Tag Archives: USAF

424 Personal eVTOL

Another personal eVTOL, cops flying BVLOS, military drones with facial recognition, a lethal drone designed in Australia, the Lilium Jet eVTOL, and moving air quietly.

UAV News

Is this one-seat flying saucer the future of flight?

ZEVA Aero designs and builds electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles. The company’s flagship product is the Argon, based on a pre-existing airframe. But their Zero is a personal eVTOL for one person. It launches with the pilot standing, but the position is prone in horizontal flight. The 8-foot-wide flying saucer-shaped aircraft uses 8 propellers and is expected to cost $250,000.

Line drawing of the Zeva Zero personal eVTOL.
Zeva Zero personal eVTOL

A one-eighth-scale model has been flight-tested and tethered tests are underway with a full-sized prototype. Zeva says the prototype should be ready for remote-controlled flights within a month, and tests with a pilot could take place in three to six months.

Video: ZEVA 1/8 Scale Model flying

Welcome to Chula Vista, where police drones respond to 911 calls

The Chula Vista, California police department operates 29 drones. The program runs 10 hours a day, seven days a week using four launch sites. Officers routinely request aerial reconnaissance. More than 1,500 U.S. police departments use drones, mostly for search and rescue, to document crime scenes, and to chase suspects. About 225 police departments have FAA waivers to fly BVLOS. Privacy and civil liberty groups are taking notice.

US Military Signs Contract to Put Facial Recognition on Drones

The Air Force’s Drones Can Now Recognize Faces. Uh-Oh.

The U.S. Air Force plans to deploy facial recognition technology on drones. RealNetworks LLC has the contract to supply its SAFR technology on small drones used for special operations missions. RealNetworks says SAFR Scan is “the first full-featured intelligent biometric access controlled edge solution.”

Australian-designed lethal drone to be unveiled at Avalon Airshow

BAE STRIX

BAE Systems Australia unveiled the armed STRIX VTOL at Avalon 2023. It’s a hybrid, tandem wing, multi-domain and multi-role UAS that could be used for air-to-ground strike, persistent ISR, and as a loyal wingman for military helicopters. It can carry up to a 160kg payload over 800km with a variety of munitions. The collapsed footprint is only 2.6m x 4.5m (roughly 8.5 x 15 feet).

Lilium sees premium service entry for Lilium Jet eVTOL

Vertical flight takes a lot of energy and most eVTOL designs have significant aerodynamic drag. These limit, l eVTOL range. The Lilium Jet is designed to overcome those obstacles. The wing and canard aircraft have a good lift-to-drag ratio, and power requirements are low at cruise speed. Power for both vertical and horizontal flight comes from many small electric motors pushing air through variable nozzle ducts. Electric power comes from 330 Wh/kg density batteries. Service entry will be in the premium sector.

Lilium Jet in flight.
Lilium Jet

Whisper Aero Set to Reveal Details About Its Ultra-Quiet Propulsion System

Whisper Aero has been working on quiet propulsion technology for two years, looking for a noise reduction of about 20 dB for drones and electric fixed-wing aircraft. The company has provided no specifics but is expected to reveal details about its propulsors “toward the end of March or early April.” They’ve built a 55-pound demonstrator drone to test the concept. Reportedly, the company plans to offer different propulsion system models with different power outputs.

416 European Drone Strategy 2.0

European drone strategy 2.0, armed drones for Ukraine, drones used for poaching and other wildlife investigations, drone videos of three active volcanoes, dynamically assigning frequencies for UAS command and control, a survey of consumer attitudes on home drone delivery of goods and food, liquid hydrogen power, and the Dover AFB sUAS program.

UAV News

Drone Strategy 2.0: Creating a large-scale European drone market

The European Commission adopted the European Drone Strategy 2.0 which offers a vision for the further development of the European drone market. The Commission wants to ensure that society supports drones. By 2030, the Drone Strategy envisions a number of services, including emergency services, mapping, imaging, inspection and surveillance; the urgent delivery of small packages, such as biological samples or medicines; Air Mobility services, like air taxis that provide regular transport services for passengers, initially with a pilot on board, but ultimately fully automated operations.

The Commission’s strategy includes operational, technical, and financial actions:

  • Adopting common rules for airworthiness, and new training requirements
  • Funding the creation of an online platform to support local stakeholders and industry implementing sustainable Innovative Air Mobility.
  • Developing a Strategic Drone Technology Roadmap to identify priority areas for research and innovation, to reduce existing strategic dependencies and to avoid new ones arising.
  • Defining criteria for a voluntary cybersecurity-approved drone label.

See: A Drone Strategy 2.0 for a Smart and Sustainable Unmanned Aircraft Eco-System in Europe [PDF].

Senators urge Pentagon to send advanced Gray Eagle drones to Ukraine

After some reports that the Pentagon had decided to not send armed drones to Ukraine, sixteen Senate Republicans and Democrats sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin objecting. In the letter, the Senators say, “This particular [Unmanned Aerial System] will increase Ukraine’s unmanned capabilities in the near term and demands careful reconsideration. Most importantly, armed [Unmanned Aerial Systems] could find and attack Russian warships in the Black Sea, breaking its coercive blockade and alleviate dual pressures on the Ukrainian economy and global food prices.” The General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones can hold up to four Hellfire Missiles.

Poachers beware—new drone team launched to assist in wildlife crime investigations

The five Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) drone law enforcement officers have been trained and have their FAA pilot licenses. The drones will assist officers in their investigations through increased documentation of crime scenes and locating evidence.

Drones capture video of three active volcanoes around the world

Watch videos of three active volcanoes: Mauna Loa in Hawaii, the Villarrica volcano in Chile, and Russia’s Shiveluch volcano.

uAvionix Awarded FAA contract to Implement and demonstrate C-Band Frequency Assignment Manager (FAM) with Multiple UAS Operations

uAvionix won a contract from the FAA for end-to-end demonstrations of a Frequency Assignment Manager (FAM) as a component of the uAvionix SkyLine™ Command and Control Communications Service Provider (C2CSP) management platform. The system will dynamically assign UAS C-Band Command and Non-Payload Control frequencies to UAS with CNPC radios. uAvionix teamed with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site to develop command and control concepts.

The contract demonstrations include:

  • Managing a pool of frequencies in a geographic area.
  • Allocating available frequencies to a specific CNPC radio for a specific mission.
  • Receiving assigned frequencies for the designated mission.
  • CNPC radios operating on the assigned frequencies.
  • Non-interference when multiple aircraft are operating in the area.

Do US Consumers Want Drone Delivery? Auterion’s 2022 Report

Auterion surveyed 1,000 Americans to get their perspective on drones. 94% view drones as having a potential positive purpose in the world. 67% view drones as more environmentally friendly than trucks. 57% think the adoption of small-quantity drone deliveries is a good thing for the environment. 47% said they would make a purchase from a specific retailer due to the option of a drone delivery program. 64% believe drones are becoming an option for home delivery now or will be in the near future. Press release: Drones set to make the future of holiday shipping greener. Download the report: Drone Delivery in the United States.

This New Airplane Could Be The First to Fly on Carbon-Free Liquid Hydrogen

Since 2016, the German company H2Fly has been flying an airplane powered by a hydrogen gas fuel cell. The Hy4 is a four-seat aircraft and in April it set a record for the highest zero-emission flight, at 7,230 feet. H2Fly plans to switch from Hydrogen gas to liquid. That would double the range. Testing is scheduled for 2023. The company has entered into a partnership with Deutsche Aircraft to develop a fuel-cell-powered aircraft that will hold up to 40 passengers, with a range of 1,200 miles.

Video: Präsentation der sechsten Wasserstoff-Antriebsgeneration in der Hy4

Eye in the sky: SUAS program takes flight at Dover AFB

The 436th Airlift Wing Plans and Programs office at Dover AFB has an sUAS program jointly run with the Bedrock Dover AFB  Innovation Lab. Recently, a Skydio X2D Small Unmanned Aerial System drone was tested during its first operational flight around a static aircraft at Dover on Nov. 4, 2022. The X2D was selected from other Department of Defense-approved systems due to its advanced obstacle avoidance system and other possible capabilities.

368 Mesh Network Drone Delivery

An AI-based mesh network drone delivery test, Navy destroyers swarmed by drones, an Amazon double-coupon deal, an attritable Bell cargo UAV, a first amendment drone case, the target drone on the beach, drones replacing fireworks.

UAV News

AI-based system to support world’s first mesh network drone delivery test

Airwayz is participating in a unique technology test in Israel where delivery drones will use AI and operate in mesh networks. Previous studies have used drone corridors, but that limits the number of delivery drones, doesn’t scale to commercial volumes, and if a part of the corridor goes down, the corridor fails. A mesh system doesn’t have these limitations. However, a human cannot manage a mesh network so AI is needed at each drone for quick decision-making.

Multiple Destroyers Were Swarmed By Mysterious ‘Drones’ Off California Over Numerous Nights

In July 2019, as many as six drones pursued the ships and performed “brazen maneuvers.” An  investigation included elements of the Navy, Coast Guard, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Drive conducted their own investigation using iInformation not previously public that was disclosed through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Amazon double coupon deal cuts this awesome foldable 4K camera drone to just $60

The Tomzon D25 4K Camera Drone is listed on Amazon.com at $99.99 but at this time, Amazon is offering a $20 coupon, applied at checkout. BGR says you can apply the coupon code TOMZOND25 at checkout for another $20 off, making the final price $59.99. Note that Amazon states “Coupons are valid for a limited time only. Amazon reserves the right to modify or cancel coupons at any time.”

Bell sees its APT cargo UAV as being attritable in combat

Bell believes it can produce the APT (Autonomous Pod Transport) at a low enough price that it could be considered “attritable.” The APT is a tail-sitting VTOL that uses a battery and 4 electric motors. An internal combustion engine would be more complex, less reliable, and louder.

Drone Operator Grounded by Self-interested Government Board Fights Back

The North Carolina the Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors claims that conducting an aerial survey with a drone constitutes surveying without a license. The Board is warning drone operators they may face criminal prosecution. But drone entrepreneur Michael Jones is fighting back saying his images and maps were not being used to set legal boundaries. Instead, they were for informational purposes. Jones claims creating and sharing information is speech protected by the First Amendment and he’s filed a federal lawsuit with the Institute for Justice.

Military drone washed ashore on beach

It’s a U.S. Air Force BQM-167A Aerial Target drone that is usually recovered from the ocean.

Drone shows coming to OC this summer, replacing firework shows

Ocean City, Maryland has frequent fireworks shows during the summer. Now they are planning to replace the fireworks with drones for many of those shows. But not to fear, fireworks will appear for the 4th of July.

UAV Video of the Week

James Gunn offers viral drone video cinematographer a gig in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3

That bowling alley drone guy? It may have paid off. Director James Gunn offered Jay Christensen an opportunity with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. When Gunn saw the viral video, he said on Twitter, “Oh my God this drone shot is stupendous,” and in another tweet, “I want them to come with us to London later this year when we shoot Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” To which Christensen replied, “What’s up James. I shot this.” Gunn may or may not have been serious.

Video: The light in the night!

Video: Iceland volcano: Drone footage captures stunning up-close view of eruption

Anthony Quintano Photography on Instagram and Twitter.

Cartoon used with permission, Leigh Rubin, RubesCartoons.com.
Used with permission, Leigh Rubin, RubesCartoons.com.

331 Skyborg for Loyal Wingman UAV

Skyborg design competition for USAF loyal wingman UAVs, catapulting a drone from a helicopter, FAA is investigating a Blue Angels close encounter, a drone that launches grenades and sprays crops, flying over Singapore and keeping an eye on people, and a drone crash caused by electric interference.

UAV News

US Air Force launches Skyborg competition, artificial intelligence for loyal wingman UAV

Skyborg is the artificially intelligent software that would control a fleet of loyal wingman unmanned air vehicles, and the Air Force has now launched a design competition. A request for proposals was released on May 15 that could award indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts worth $400 million per awardee.

U.S. Army successfully launches spy drone from Black Hawk

The U.S. Army wanted to test if a drone launched from a helicopter was possible. The question was if the drone could survive the launch and the helicopter downwash, so the Army conducted a series of tests with an Area-I air-launched, tube-integrated unmanned system (or ALTIUS 600). It was catapaulted forward from a UH-60 Black Hawk side-mounted tube, escaped the rotor downwash undamaged, and was able to fly its intelligence-gathering mission

FAA investigating Detroit drone flight that came ‘dangerously close’ to Blue Angels

A spokesperson for the FAA confirmed they are aware of the incident and that it’s under investigation. A set of guidelines for recreational drone usage is posted on the FAA’s website that includes, “Give way to and do not interfere with manned aircraft” and “Do not operate your drone in a careless or reckless manner.”

Farming Drone Goes From Plowshares To Grenade Launcher

Vinveli Unmanned Systems, Inc. is an international technology company that is primarily involved in energy systems, electric vehicle systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The “Vero” quadcopter can be outfitted with a launcher firing 38mm or 40mm grenades. As an industrial drone it can perform inspection missions, but it can also operate as an automated agriculture spray drone that covers 1,000 acres in less than 30 hours.

Airobotics Receives World’s First Approval to Fly Automated, Commercial Drones Above a Major Metropolis, Flies Above Singapore

The Home Team Science & Technology Agency (HTX) of Singapore is using Airobotics drones to identify congregations of people. The automated drones broadcast real-time data to the Singapore Police Force.

Railway cables overpowered errant drone’s compass and flung it back to terra firma

An Aerialtronics Altura Zenith ATX8 commercial drone crashed next to a railway line in October 2019. The flight only lasted 13 seconds and it crashed after flying over an electrified railway line. Aerialtronics investigated and found that the quadcopter’s onboard magnetic compass reading “had varied through about 60° within a couple of seconds of takeoff.” The next day, the operator performed an RF spectrum analysis and checked for magnetic interference with a handheld compass. He found deviations of up to 140°. The railway’s overhead high-voltage wires were the cause.

UAV Video of the Week

Watch Illuminated Drones Create Beating Heart to Honor Healthcare Workers in Rotterdam Sky

Studio Drift created a three-dimensional image of a red beating heart in the sky above Rotterdam. It was part of the Franchise Freedom drone performance dedicated to healthcare workers. Franchise Freedom uses 300 illuminated Intel Shooting Star drones that are programmed to mimic the behavior of a flock of starlings in the sky.

321 DJI on Remote ID

DJI brings out the guns in its criticism of the Remote ID proposal, the Air Force has new medical standards for RPA pilots, a better communications antenna for UAVs, a draft executive order that would ban Chinese drones from the federal government, and using drones to speed 5G deployment.

UAV News

DJI urges FAA to reconsider Remote ID NPRM

The comment period for the FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems is closed, but not before DJI submitted an 89-page formal comment. The FAA estimated its proposed Remote ID rules would cost about $582 million over the next 10 years. In the report prepared by NERA Economic Consulting, the cost was calculated at $5.6 billion over that period. DJI has demonstrated a direct “drone-to-phone” wi-fi based solution.

Medical standards changing for RPA pilots

Effective February 28, 2020, the Air Force changed the medical standards for remotely piloted aircraft pilots. Previously, graduating RPA students had to meet the medical standards designed for aircrew operating at altitude. Now, these Airmen will only need to meet the Ground-Based Operator medical standards.

New Antenna Will Boost UAV Communication with Satellites

Chinese researchers have developed a compact saber-shaped antenna for UAVs that can switch between two radiation patterns for better communication coverage. The new antenna incorporates a monopole perpendicular to the ground with an omnidirectional pattern and a dipole parallel to the ground with a broadside pattern. Published in a study in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

US is preparing to ban foreign-made drones from government use

TechCrunch says the Trump administration is preparing to ban federal departments and agencies from buying or using foreign-made drones. This would be accomplished through an executive order that would effectively ban foreign-made drones or drones made with foreign components.

Afraid of heights? Drones, AI and digitalization to the rescue!

Deployment of 5G communications has some serious obstacles, including the need for many more antennas. Ericsson is using drones to speed the site survey process and build 3D site models that can be used for engineering decisions.

Announcement

The 14th annual UAS Summit & Expo is scheduled for September 1-2, 2020 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks North Dakota. The event is produced and organized by UAS Magazine and BBI International.

UAV202 Piaggio HammerHead Testing Resumes

A year after the crash of the prototype, testing of the Piaggio HammerHead UAS is underway again. We also look at drones and field biology, security, and swarming technology.

The Piaggio Aerospace P.1HH HammerHead

The P.1HH HammerHead UAS, courtesy Piaggio Aerospace.

UAV News

Piaggio Aerospace Resumes Test Flights of Hammerhead UAV

In May 2016, the prototype Piaggio Aerospace P.1HH HammerHead UAV crashed off the coast of Sicily. Reportedly, there were flight control system integration problems. Testing has now resumed and eight systems are to be delivered to the United Arab Emirates. The MALE (Medium Altitude, Long Endurance) Hammerhead is derived from the Piaggio P.180 Avanti II business aviation aircraft, a twin turboprop pusher aircraft.

Drones hunt down rare plants in Hawaii by going where people can’t

GIS specialist Ben Nyberg is the lead drone pilot for the National Tropical Botanical Garden. While flying a drone at a 1,000-acre preserve in Hawaii, he discovered a very rare plant on a steep, inaccessible cliff. Less than 25 of these plants were thought to exist. With the drone, they discovered about 10 more of these plants, as well as several other critically endangered plants.

Homeland Security concerned about commercial drones being used for ‘nefarious purposes’

According to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson, “DHS does consider commercial drones configured or modified to employ explosives or weapons a concern. This is due to low-cost, ease of access, and the quick-pace of this evolving technology to adapt beneficial Unmanned System equipment for nefarious purposes.” The US Army has published a 13-page document, Counter – Unmanned Aircraft System Strategy Extract [PDF].

USAF calls for drone defences after F-22 overflight

Drones are being spotted around military aircraft in the U.S. and the Air Combat Command has no authority to deal with them. It’s a civil authority that has to be granted first before it can be executed by military forces.

DJI Is Locking Down Its Drones Against a Growing Army of DIY Hackers

People have found ways to get around DJI’s flight restrictions and they’ve published the exploits online. DJI updated their software to break the hacks, but that just leads to another round in the battle.

Micro Systems Develops New Drone Swarming Technology

Kratos Defense and Security Solutions subsidiary Micro Systems announced its WOLF-PAK swarming technology. There is no centralized control system and the swarm of autonomous vehicles follows a leader vehicle. Vehicles recognize and locate each other and keep a predefined distance apart.

WOLF-PAK demonstration video:

 

 

Walmart commissioning Griffiss for drone delivery research

Walmart has reportedly been working with one of the UAS test sites to develop drone-based package delivery. But now the retailer is additionally engaging the UAS test site in upstate New York.

Mentioned

The DronesGlobal Slack Team is a members-only Slack team “for commercial drone operators, manufacturers, buyers, suppliers and experts from around the world.” There is a one-time fee of $49 and applications are subject to approval.

Your AOPA membership will get you 20% off the Drone World Expo conference or a free Expo pass. To be held October 3-4, 2017, at the San Jose Convention Center in the Capital of Silicon Valley.

Can I fly there? Is a drone safety app from CASA. It reflects the standard operating conditions for those flying their drone commercially (under the excluded category of commercial operations) and is a valuable educational and situational awareness tool for both commercial and recreational drone flyers.

XKCD provides another good drone comic.

FlytBase Inc. is a Silicon Valley startup creating developer tools for intelligent and connected commercial drones. They say their FlytBase Cloud platform helps developers connect drones with cloud-based business applications over a real-time secure link. It provides access to real-time drone control, telemetry and payload data.

FlytBase Cloud: Internet of Drones Platform

 

 

UAV187 Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Drones

Our guest explains the research on fuel cells as a power source for unmanned aircraft. In the news, an Airobotics drone operates without a human pilot, the USAF uses a drone for aircraft inspections, BVLOS inspections in Canada, an underwater autonomous vehicle, a drone for humanitarian missions, more Amazon UAS patents, and a Patriot missile takes out a small quadcopter.

Guest

Dr. Benjamin D. Gould is a Chemical Engineer in the Chemistry Division of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). He’s an expert in fuel cell power systems and specializes in the development of next-generation power sources for the US Navy.

The Ion Tiger in flight and a 550 W fuel cell

The Ion Tiger in flight and a 550 W fuel cell (insert). Image courtesy of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

We talk with Dr. Gould about the research the NRL is conducting with fuel cells and the Ion Tiger unmanned air vehicle. We learn how fuel cells produce electricity, and the reasons fuel cells are attractive for unmanned aircraft. Dr. Gould also explains the application of additive manufacturing to fuel cells, future research projects, and the availability of the hydrogen used as the fuel.

Dr. Gould earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2007 and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in 2002.  His research interests include additive manufacture of fuel cells, fuel cell recovery processes, bipolar plate design, open cathode fuel cells, and hydrogen safety. He was awarded the prestigious 2013 Delores M. Etter Top Scientists & Engineers of the Year Award for his work on fuel cells.

References:

UAV News

This Airobotics ‘homing’ drone flies and lands without any need for a human

Tel Aviv-based Airobotics wanted to build a drone that required no human operator. One that could take off, fly pre-programmed flights for up to 30 minutes, and then land without human assistance. The company now says they have “developed a platform that is fully automated, industrial grade, on-demand and multi-purpose.” The Airobotics 1 video shows the automated landing box and a robotic arm for automatic payload and battery exchange.

USAF looks at UAS flightline maintenance

A quadcopter has been tested for the maintenance inspection of a C-17 cargo plane at Edwards Air Force Base. The US Air Force’s 412th Test Wing’s Emerging Technologies Combined Test Force (CTF) flew three sorties on the flight line with a 3D Robotics Solo quadcopter. Next, they’ll analyze the video to determine if the resolution is good enough to see small details like structural abnormalities, rivets, and cracks. See also, First use of sUAS to inspect plane lessens load for maintainers.

Canadian UAVs completes first BVLOS pipeline and powerline inspections in Canada

Canadian UAVs Inc. and Lockheed Martin CDL Systems are teaming for BVLOS inspections of pipelines, wellheads, and power lines. Using a Lockheed Martin Indago 2 quadrotor, they demonstrated the capability at the UAV testing facility in Foremost, Alberta.

Canadian UAVs Inc. is a UAV solutions provider. Lockheed Martin CDL Systems specializes in the development and licensing of vehicle control station software for unmanned systems.

British UAV “Boaty” Will Go On First Antarctic Mission

“Boaty McBoatface” is a British UAV, an underwater autonomous vehicle. Researchers plan to use it to collect data about the effects of global warming on the world’s oceans. Boaty is to depart from southern Chile and head towards the Southern Ocean. Follow @BoatyMcBoatface on Twitter.

UK company develops edible drones to feed hungry

Windhorse Aerospace Pouncer

Windhorse Aerospace Pouncer

Windhorse Aerospace is developing a prototype of the Pouncer delta-wing drone. This single-use drone is designed to carry food and supplies on humanitarian missions. Windhorse says it’s “pre-formed shell can be reused to provide shelter, the frame can be burnt safely to cook food, and the payload, which is food and water, provides life-saving nutrition.” Not only that, but the company says, “One day, the airframe may be made of edible components.”

Amazon patents drones with telescoping landing legs and foldable propellers

If a drone lands on a sloping surface, it could fall over. But an Amazon patent contemplates independently telescoping legs that would allow it to stay level. Such legs could also act as a shock absorber, and be tipped with spikes, screws, suction cups, or magnets to grip different surfaces. Another Amazon patent shows adjustable winglets on propeller tips for flight efficiency.

UAV Video of the Week

Someone shot down a $200 drone with a $3M Patriot missile

Gen. David G. Perkins, commander of the US Army Training and Doctrine Command, speaking at the 2017 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting & Exposition, stated that someone described as a very close U.S. ally “dealing with an adversary flying a small quadcopter,” fired a Patriot surface-to-air missile at the drone. It worked.

Video: AUSA 2017 – GEN David Perkins, Commanding General, U.S. TRADOC

 

 

UAV163 The Best Drone Podcasts

The top 14 drone podcasts, FAA’s Huerta delivers InterDrone keynote, using drones to discover ancient geoglyphs, and a college course where students build real UAS business plans.

ProDrone PD6B-AW-ARM

ProDrone PD6B-AW-ARM

News

Top Drone Podcasts

Skytango looked at the available drone podcasts and made a list of the top 14. These are, in order of the number of episodes released so far:

  1. Ask Drone U
  2. The UAV Digest
  3. sUAS News Podcast
  4. DroneVibes Podcast
  5. Drone Radio Show
  6. Drone Law Today Podcast
  7. Let’s Drone Out
  8. Quad Talk FPV Podcast
  9. FPV Podcast
  10. Drone News
  11. Commercial Drones FM
  12. Aerial Insights
  13. Somedrones Podcast
  14. DroneLife Podcast

Industry, Regulators Look Beyond Small UAS Rule

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta delivered the keynote at InterDrone, and provided some interesting statistics:

  • The FAA estimates that as many as 600,000 UAS could be used commercially in the next year.
  • More than 520,000 hobbyists have registered.
  • Section 333 exemptions, which used to take three months to process, are being approved at a rate of several dozen a day.
  • Several Part 107 waivers are being granted per day. The current waiver approval time is around 90 days, but the FAA is trying to shorten that.

Drones will uncover the history of humans in the Amazon

The University of Exeter has partnered with the National Institute for Space Research in Brazil to use drones to study the impact of humans on the Amazon rain forest. Fixed-wing drones from Brazilian RPA manufacturer XMobots are fitted with a high quality, survey-grade laser device. These then scan the landscape and create a 3-D map where the landscape has been changed. Those geoglyphs represent candidates for archaeological digs.

Attrition: Sergeants Who Are Not Allowed To Shoot Back

The U.S. Air Force has experienced a shortage of drone operators since 2001. The operators they do have (who must be officers for armed UAVs) are thus overworked, and many leave the service. They sometimes find work with civilian contractors performing the same job and earn as much as three times the pay they received in the Air Force. Cash bonus incentives were tried by the USAF, but that proved to be ineffective.

New UND class puts focus on the business of drones

The Entrepreneurship 395 course at the University of North Dakota focuses on unmanned technology applications. Student groups work to develop business concepts which they present as a feasible UAS business plan for their final project.

Videos of the Week

Awesome new ‘drone surfing’ could be the future of rich-kid sports

A video from drone company Freefly features their $18,000 Alta 8 industrial-grade octocopter that is powerful enough to pull you over the water.

Terrifying ‘2-armed’ drone designed for dangerous ops

The six-rotor PD6B-AW-ARM from Japanese company ProDrone has two claw-tipped articulating arms hanging underneath it, ready and willing to perform tasks too dangerous for humans. The UAV has a maximum payload of about 10kg (22lb) and a flight time of up to 30 minutes.

Dual Robot Arm Large-Format Drone PD6B-AW-ARM

 

 

UAV154 Cargo Drone Challenge Winners

Crowdsourcing designs for cargo drones, UAS for higher education, US Air Force training enlisted RPA operators, NASA detect and avoid tests, delivering vaccine by drone, a woman freed by a Phantom, and drones interfering with wildfires.

ZELATOR

The ZELATOR by Alexey Medvedev from Omsk, Russia

News

Airbus reveals cargo UAV challenge winners

The Airbus Cargo Drone Challenge was created by Local Motors and Airbus Group to crowdsource the design of a commercial-grade package delivery drone for medical supplies and other types of cargo. Local Motors reports in Airbus Cargo Drone Challenge winners announced that 425 submissions were received, and assessed on mission performance, weight and balance, and preliminary flight performance. Video: Winners Revealed in the Airbus Cargo Drone Challenge by Local Motors.

Early Days for Drone Use in Higher Education

Drones in the academic environment offer the opportunity to focus on design and development and also using them for academic instruction and research. The Higher Education UAS Modernization Act would let students and educators operate UAVs without FAA approval if certain conditions are met.

Air Force plans 100 enlisted drone pilots by 2020

The Air Force expects to graduate the first class of enlisted airmen in 2017 for remotely piloted aircraft, specifically unarmed RQ-4 Global Hawks used for high-altitude reconnaissance missions. The graduates would become the first Air Force enlisted pilots since World War II.

NASA Concludes UAS NAS Integration Flight Tests

NASA has completed a two-month series of flight tests at Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. NASA tested technologies for Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) algorithms developed by NASA, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., Honeywell, and other partners. The tests included more than 260 scripted encounters between the Ikhana UAS and manned “intruder” aircraft. The algorithms successfully alerted the pilot on the ground.

Drones to unleash vaccine-laced pellets in bid to save endangered ferrets

The endangered black-footed ferrets in Montana eat prairie dogs, and both are susceptible to the sylvatic plague transmitted by fleas. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service wants to help the animals by dispensing vaccine-laden pellets from drones.  Note:  The article originally reported that the drones would shoot vaccine-laced M&Ms.

Video shows man use drone to save person trapped in bathroom

A woman in a bathroom was unable to unlock the door from the inside. A DJI Phantom trailing a string was flown over the bathroom window and the woman then tied the door key to the string. With the key in hand, those outside could unlock the door and free the woman.

Authorities in Utah can now legally disable or destroy drones near wildfires

Lawmakers approved a bill that would allow firefighters or law enforcement to shoot down or disable drones interfering with efforts to contain wildfires. The bill also provides for a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $15,000 fine if a drone causes a firefighting aircraft to crash.

Video of the Week

Engineers Hack Pokemon Go by Using a Drone

Thanks to @ProfVanderhoof’s sister Marianne for bringing this to our attention.

 

 

 

 

UAV103 Matternet Tests Autonomous Package Delivery

Matternet ONEPackage delivery by autonomous drone, drone company management changes, making interfering with firefighters illegal, drone service on demand, North Dakota innovation hub, drone photography contest results, USAF addresses pilot shortage, and accidents increase in Netherlands.

News

Swiss Postal Service, Air Cargo Carrier Begin Drone Testing

Freight carrier Swiss WorldCargo announced on July 7 that testing had begun using the Matternet ONE drone for small package delivery. The quadcopter operates autonomously and can carry one kilogram up to 10 kilometers on a single battery charge. Matternet says the drone uses “secure routes that adapt to weather, terrain and airspace [and] allow Matternet ONE to fly autonomously beyond line of sight, without the need for a human pilot.” The cloud-based routing system … ”guides the Matternet ONE along a secure route at low altitude – between 50-100 meters above ground – adjusting for inclement weather, avoiding tall buildings, mountains and restricted airspace.”

Chinese Manufacturer DJI Hires Prominent ‘Drone Lawyer’

Brendan Schulman, who defended Pirker against the FAA, has left law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel where he was head of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems practice. Now Schulman is Vice President of Policy and Legal Affairs at drone maker DJI.

Other movements in the industry include:

  • Amazon hired former Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) counsel Ben Gielow in September as its senior manager of public policy.
  • Amazon appointed Sean Cassidy, a former Alaska Airlines pilot and first vice president of the Air Line Pilots Association, as director of partner relationships in March.
  • Last August, Google hired David Vos, a technology entrepreneur and former Rockwell Collins senior director, to lead its Project Wing effort to deliver packages.
  • In April, Francis “Chip” Sheller, the former Aerospace Industries Association vice president of communications and research, became vice president of communications and public affairs for Aurora Flight Sciences.
  • Former deputy director of the FAA’s flight standards service, John McGraw, acted as a consultant to video production companies applying for an FAA sUAS exemption.

After drone diverts fire-fighting planes, lawmakers want fines and jail time

California representative Paul Cook (R-Apple Valley) introduced H.R. 3025 to the House of Representatives, which would make it a criminal offense to interfere with firefighting efforts on federal land.

Fly4Me gets FAA approval, launches ‘Uber for drones’

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Fly4Me received a Section 333 exemption to “conduct community training workshops, research and development, and aerial inspections of buildings and land within the United States.” Now the company wants to establish a marketplace where customers book flights and pilots bid on projects. Customers are able to interact with the pilot during the flight and stream FPV. A beta version of the platform was released June 17, 2015.

Is the Silicon Valley of Drones in North Dakota?

Grand SkyNorth Dakota wants to be an innovation hub for drones. Grand Sky Development Park is set to open this summer at Grand Forks Air Force Base as a UAS Business and Aviation Park. The facility features 1.2 million square feet of hangar and office space, and a runway for drones. The state invested $5 million in infrastructure and $7.5 million more in grants for runway improvements.

The 2015 Drone Aerial Photography Contest

Dronestagram announced the winners of its second annual photo competition. The contest was judged by National Geographic and Dronestagram CEO and founder Eric Dupin. Nine photographs are depicted from the more than 5,000 entries submitted. Contest sponsors included National Geographic, Kodak, Parrot, Go Pro, Hexo+, Picanova, Hobbico, and Adobe.

AF rolls out details to improve RPA mission

The U.S Air Force has a plan to address the RPA pilot shortage that includes a Critical Skills Retention Bonus for RPA pilots, assignment of about 80 Undergraduate pilot training graduates to RPA squadrons beginning in August, and spending more than $100 million to buy six next-generation ground control stations, training simulators, and contract instructors.

UAS Accidents Rise in Netherlands

According to the Dutch Transport Ministry, inspectors received reports of 8 small unmanned aircraft accidents in 2012, 15 in 2013, and 27 in 2014. Most of the incidents were reported by manned aircraft and professional drone users and eleven of the 2014 incidents involved a crash landing close to people or buildings. New rules governing the use of drones come into effect later this year.

Video of the Week

Feeding Corn in Iowa

A Hagie machine applies liquid fertilizer to miles of corn with Y-Drops. Filmed with an DJI Inspire-1.

Mentioned

Our Real Red Selves

This book contains the work of three authors, including Harry Giles’ Drone, which explores modern warfare and office life. Harry tells us that there will be a performance of the poetry in August at the Edinburgh Festival this year at Summerhall.