Tag Archives: 5G

379 T-Mobile 5G Drone

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T-Mobile’s low latency 5G drone, high-speed UAVs that crash less often, a solar-powered UAV, first responder drone of choice, patrolling the beach with drones, and marketing real estate with drone videos.

UAV News 

T-Mobile’s 5G off to the drone races

T-Mobile is partnering with the Drone Racing League (DRL) on a 5G drone with HD video. T-Mobile claims the drone is one of the world’s first racing drones to be equipped with an embedded 5G module that can live stream video straight to the internet. The module is made by Quectel.

Video from the Drone Racing League: Making of the Magenta 5G Drone

System trains drones to fly around obstacles at high speeds

Fast drones tend to crash because drone aerodynamics are difficult to predict at high speeds. Now MIT aerospace engineers are developing an algorithm that helps drones find the fastest route around obstacles without crashing. Drones trained with the new algorithm were found to fly through an obstacle course up to 20 percent faster than a drone trained on conventional planning algorithms. The results are published in the International Journal of Robotics Research as Multi-fidelity black-box optimization for time-optimal quadrotor maneuvers.

US Navy spends millions to develop a solar-powered UAV

The US Navy has awarded a $5 million contract to US-Spanish aerospace company Skydweller Aero to construct a solar energy-powered long-endurance UAV that could stay aloft for between 30 and 90 days. The aircraft flew in December 2020.

Video: Skydweller Aero Autonomous Software Flight Test – April 2021

As with consumer pilots, DJI drones dominate emergency responder fleets

A survey by the Airborne International Response Team (AIRT) and its Droneresponders affiliate found that DJI drones make up over 90% of the fleets flown by US first responder organizations. That compares with DJI’s 70-80% share of the commercial drone market. The AIRT + DRONERESPONDERS 2021 Public Safety UAS Survey was conducted in July 2021. Autel Robotics drones were the second most popular make, followed by Skydio, Parrot, and FLIR.

Brunswick County beaches have no lifeguards. Is technology the answer?

In March 2021, the Oak Island (North Carolina) Administrative department created the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Services division. The division provides aerial photography and video for Town departments. Current services provided include infrastructure inspections, project monitoring, pre and post-storm inspection, marketing materials, sand dune regulation enforcement, and beach safety observation.

Realtors shift to mini-drones to showcase properties to homebuyers in increasingly hot housing market

With contactless selling growing in importance during the COVID pandemic, companies that provide video services with drones are being created. Cain Costin and his wife Sarah formed Virtual Drone Tours that produce exterior and interior videos of properties using FPV drones. The videos on the Cain Costin YouTube channel show what’s possible.

Mentioned

The Volocopter at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
The Volocopter at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by Max Flight.

325 Drawing with Drones

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:48 — 21.9MB)

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Photographs drawn with a drone, a General Atomics SkyGuardian demonstration flight, an electric flying car racing series, a proposal for a drone emoji, 5G drones and networks, using drones while on quarantine, and autonomous resupply for the military.

UAV News

Drawing With Drones Over the Salt Flats of Bolivia

Professional photographer Reubin Wu is using LED-equipped drones to make amazing photographs at the salt flats in Bolivia. For some images, Wu uses light from the drone to illuminate the subject. For others, he “draws” shapes in a time exposure. He calls them aeroglyphs.

GA-ASI Flies SkyGuardian in So Cal NAS as Part of NASA Demonstration

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) flew its SkyGuardian remotely piloted aircraft as part of a joint flight demonstration with NASA. GA-ASI and NASA have worked together since 2014 to demonstrate the safety of flying large UAS in the National Airspace System. This is under NASA’s Systems Integration and Operationalization (SIO) activity.

General Atomics SkyGuardian
SkyGuardian, courtesy General Atomics.

It’s Happening: Airspeeder Flying Car Company Gets Cash Infusion

Airspeeder calls itself the world’s first electric flying car racing series. Under the proposed series, each team would get an Airspeeder chassis or two, engines, and spares. Teams would be free to develop speeder parts to gain a competitive advantage. The hope is that the series will advance the technology and the regulatory standards needed to make flying cars viable commercially.

Where Is The Drone Emoji?

DroneUp submitted a proposal to the Unicode Consortium for a drone emoji. Consider signing the petition: Add a Drone Emoji to the Unicode Consortium.

Early 5G drones face slow upload speeds and frequent 4G handovers

Austrian researchers say early 5G drones and networks might not be ready. They can’t maintain consistent 5G connections, which limits their data transfer rates. Max says, “Don’t hold your breath.”

23 Ways People Stay Connected Using Drones While in Quarantine

Drones are being used to cope with pandemic quarantines, and to counter the virus. Here’s a list.

FAA investigating mystery drone telling New Yorkers to socially distance

The FAA is investigating whether a drone filmed telling New Yorkers to socially distance was violating aviation regulations. Using a loudspeaker, the drone proclaims, “This is the Anti-COVID-19 volunteer drone task force. Please maintain a social distance of at least six feet. Again, please maintain social distancing.”

Autonomous Resupply for Military is Flying Into Reality [PDF]

Near Earth Autonomy has developed unmanned aerial contingency management systems as part of a Joint Capabilities Technology (JCTD) Unmanned Logistics Systems Aerial (ULS-A) Demonstration. Near Earth’s technology offers obstacle avoidance for safe flight and landing enabling reliable cargo delivery in dynamic environments. 

Mentioned

Chris Anderson, The Drone Trainer, is offering free drone courses during April 2020 to help battle quarantine boredom. There is a real estate drone course and a drone mapping course that are regularly $199 each, but free this month. Learn more at thedronetrainer.com/covid.