Monthly Archives: September 2021

384 Airport UAS Threats

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A guidebook for airport UAS threats, watching your neighbors, AUVSI XCELLENCE awards, legal issues for the construction industry, drone projects that impact healthcare, the KARGO and Hammerhead cargo drones, a drone mystery, and the Boeing Loyal Wingman production site.

Airport UAS threats guidebook.
Airport Response to Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Threats

UAV News

Guidebook on Airport Response to UAS Threats, Developed by Woolpert, Published by National Safe Skies Alliance

The National Safe Skies Alliance published a 44-page guidebook titled, “Airport Response to Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Threats” [PDF]. Funded by the FAA, the guidebook is designed to help airport operators plan for threats, assess them, respond to them, and recover from threats from UAS operating in unauthorized airspace. Woolpert was contracted to develop the document which includes examples and case studies.

Ohio City Considering Anti-Drone Voyeurism Law

A Hamilton, Ohio resident said a man was using a drone to look in windows, fly over children playing in their yards, and chase a woman down a street. He took video footage, but the police couldn’t do anything because no law was being broken. So he approached the City Council and they proposed a new local ordinance that would prohibit the use of drones to commit voyeurism.

African Drone and Data Academy wins international humanitarian award

Press release: Winners announced in 2021 AUVSI XCELLENCE Humanitarian and Public Safety Award

The Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI) announced the winners of the XCELLENCE Humanitarian and Public Safety Awards. 

In the Humanitarian Project/Program category:

  • UNICEF African Drone & Data Academy (ADDA).
  • ALTI UAS flying in Misool, Indonesia.
  • MissionGO for the Longest UAS Human Organ Delivery Flight.

In the Public Safety Project/Program category:

  • Department of Homeland Security FEMA (Region IV)
  • Easy Aerial, for their Smart Air Force Aerial Monitoring System.
  • The International Emergency Drone Organization for the Best Drone Practices Report for Fire & Rescue services

Drones in the Construction Industry

Drones have many applications in the construction industry, but drone usage raises a number of legal concerns: privacy, safety, proper insurance coverage, and the duty to maintain video and still photo records. Also, there are civil and criminal penalties associated with using drones.

3 ways drones are impacting healthcare

  1. Transporting blood samples. Wingcopter has been transporting blood 26 kilometers in Germany.
  2. Delivering COVID-19 vaccines. Skye Air is trialing vaccine delivery within a 12 km range in India with temperature-controlled containers.
  3. Disease control. In the Philippines and Malaysia, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is using drones equipped with thermal cameras to follow macaques and monitor the transmission of malaria from animals to humans. 

Kaman announces new KARGO UAV

Kaman Corporation has launched the KARGO medium-lift expeditionary logistics UAV. The KARGO UAV self-deploys beyond 500 nautical miles, carries up to 800 pounds of payload, has built-in autonomy with sense and avoid, and can deliver payloads with pinpoint accuracy. It’s designed for easy transport and deployment. Each KARGO UAV fits in a standard cargo container and can transition from full-stow to flight-ready in minutes with only two personnel.

Video: KARGO UAV | Transforming Expeditionary Logistics

New Cargo Drone “Hammerhead eV20” was presented at UAV Expo Americas 2021

The Airlogix Hammerhead eV20 is an autonomous eVTOL delivery drone. Empty weight: 132 pounds / 60 kg, maximum take-off weight: 176 pounds / 80 kg, payload: 44 pounds/ 20 kg, range: 62 miles. It flies in either quadcopter mode or fixed-wing mode. Airlogix says this “eVTOL aircraft [is] for middle-mile commercial and humanitarian delivery of urgent or regular supplies.”

Video: Hammerhead eV20. An autonomous eVTOL aircraft for middle-mile commercial and humanitarian delivery.

Tucson police-evading super-drone ‘quadcopter-like’ with ‘propellers reflecting light’

Last February, a drone outmaneuvered and outran police aircraft over Tucson. Through a Freedom of Information Act request, Drive’s War Zone reporter Brett Tingley uncovered new information. Eye-witness accounts suggest that it was “quadcopter like” and had “propellers reflecting the city light.” It was estimated to be 3 to 5ft wide.

UAV Video of the Week

Drone shows lava swallowing La Palma swimming pool

Drone footage showed lava from Spain’s La Palma volcano swallowing a swimming pool and houses on its way to the coast on Monday.

Feedback

Listener Stephen pointed out that a production site in Australia has been selected for the Loyal Wingman.

Boeing selects Australian production site for ATS loyal wingman

The Airpower Teaming System (ATS) will be produced at the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport, in Queensland. The first flight of the ATS was last February. It was developed by Boeing Australia in partnership with the Royal Australian Air Force.

383 Heavy-Lift UAS

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A heavy-lift UAS from BAE Systems, NOAA collects data from drones, drones cover motorsports events, bad weather affects delivery drones, Drone Racing League scores a sponsorship deal, Leonardo and Northrop Grumman working together, smuggling contraband, Volocopter eyes the U.S., building better batteries, Drone Safety Awareness Week, and the attack of the magpie.

UAV News

BAE Systems to build T-650 cargo quadrocopter with 300kg capacity

BAE Systems and Malloy Aeronautics want to develop an all-electric heavy-lift UAS targeted to missions for military, security, and civilian customers. The T-650 Heavy-Lift Electric UAS concept vehicle would accommodate payloads of over 300 kg with a range of 30 km on one charge of its batteries. The aircraft could fly autonomously or by remote control at a top speed of 140 km/h.

T-650 Heavy-Lift Electric UAS
T-650 Heavy-Lift UAS, courtesy BAE Systems.

NOAA Data Storage Needs May Grow as Drones Become Smarter

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration captures data with tube-launched fixed-wing drones, vertical-launch hexacopters, and even NASA’s Global Hawk aircraft. For many applications, the data is collected on-board, onto an SD card. But the amount of data is increasing as a result of AI-directed data collection and higher resolution sensors. Capt. Phil Hall, director of the NOAA Uncrewed Systems Operations Center in the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations:

The amount of data and data services is just the absolute key to all these uncrewed systems, whether they are marine systems or aviation systems. “Data archiving, data analysis, cloud storage networking — all those areas are priorities for NOAA.

Capt. Phil Hall

Video: Drones Aid NOAA Scientists with Hurricane Tracking and Animal Monitoring

The Best Way To Watch Rallycross Is From A Drone

Video coverage of a recent World Rallycross event in France was partly provided by a drone. The drone closely followed the action, just above the racers.

Video: FPV Drone Vs Rallycross Racing

Drones Fly Into Weather Data Deserts. Can They Be Stopped?

University of Calgary researchers recently published a paper that examined the impact weather had on flying commercial drones. The authors looked at historical data – temperature, wind, rain. The conclusion: weather restricts the average hours a drone can fly during the day.

Drone Racing League lands $100 million deal with crypto platform Algorand

The sponsorship deal with Boston-based Algorand is worth $100 million over five years, according to those with knowledge of the agreement. Algorand gets title rights to the League. DRL starts its sixth season on Sept. 29, 2021.

Leonardo and Northrop Grumman join forces on future rotorcraft UAS opportunities

Leonardo and Northrop Grumman plan to collaborate on VTOL air vehicle design, system architectures, payload optimization, and integration within next-generation battlespace architectures.

Man Sentenced To 3.5+ Years In Prison In Scheme Using Drones To Smuggle Contraband Into Federal Prison at Fort Dix

A New Jersey man was sentenced for conspiring to use drones to smuggle cell phones,  tobacco, and other items into a federal correctional facility. The former inmate participated in multiple deliveries of contraband by drone.

Volocopter shares plan to bring eVTOL urban air mobility to US starting with Los Angeles

Volocopter announced a partnership with Urban Movement Labs (UML) to bring UAM solutions to the Los Angeles area. If successful, this would introduce Volocopter eVTOLs to the US market. Volocopter CCO Christian Bauer:

Our partnership with Urban Movement Labs is a great entryway into the US with our innovative UAM services. By leading the conversation about urban air mobility with broad stakeholders in Los Angeles, Volocopter can strategically identify and address how our services can benefit cities in the country. More importantly, we are also gaining real insights into living transportation ecosystems in the US to build the best complimentary service to other modes of transportation for our future passengers.

Christian Bauer

Volocopter plans to launch its UAM services in the next 2-3 years, pending certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Certification from the FAA would be necessary for Volocopter to bring its eVTOL services to the US.

Batteries of the future set to be cheaper and better — just by adding sugar

Lithium-Ion batteries are made from toxic chemicals that are increasingly difficult to obtain. On the other hand, Lithium-Sulfur batteries are made with cheaper, safer, and easier-to-obtain materials that can store two to five times more energy per kilogram than lithium-ion batteries. 

National Drone Safety Awareness Week: We’re All In

National Drone Safety Awareness Week was hosted by the FAA Safety Team (FAAST). Short daily videos were published during the week featuring important safety topics. This was a collaboration between DRONELIFE, P3Tech Consulting, and a volunteer FAAST member and co-founder of Influential Drones.

Find the videos in the article and on the DRONELIFE  TV YouTube channel.

UAV Video of the Week

FPV drone video films sudden, determined magpie attack

“Everything in Australia wants to kill you, even birds!”

382 Terrafugia Commaris UAV

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A flying car company offers the Commaris VTOL UAV for commercial operations, hazmat responders using drones, QF-16 target drones, endangered porpoises spotted from the air, the US Navy repels drones, AT&T COWs provide cell coverage, new drone rules in India.

Commaris Seeker UAV.
Commaris Seeker eVTOL.

UAV News

Terrafugia Inc. Launches New Brand and Commercial UAV

Terrafugia Inc. announced the launch of the new Commaris™ brand, along with the brand’s first product – the Seeker™. This electric, fixed-wing/VTOL aircraft is designed for autonomous commercial aerial applications. Commaris planned to debut the Seeker at the Commercial UAV Expo held in Las Vegas September 7-9, 2021. Terrafugia has been developing the Transition® Roadable Aircraft since 2006. The Seeker features a three-hour flight time, a top speed over 60 MPH, and a 15-foot wingspan. Multiple payload configurations are possible up to 10 pounds.

Rise of a Drone Program

According to the author, the drone is “One of the most significant advances in resources for hazmat response.” Drones allow safe monitoring on-scene, but equipment costs can be high. In response, multiple agencies can work together and private organizations can be a source of funds.

QF-16 drones provide live fire, joint training

A U.S. Air Force QF-16 drone is an F-16 assigned to the 82d Aerial Targets Squadron and used for training purposes. Up to four QF-16s can be remotely controlled by a single pilot and the QF-16’s can perform maneuvers that simulate an adversary fighter.

Endangered finless porpoises spotted off coast of Taean

The Korea National Park Service released footage of four endangered finless porpoises mating in the sea. The footage was shot using a “helikite” – an unmanned aerial camera drone-like device used to observe marine animals.

Navy Arming Surface Ships with Drone Repellent System

It’s called DRAKE (the Drone Restricted Access Using Known Electromagnetic Warfare system) which was originally built by Northrop Grumman and used on Humvees during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now it protects Navy vessels from curious eyes by jamming the drone’s signal.

AT&T COW drones restoring phone service cut by Ida’s extreme weather

AT&T’s COW drones (“Cell-On-Wings”) provide LTE coverage over a 40-mile range. They are tethered, hover at 300 feet, and can endure severe weather – winds up to 50 MPH, heavy rain, and hot and cold temperatures. These are effective at providing cell coverage to areas hit by natural disasters. The tethers have a fiber-optic cable for transmitting data to a solar-powered ground station and to provide power to the drone.

Video: When COWs Fly | Watch AT&T’s Cell on Wings (COW) in Action | AT&T

Nano drones may soon be allowed on domestic flights

Drone restrictions in India are relaxing but you still can’t take a drone with you on a domestic flight. This affects people taking vacations who want to bring a drone to capture videos. However, now a remote pilot license is not required for nano and micro drones used for non-commercial or personal use. Also, model aircraft and nano drones do not require a certificate. An airspace map for unmanned aircraft system operations is being planned by the government.

381 Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight

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First responder tactical beyond visual line of sight (TBVLOS) waivers, 100,000 Wing deliveries in Australia, using Starlink for military maritime intelligence drones, DJI Mavic 3 leaked, measuring the wind for UAM safety, a drone services company meets a UAV maintenance provider, and the history of drones in Southeast Asia

UAV News

Paladin publicly launches Knighthawk, a first response drone for cities

Paladin has unveiled its custom Knighthawk and Watchtower products for first responders. The startup has built autonomous systems for cities that can be deployed to 911 calls and provide instant situational awareness. The Knighthawk drone has a 10x zoom optical camera and a thermal camera to provide video feeds day and night. The Watchtower software is available as an app. Since 2018, the company has responded to about 1,600 emergencies in Texas and Ohio. 

Paladin has “First Responder Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight” (TBVLOS) [PDF] operating waivers from the FAA. These temporary BVLOS flights are flown to both reduce risk to first responders and to ensure the safety of the communities they serve. The waiver has a number of specific conditions and requirements.

Wing approaches 100,000 drone deliveries two years after Logan, Australia launch

In the first week of August alone, customers in Logan, Australia placed 4,500 orders – one every 30 seconds during Wing’s delivery window. The Wing drones delivered 10,000 cups of coffee, 1,700 children’s snack packs, 1,200 hot chooks (roasted chicken, in Australia), 2,700 sushi rolls, and 1,000 loaves of bread. Wing expects the service to expand into other markets in the coming months, including Australia, Finland, and the United States.

Drones and Starlink: Combining Satellite Constellations With Unmanned Navy Ships

The United States Navy faces an aging fleet of transport ships and personnel shortages. Autonomous maritime vessels could be a solution, as well as semi-autonomous drones that could act as a screening force for operations, provide an extended sensor net, and provide greater tactical awareness. The new SpaceX Starlink satellite constellation might provide easy and reliable connectivity for a globally operated network of maritime drones.

DJI Mavic 3 leaks with new cameras, a larger battery and longer flight times

A YouTuber leaked what is believed to be the next Mavic drone. It features improved obstacle detection utilizing new wide-angle lenses on the front and rear cameras, the main camera with a focal length equivalent to 24 mm, and an f/2.8 aperture, a second camera that supports up to 7x optical zoom, images stored on 1 TB of internal memory, and a larger battery providing up to 40 minutes of flight time.

NASA taps Kyoto startup to make maps of the wind for drones

NASA wants maps of the wind so drones and air taxis will be safer. Japanese startup MetroWeather Co. LiDAR sensors track atmospheric dust to measure wind direction and speed.  MetroWeather sensors will be used by US-based TruWeather Solutions Inc. at a NASA drone testing site to show how real-time wind information can help drones choose optimal routes that avoid wind shear and other dangers.

Carbonix Partners with Robotic Skies to Advance Global Field Support

Robotic Skies, Inc provides maintenance, inspection, and repair services for the commercial drone industry with over 230 Service Centers in 50 countries. Carbonix is an Australian company with data capture UAVs for long-range and large-area aerial surveillance. The two companies are partnering to provide an international field support program for customers who operate Carbonix UAVs.

Inside Vietnam’s Forgotten Drone War

Drones played an important role in the Vietnam War target spotting for bombers, jamming radars, and dropping propaganda leaflets. The new nonfiction book Drone War: Vietnam explores that history.

UAV Video of the Week

Watch: Alligator Eats Drone In Video Shared By Sundar Pichai

An inexperienced drone operator in Florida flew his drone too close to an alligator, with serious consequences.