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A smart drone mailbox could be a solution to delivery concerns, an FAA waiver for automated drones, Quantum networks with unmanned aircraft, precision infrastructure inspection, using a drone to contact rescuers, keeping a 3-rotor quadcopter from crashing, and air taxi trials coming to Paris.

UAV News

Smart Drone Mailbox Secures the Future of “Last Inch” Deliveries

A smart drone mailbox would address delivery issues such as porch pirates, excited pets, and inclement weather. They offer security, are accessible only to the recipient, and packages are shielded from the weather. Valqari and DRONEDEK are developers of smart drone mailboxes. Valqari CEO Ryan Walsh says, “The drone companies have been focused largely on all the innovative features of their drones, but if that innovation doesn’t create a safe, secure, and convenient experience for consumers, it will never be adopted.”

FAA Approves Automated Commercial Drones

FAA approves American Robotics to fly its automated drone-in-a-box

American Robotics Inc. becomes the first company to get FAA approval for fully automated commercial flights. The Scout drones are housed in weather-proof base stations with autonomous charging and data transmission from aerial surveys. They fly along planned routes, limited to altitudes below 400 feet (122 meters) in rural areas, and have a maximum takeoff weight of 20 pounds (9 kilograms). The FAA Waiver is valid until January 31, 2023.

Using Drones to Create Local Quantum Networks

Researchers published a paper saying they have used drones to create a quantum network. Researchers put lasers on drones and the resulting photons were split into entangled pairs. One photon went to a ground station while the other went to another drone, was relayed to an additional drone, then sent to another ground station.

American Drone Company, Skyfish, Launches Advanced Autonomous Drone Technology Stack Designed for Precision Commercial Applications

Skyfish is an American drone company based in Montana with a Sony partnership. Their focus is on infrastructure inspection and measurement with survey-grade accuracy. The Skyfish M4 and the Skyfish M6 support a variety of payloads,  including Lidar, methane detection, thermal, electro-optical, and custom payloads. The M4 is designed for photogrammetry and high-fidelity 3D reality models. The M6 drone is designed for heavier payloads and “environment-aware robotic interactions.” As DJI faces political hurdles, companies like Skyfish are trying to establish a toehold.

A Drone Saves The Day In An Unusual Way

Some stranded adventurers in Australia needed to get help. They had a mobile phone, no service, and a drone. So they typed a help message on the phone, attached it to the drone, and sent the drone up to where it had enough signal to send the message and summon help.

How to keep drones flying when a motor fails

Most quadcopters crash if one motor fails: the drone starts to spin and without very accurate position information, the controller cannot determine location. A GPS reference position can help, but GPS might not be available. Researchers at the University of Zurich and the Delft University of Technology say that a drone can be stabilized using onboard cameras.

Paris to launch ‘air taxi’ trials in June 2021

The series of trials are planned for a test area at an airfield about 16 miles north of Paris. Participating are the Choose Paris Region business group, airport operator Groupe ADP and Parisien rail operator RATP Group. The Paris Urban Air Mobility industry branch will investigate issues around parking, takeoff, and landing operations. All trials are being conducted in partnership with the French civil aviation authority and with the support of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Eurocontrol.

Events

Commercial UAV Expo Americas, September 7-9, Las Vegas

This event defines and showcases the global commercial UAV industry, with a special focus on solutions in the Americas region and a glimpse into the world of urban air mobility.  It showed consistent growth for 5 straight years, with 3,100+ live attendees in 2019 – up 32% – and a record 200 exhibiting companies.  It moves to a much larger space right on the Las Vegas Strip for 2021 and adds a collocated Urban Air Mobility Summit produced by RAI Amsterdam. Strictly commercial Expo by choice, it draws the power buyers and global influencers and sets the pace for the industry, with innovative formats, cutting-edge content, and unmatched excitement on the expo floor. It is a must-attend event and will convene delegates and exhibitors from 6 continents.

Commercial UAV Expo Europe, December 7-9 Amsterdam

After powering forward with nearly 80% growth in its third year (1,150+ attendees from 65 nations) in 2019, the LIVE show returns to Amsterdam and co-locates with Amsterdam Drone Week for 2021.  This leading pan-European conference and expo [is] focused on commercial drones will convene top UAV experts and buyers from all key vertical markets, from across the globe.  The 1,500+ attendees and 100+ exhibitors will be part of Amsterdam Drone Week’s total audience of 4,000+ including delegates to the EASA high-level European summit.