used a hexacopter to perform an aerial mapping of a landslide at a road construction project. The mapping and resulting geological survey will help engineers decide how to remove the debris from the landslide, which occurred at a road construction project.

A hexacopter was used to collect the data to create: an orthophoto map, a digital surface model using point clouds, and a 3D model for visualizing the entire area. All this from one aerial flight over the course of one hour.

Video of the Week

Man flies drone into West Palm Beach fireworks show

Many listeners sent the link to this rather impressive video. We understand the Phantom survived, but also that the FAA is Investigating Drone Flights Into Fireworks.

Feedback

Jon observed the shadow of a quadcopter in the video Road Test: 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S, confirming how the video was made.