Tag Archives: Spain

422 Global Drone Market

A global drone market report, aircraft control with artificial intelligence, a slow start to Amazon drone deliveries, drones disrupt flight operations at Dublin Airport, a testing service for microgravity research.

UAV News

Chinese drone maker DJI is dominating the market – despite being blacklisted by the U.S.

A report by Drone Industry Insights says: the global drone market was $30.6 billion in 2022 and it is expected to grow to $55.8 billion by 2026. DJI holds 70% market share. Global Drone Market Report 2022-2030 says that drone services will remain the biggest segment, but hardware will grow the fastest. Energy is the Industry with the highest adoption of drones. Cargo, courier services, intralogistics, and warehousing have the highest CAGR. Mapping and surveying is the top drone application, followed by inspection as well as photography and filming.

AI Just Flew an F-16 for 17 Hours. This Could Change Everything.

The  Lockheed Martin VISTA X-62A training aircraft flew for more than 17 hours with artificial intelligence software,  marking the first time AI operated a tactical aircraft. The VISTA is based on the F-16. Software allows it to mimic the performance characteristics of other aircraft.

Amazon’s delivery drones served fewer than 10 houses in their first month

Amazon’s drones have reportedly delivered to fewer houses than there are words in this headline

Amazon has been making deliveries by drone in Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas. But not many. According to The Information, as few as seven houses had received Amazon packages by drone – two in California and five in Texas. The report says the FAA has safety concerns since Amazon’s drone weighs around 80 pounds (and carries a five-pound payload) and they fly over roads and people. FAA said Amazon must ask for permission on a case-by-case basis and Amazon employees had to act as spotters.

However, Amazon successfully argued last November that the new MK27-2 drone is safer and more autonomous and didn’t need as many humans or safeguards. See: Amazon Prime Air revised limitations 2023 (Corrected Copy) [PDF], a 64-page letter from FAA to Amazon Prime Air informing Amazon that FAA has partially granted their Nov 2022 petition to amend the Exemption (No. 18601).

Drones disrupt flight operations at Dublin Airport for second day running

Confirmed drone sightings caused six incoming flights to be diverted, three to Belfast Airport and three to Shannon Airport. Operations were suspended for 38 minutes on runway 28R for departures and 44 minutes on Runway 28L for arrivals.

Watch a drone drop a microgravity capsule in 1st-of-its-kind experiment (video)

Gravitilab provides testing services for microgravity research. They offer seven proprietary, reusable launch vehicles. One is “the world’s first commercial UAV microgravity testing platform.” The LOUIS UAV system and drop pod flew to an altitude of 2,000 feet and then released the drop pod carrying scientific experiments. The pod payload experienced over five seconds of weightlessness. Gravitilab says they “deliver up to 180 seconds of microgravity with a significant cost saving per kilo per second and short campaign lead times.” They offer “dedicated and rideshare launch capabilities, and the option to transport launch services to customers.”

Gravitilab drone and pod in flight.
(Image credit: Gravitilab)

UAV Video of the Week

DRONE | Animated short film about drones, AI, and live-streaming on YouTube

A 15-minute animated film about a malfunction at a CIA press event that causes a Predator drone installed with an ethical AI personality to go rogue as it attempts to understand its purpose in the world.

322 Drones and Coronavirus

Unmanned aircraft and the Coronavirus (COVID-19), a new Drone Racing League Academy to teach STEM, EHang looks to Europe with their autonomous aerial vehicle, a radar cross-section database for malicious drone identification, and a flying car that looks like a car.

UAV News

Spanish police are using drones to scold citizens who go outside

Many countries are combating the coronavirus by asking (or telling) people to self-quarantine and practice social distancing. But not everyone is doing that. Police in Spain are responding using drones fitted with speakers to admonish people who aren’t doing their part.

Disinfecting Drones to Fight COVID-19? No Thanks, Says Defense Department

China has been using quadcopters to spray disinfectant and some companies in the U.S. have proposed the same. However, the U.S. Defense Department says they have no plans to do this. Same for the National Guard, the U.S. Special Operations Command, and DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). But Droneresponders is exploring “all use case options in response to COVID19.”

Drone Racing League launches DRL Academy

The Drone Racing League launched the DRL Academy, a STEM program for school kids with the main focus on drones. DRL partnered with the National Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence, West Valley College, Eduscape, and New Jersey City University. If you are interested in the DRL Academy, you can email them at STEM@DRL.io.

EHang Gets Operational Flight Permit from CAA Norway

The EHang 216 two-seat autonomous aerial vehicle has received an operational flight permit from the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway (CAA). Flights for testing and certification are planned with a local customer.

EHang, city government of Seville partner to launch first UAM pilot program in Spain

EHang has an agreement with the city of Seville, Spain to develop passenger transportation, air logistics, and command and control platforms in the city. Seville is a member of the UAM Initiative Cities Community which was launched by the EU’s European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities project.

Team scans drones of different shapes and sizes to counter terrorist attack risk

Researchers are building a database of drone radar cross-sections (RCS) that could help identify malicious UAVs. Commercial and custom-built drones are being measured. The research was published in IEEE Access. The measurement data is available to the public.

Ascent Makes UAM Plans With eVTOL Group Urban Aeronautics

The Metro Skyways subsidiary of Urban Aeronautics is developing a six-seat hydrogen-powered eVTOL called CityHawk. Their Singapore partner is Ascent and they are seeking to develop urban air mobility services in Asia.

UAV037 UAS Test Site Receives FAA COA

Draganflyer X4-C

A UAS Test Site receives an FAA Certificate of Authorization, Spain bans commercial drone use, a drone tracker kit, drones for burglers, a survey says Americans favor targeting terrorists with drones, and an update on the FAA v. Pirker appeal.

The News:

Press Release – FAA Announces First UAS Test Site Operational

On April 21, the FAA announced that the UAS Test Site operated by the North Dakota Department of Commerce is operational. A Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) was granted to the Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site to begin using a Draganflyer X4ES.

Spain Just Made Itself The Enemy Of Drone Enthusiasts Everywhere

The AESA, Spain’s State Agency for Aerial Security, has banned commercial drone use anywhere in the country. The Agency fears “misunderstandings and possible incidents” with these new UAVs. If that’s not bad enough, what does this mean for two new projects: the Atlas Experimental Flight Centre for testing UAS and the aerodrome project in Doñana National Park?

NextGen Drone Tracker Kit now available

Sagetech Corporation designs and manufacturers electronic subsystems for the unmanned and manned aerial vehicles. Their ADS-B Tracker Kit is a turnkey solution that tracks drones on iPads. For that price, you get a 150 gram Sagetech XPG-TR micro transponder for the drone, a Clarity ADS-B receiver, and an iPad.

Thieves using heat-detecting £60 drones bought from supermarkets to spot cannabis farms – then break in to steal the drugs

If you obtain a relatively inexpensive multi-copter and attach an infrared camera, you can fly around and detect sources of relative heat. Also, someone growing a large number of marijuana plants in an indoor farm is going to be using a lot of grow lights. Put the two together and you have a creative use for drones. Good guys can catch the pot growers, Bad guys know where they can steal a lot of weed.

In U.S., 65% Support Drone Attacks on Terrorists Abroad

A recent Gallup Poll asked about 500 adult Americans “Do you think the U.S. government should or should not use drones to — ?” 65% said yes to launching airstrikes in other countries against suspected terrorists.

FAA Files Appeal Brief In Closely-Watched Drone Pilot Case

Much of this article repeats what we said last episode about FAA v. Pirker, but this was written by John Goglia, a former Board member. At issue is whether or not the small UAS is an aircraft as defined by the FARs, and thus subject Pirker to it’s limitations on careless or reckless operation of an aircraft. After almost ten years on the NTSB, Goglia notes that most (not all) cases go in favor of the FAA. But here he says, “This case appears to me to be one that defies logic.”

Video of the Week:

Matternet, A Ted Talk video about autonomous electric aerial vehicles proposed for a transportation network that brings items (“matter”) to areas of the world without year-round ground transportation roads. Via Michael.

Mentioned:

A Drone Perspective, a map of Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) videos, via Chris.