Monthly Archives: March 2019

281 Fixed-Wing Drone Swarm

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FAA approves a fixed-wing drone swarm, firefighting drones under development, young girls trained to fly drones, costs of Gatwick incursions, mimicking a bat, and drones blamed for airliner problems.

UAV News

OSU receives first FAA authorization to fly unmanned aircraft in groups

Oklahoma State University received FAA approval to fly drone swarms in the national airspace. Up to twenty drones can be operated by one pilot with visual observers. The Unmanned Systems Research Institute at OSU has been conducting research on this for four years using fixed-wing aircraft.

UAE aims to develop next generation of drones to fight fires and cope with fog

Researchers at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi want to make drones lighter, stronger and weather-resistant. Motivated by some fatal fires in high-rise buildings in London and the UAE, they have created a “sandwich” structure with a central layer of low density, 3D-printed material (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene/carbon or “ABS”) that is inexpensive, easily printed, and lightweight. Outside layers of the sandwich are a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP).

Future Female Pilots Train with Drones and the Royal Flying Doctor Service

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is helping school girls become drone pilots, with the help of She Maps, an Australian STEM specialist that organizes drone workshops.

Gatwick Airport Christmas chaos totals £459,000 in police costs

The price for last December’s drone activity at Gatwick Airport cost Sussex Police £419,000.
It cost the Surrey Police £40,000. More than 100 drone sightings were reported over three days and over 140,000 passengers experienced flights disruptions, but the drone (or drones) were never found.

Video Shows a Drone With Talons That Hangs Upside Down Like a Bat

Often science (or engineering) imitates nature. If bats can easily land almost anywhere, why can’t drones? A researcher at Yale University has added three long gripper fingers to a quadcopter that can “perch” and “rest” on ledges, poles, and scaffoldings.

FAA Turned Over More Safety Work to Boeing Under Pressure to Regulate Drones

Writing in The Daily Beast, Clive Irving says the FAA is delegating aircraft certification work to manufacturers because the agency is “trying to keep up with the rapidly growing drone industry.”

Mentioned

Airplane Geeks 545, Boeing 737 MAX, Someone’s Got Some ‘Splaining to Do.
PaxEx Podcast 65, Max Flight and Mary Kirby on why no-MAX flight.

280 Flying UAS Over People

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The FAA proposal for flying small UAS over people, a terrain-following fixed-wing UAS with active navigation, using drones and citizen science for animal conservation, a greater surveillance role for FAA Flight Standards District Offices, and an autonomous grocery delivery service.

UAV News

Small UAS Over People: A New Safety Paradigm

The FAA published a notice that would allow flying UAS over people without a waiver. Small category 1 and category 2 UAS would require fewer safety precautions than heavier category 3 drones.

Black Swift Technologies Developing Active UAS Navigation

Black Swift Technologies (BST) has been developing a terrain-following fixed-wing UAS. The Black Swift S2™ uses autonomous, active navigation around obstacles and over rugged terrain. Machine vision technologies and advanced sensors (including lidar and radar) make this possible.

‪How drones and AI are protecting endangered wildlife

Conservationists are using drones, citizen science, and artificial intelligence to replace manual methods for finding and counting animals. Volunteer citizen scientists label images from the drones which then train an AI engine. Zooniverse offers “people-powered research” where volunteers assist professional researchers.

FAA UAS Symposium Slated for June 3-5 in Baltimore

Presented by the FAA and AUVSI, the FAA UAS Symposium will be held June 3-5, 2019 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Stakeholders will gather to help define the rules and concepts that will govern the future of drone operations. See the symposium program for the extensive list of the topics to be covered.

UAS: The FAA Tightens the Screws

The FAA issued a new National Policy requiring local FAA Flight Standards District Offices (FSDOs) to immediately update their 2019 National Work Program Guidelines to include new Required Surveillance Work Activities for UAS operations. Details in FAA Notice N 8900.504, Expanded Unmanned Aircraft Systems Oversight [PDF].

‪Kroger and Nuro launching their autonomous grocery delivery service in Houston

In 2018, large supermarket chain Kroger and California-based robotics company Nuro piloted a self-driving grocery delivery service in Scottsdale, Arizona. Now they are expanding the service into Houston.

UAV Video of the Week

Stunning drone footage of a humpback whale breach in Hawaii – A Hawaii resident captured this stunning drone footage of a humpback whale breach off the North Shore of Oahu.

279 Drones for Disaster Relief, Search and Rescue

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Pentagon interest in cargo drones for disaster relief, thermal imaging for search and rescue, BVLOS UAS for medical deliveries, drones that act like sheepdogs, drone laws in Japan, “drone parenting,” and a UAS remote ID whitepaper.

UAV News

The Pentagon wants to know if a swarm of drones can swoop in to help with hurricane relief

In January 2019, the Defense Logistics Agency solicited a Request for Information (RFI) for Utilization of UAS for Disaster Relief. The RFI was only open for a few weeks with a purpose “…to conduct market research seeking to identify vendors who would be interested in offering on a forthcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) to utilize Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) to provide disaster relief support on the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States.”

Drones Helps Rescuers Search for Alabama Tornado Victims

Thermal imaging drones were used to locate victims in the rubble after Alabama’s devastating tornados. The drones are cheaper to operate than helicopters, they require less training, and they can get into tight spaces.

Flirtey, City of Reno Get FAA Approval for Drone Delivery Beyond Visual Line of Sight

The FAA has given Flirtey and the city of Reno approval to fly BVLOS to deliver Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA) chief operating officer J.W. Hodge said, “When our emergency medical dispatchers determine it’s a cardiac event, our system will automatically integrate with Flirtey’s system and launch a drone. That drone will then fly without having to deal with the impediment of streets.”

Barking drones used on farms instead of sheep dogs

Christchurch-based DJI Ferntech says farmers are embracing drone technology. Shepherd Corey Lambeth us using his drone to more efficiently to move stock and check water and feed levels. The DJI Mavic Enterprise can playback sounds over a speaker, like a dog’s bark.

Video: Barking drones used on farms instead of sheep dogs

Japan plans drone ban over U.S. military and SDF facilities, but media fear restrictions on reporting

A bill in Japan would prohibit flying drones within a 300-meter radius of U.S. military bases and Self-Defense Forces’ facilities. This is to prevent terrorist attacks using drones. It would also ban drones from flying over the Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Drones controlled by the media providing coverage would be exempt from that ban. News organizations are protesting the bill as they believe it could disrupt newsgathering.

Pros and cons of ‘drone parenting’

According to an expert on millennials and the so-called Generation Z, 83 percent of new mothers are millennials with a “high-tech and hyper-connected upbringing.” They are not “helicopter parents,” they tend to be “drone parents” who use technology to track and nurture their children.

Mentioned

A 16-page whitepaper from Kittyhawk: Remote ID & Commercial Drones

278 Animal Identification with Drones

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Drones that locate wildlife and select sick livestock, the FAA looks to Kittyhawk to redesign the B4UFLY app, an expanded role for LANNC, principles for autonomous vehicles in the city, a tourist is jailed for misusing a drone, and speculation about stealthy drones.

UAV News

Koala-spotting drones proves a flying success

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) published a study in the nature journal Scientific Reports describing drones that use infrared imaging to locate koala’s, even under the eucalyptus trees. An algorithm differentiates the koalas from other animals and the system is more efficient and less invasive than traditional techniques.

Kittyhawk to redesign FAA app for drone pilots

In February 2019, the FAA entered into a partnership with Kittyhawk to redesign the B4UFly app. The FAA says Kittyhawk will redevelop B4UFLY “to improve the user experience so that recreational drone operators know where they can and cannot fly.” The current B4UFLY App will continue to be available to the public until the new App is deployed. Last fall, Kittyhawk joined the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) program. Kittyhawk investors include Boeing’s HorizonX Ventures and insurance company Travelers.

Hobbyist drone pilots will soon be required to use LAANC to fly in controlled airspace

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 establishes new conditions for recreational use of drones and repealed the Special Rule for Model Aircraft. On October 12, 2018, the FAA published a news item saying they were “evaluating the impacts” of the rule change. (FAA Reauthorization Bill Establishes New Conditions for Recreational Use of Drones.) Previously, hobbyists flying in controlled airspace had to notify the ATC tower. The new language says, “In Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport, the operator obtains prior authorization from the Administrator or designee before operating and complies with all airspace restrictions and prohibitions.”

Pittsburgh Mayor announces ‘Pittsburgh Principles’ for autonomous vehicles

Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto issued an executive order known as the “Pittsburgh Principles.” The order outlines city objectives and expectations for the safe testing of autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It also assigns responsibilities for the development of transparent and constructive reporting guidelines. The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) becomes the principal point of contact.

Myanmar Court Sentences Frenchman to Jail for Flying Drone

A French tourist was convicted under the Illegal Export-Import Act for flying a drone close to the parliament complex, and for bringing the drone into the country. Under the Illegal Export-Import Act, he could have been sentenced to a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment. The court sentenced him to one month in prison with hard labor minus time served, so he may be released after a week.

‪Drones Expected to Reduce Antibiotics in Livestock

The Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center is looking at drones to help identify sick or injured livestock. They are studying the use of thermal imaging sensors to look for hot spots on the animals. Instead of injecting the whole herd with antibiotics, only livestock that need an injection can receive the antibiotic.

Pocket Force Of Stealthy Avenger Drones May Have Made Returning F-117s To Service Unnecessary

There have been recent rumors that some F-117A Nighthawk stealth combat jets have been used for operations in the Middle East. The Drive says, “there is a strong possibility that the United States did deploy another aircraft, a variant of the General Atomics Avenger drone, carrying the base designation Q-11, to meet a similar requirement for a stealthy, but armed platform that could strike high value and mobile targets in contested areas.”

277 NUAIR Alliance and UAS Integration into the NAS

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The NUAIR Alliance and UAS stakeholders establish a plan to support integration into the NAS, North Dakota kills a drone privacy bill while the University of North Dakota supports drone tech for bee populations, 50 applications for LiDAR-equipped drones, drone complaints in the UK, a new FAA drone marking rule, a drone shoot-down in Australia, a UAV helped a SWAT team, an agricultural drone fleet, and Boeing’s new UAS from Australia.

UAV News

Drone Stakeholders Come Together to Plot Next Steps for UAS Integration

A two-day conference in Syracuse, New York was held with the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR) Alliance and more than 40 UAS stakeholders from 20 companies. Objectives to move the UAS industry forward were established, including tests to help integrate UAS into the national airspace system, BVLOS use-case scenarios, and the part to be played by the UAS test site at Griffiss International Airport.

House kills drone privacy bill in second vote, citing harm to UAS sector, language

North Dakota House Bill 1493 would have made it a Class B misdemeanor to intentionally violate another person’s privacy using unmanned aerial systems. Reasons given for voting against the bill included its impact on the UAS industry in the state, that it singled out drones, unclear language and lack of intent language in the bill.

Australian company specializing in bees taps into UND drone expertise

Australian company Bee Innovative says they “provide real-time bee identification, tracking and reporting services.” They provide early biosecurity hazard detection and significantly increase honey bee productivity. The company is working with the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks to enhance its current “BeeDar” drone technology.

50 Ways to Love Your LiDAR: How LiDAR is Used in Commercial Drone Applications

LiDAR, or Light Detection And Ranging, uses a pulsed laser to capture data that can be utilized to construct highly detailed 3D maps. This article relates many applications for LiDAR-equipped drones.

Police say drones being used to vandalise homes and stalk victims, as reports of incidents surge

Across 20 of the 45 UK police forces, there had been more than 2,400 reports of incidents involving drones last year. In 2016, there were 1,700 reports. These include cases of anti-social behavior, stalking and harassment, hate crimes, and dropping paintballs. The Home Office recently unveiled new drone legislation.

FAA imposed this big change Saturday for drone pilots

The FAA posted an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register requiring small drone owners to display their FAA-issued registration number on an outside surface of the aircraft. Previously, owners and operators could place or write registration numbers in an interior compartment. See FAA Makes Major Drone ID Marking Change.

The FAA will consider comments from the public on this Interim Final Rule, and will then review any submissions to determine if the provisions of the ultimate Final Rule should be changed. The 30-day comment period will end on March 15, 2019. To submit comments, go to Regulations.gov.

Commercial drone shot down, police launch investigation

Australian electricity and gas network Evoenergy was using a drone for surveying work when it was reportedly shot down. Local landholders had experienced an increasing number of drones in the area in recent years, and farmers were concerned that drones were being used by criminals and animal activists.

This drone helped a SWAT team defuse an armed standoff

A SWAT team in Campbell, California used a 90-minute version of the Impossible Aerospace US-1 quadcopter to help end a standoff. The drone flew over the building for 45 minutes, monitoring the scene with thermal sensors and conventional cameras.

Over 400 DJI drones in world’s largest agricultural drone fleet

The Corteva Agriscience™ Agriculture Division of DowDuPont has partnered with DroneDeploy on a fleet that will be used for operations in the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Brazil.

Boeing introduces new unmanned system for global defense customers

The Airpower Teaming System is designed by Boeing Australia for global defense customers. This unmanned aircraft will complement and extend airborne missions through smart teaming with existing military aircraft. It’s Boeing’s first unmanned aircraft developed in Australia.