Tag Archives: Draganfly

412 Nano Drones

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Nano drones in Ukraine, cloud seeding with drones in China, bots that clean beaches and waterways, a STEM program for young girls, new technologies from Draganfly, and patrolling the airport perimeter.

UAV News

What Are Black Hornets? The Cutting-Edge Micro-Drones Donated to Ukraine

The British Prime Minister announced that 850 Black Hornet nano drones would be given to Ukraine under a joint U.K.-Norway program. The Black Hornet was designed by Prox Dynamics in Norway and became part of Teledyne FLIR. The nano drone is about the size of a tennis ball, has three high-definition cameras, a maximum range of about 1.2 miles, flight time up to 25 minutes, and an 11 MPH top speed. They are designed to be quiet to avoid detection.

Black Hornet nano drone
Black Hornet nano drone

Drones and rockets bring rainfall to China during record-breaking heatwave and severe drought

China has been experiencing record-breaking heat and drought. In response, the country has been cloud seeding with drones and rockets. Eight cloud-seeding flights were planned over the Guizhou province in southwest China. Drones over the Sichuan province brought rainfall to more than 600 sq/km of land. A drone was recently sent to Henan province to bring artificial precipitation to that area. The photograph in the article appears to be the Wing Loong 2 military drone.

Wing Loong 2
Wing Loong 2

Watch drones pick up litter on Michigan beaches and waterways

It’s estimated that millions of pounds of plastics go into the Great Lakes every year. Now two “litter bots” are tackling the problem. The Searial Cleaners “PixieDrone” and “BeBot” remove litter in the water and in the sand, such as bottle caps, cigarette butts, straws, cups, and bottles.

High School Girls Use Drones to Uncover the Black, Indigenous Legacy of San Diego County’s Founding

A group of women of color who call themselves Hers-torians are working to empower ethnic minority girls aged 14-17 in STEM. The girls will get their drone licenses and map some historic sites in the San Diego area with LiDAR-equipped drones. The one-year Our Genetic Legacy program is free for the girls, but they get paid for it as a workforce development project. The organization was formed to address the lack of recognition and the disenfranchisement of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in American history.

Draganfly’s New Products Bring Added Value to Drone Operations

This article describes three technologies that Draganfly has added this year:

The Heavy Lift Drone can carry up to 67 pounds of payload with a 55-minute flight duration. It can fly automated or manual missions and has been used in Ukraine to deliver medical supplies and humanitarian aid.

The Commander 3 XL Drone is a high-endurance, weather-resistant, multirotor UAV designed for easy assembly and rapid deployment. It was modeled after Draganfly’s X4-ES drone. The drone packs down into a transportable case with quick-release arms and propellers. It carries up to 26 pounds of payload for a maximum flight duration is 50 minutes.

Applications for the Long Range LiDAR System include mapping and surveying forests, cities, real estate, energy infrastructure, and telecommunications infrastructure. It has been used in Ukraine by de-mining teams.

A few weeks ago, Draganfly announced its 2022 Q2 results. Q2 revenue was $2,370,115, an increase of 19.6% year-over-year. Gross profit was up 39.1% to $284,996. Gross margins are around 40%

Unorthodox: A São Paulo Airport Is Using Drones To Patrol Its Surroundings

The São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) is using drones to monitor and protect the perimeter. This is part of the airport’s Security Work Plan to identify threats such as fire outbreaks, animal incursions, and trespassing, as well as some maintenance tasks, like runway inspection and logistics and traffic guidance. The airport is using two UAVs from Dahua Technology with thermal and optical cameras. Dahua Technology is a security company that provides video-centric IoT solutions and services.

363 DJI FPV Drone

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DJI’s new FPV drone, Super Bowl drone incursions, Major League Baseball drone incursions, drones at the Daytona 500, and UAS given to law enforcement.

UAV News

DJI’s breakthrough controller, other new FPV details emerge

There’s a new DJI FPV drone on the way. Based on DroneDJ sources, the drone will have some kind of joystick-style controller. Maybe included, maybe an accessory. The controller could provide intuitive control for pitch, roll, yaw, and thrust. The DJI FPV drone with a joystick controller should be easier to learn than standard FPV control with sticks.

Related:

Breaking: DJI FPV drone accidentally put up for pre-order on Amazon UK

DJI’s unannounced FPV drone is already the star of a complete unboxing video

Video: Unboxing the Unreleased DJI FPV Drone Combo

https://youtu.be/VOKTcMWom18

Florida Man Flies Drone Near Tampa Super Bowl Activities, Faces 1 Year In Prison

A 33-year old man has been charged with violating national defense airspace. FBI agents caught him flying near the Barrymore Hotel Tampa Riverwalk, inside the Super Bowl LV TFR. It seems he operated the drone BVLOS and he also flew his drone over people and moving vehicles. The man said he is an FAA-licensed remote pilot UAS operator and that he was aware of the TFR.

Second Florida Man Charged With Flying Drone Near Pre-Super Bowl Events

Another 33-year old man who busted the TFR also told agents that he is an FAA-licensed drone pilot and he was aware of the temporary flight restriction.

Sheriff’s office warns of more than 70 Super Bowl LV drone intrusions

Florida’s Hillsborough County sheriff said there been more than 70 drone intrusions from people wanting to capture an aerial view of the Super Bowl. 

As Drones Take Off, MLB Has to Play Defense

Five Major League Baseball games were interrupted by rogue drones in 2020. Mike McCormick, legal counsel for the Stadium Managers Association said, “It’s become a significant factor in the whole security conversation with stadiums.” Demand is growing for drone detection systems.

Daytona 500: Fox Sports Extends Use of ‘Megalodon,’ Improves Drones for NASCAR Season

Fox Sports has been using drones for event coverage. Their FPV racing drone is capable of 85 mph, carries a Dream Chip camera, and is operated by production company Beverly Hills Aerials. A heavy-lift drone is equipped with a Sony HDC-P50 4K camera.

DJI and Draganfly Tried to Use the Pandemic to Get Law Enforcement to Use More Drones

Unknown to the Trader Joe’s in Westport, Connecticut, a police department captain used a drone to observe shoppers as they were lined up outside the store. The officer was observing social distancing, and looking for high temperature and increased heart rate. The shoppers were not told this was going to happen.

A week later, the “Flatten the Curve Pilot Program” was unveiled in collaboration with Draganfly, the Canadian drone company. The program was due to last through the summer but public outcry changed that plan and the program was canceled less than 48 hours later.

The Documenting COVID-19 project at Columbia University’s Brown Institute for Media Innovation reports that police departments in multiple states were given or loaned surveillance technology from Draganfly and DJI. The drones were fitted with thermal cameras and intercoms to disperse crowds and broadcast coronavirus information. In some cases, the drones were equipped with health vitals monitors

UAV Video of the Week: 

Drone footage captures eagle rays near Woodgate

Justin Woodgate and his father were visiting Woodgate in Australia. When they stopped for a break, they saw fins breaking the surface.

Video: Marine Life in the Bundaberg/Woodgate Beach Region

327 COVID-19 Inspired Drones

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Checking up on the public with a “pandemic drone,” a COVID-19 inspired BVLOS exemption, duck watching with drones, an unmanned BVLOS helicopter for humanitarian relief, how pre-historic flying reptiles could lead to better drones, and will fuel cells power eVTOL aircraft?

UAV News

Connecticut town tests ‘pandemic drone’ to find fevers. Experts question if it would work.

The Westport Connecticut Police Department plans to test a drone that can tell is someone has a fever or is coughing. First Selectman Jim Marpe says they want to “explore ways to prevent a possible resurgence of the virus.” The police department said that the Draganfly drone could help to “provide better health monitoring support for potential at-risk groups.”

US regulator grants exemption for drone flight during lockdown

An unnamed Houston, Texas oil and gas company has been given a waiver to fly BVLOS for critical infrastructure inspection missions. The company has a manpower shortage because of the pandemic and the waiver is good until June 30 or “the expiration of the federal, state, or local Covid-19 recommendations or requirements.”

Of ducks and drones: Researchers gear up for inaugural field season using UAVs to monitor ducks and nesting behavior

UND graduate students and their advisor plan to go duck watching. They want to monitor nearly 60 duck nests using fixed-wing and quadcopter UAVs with high-tech cameras. Flights were conducted last summer with fixed-wing and quadcopter drones to see how the ducks reacted.

UAVOS Completes Tests For UAV Delivery Service Humanitarian Relief

UAVOS Inc. has successfully tested its cargo delivery UVH-170 unmanned helicopter designed for highly automated delivery flights from a vendor to a destination and back. The flights follow pre-selected routes. The trial flight took 1.7 hours, over 62 miles carrying a 17½  pound package.

https://youtu.be/VhXQzr7yrXU

Wing structure of prehistoric flying reptiles that lived more than 200 million years ago could hold the key to developing a new generation of super drones

Two hundred million years ago, giant flying reptiles ruled the skies. At 650 pounds with a 35-foot wingspan, they were the largest animals ever to fly. Like a bat, they used a membrane to fly instead of feathers. They also had internal structures called actinofibrils for extra strength and structural support. A University of Bristol team thinks we could learn lessons from the pterosaurs that might help large UAVs launch and remain stable in flight.

Will Hydrogen Fuel Cells Play a Role in the VTOL Revolution?

Most companies developing eVTOLs have settled on all-electric aircraft using lithium-ion batteries. But are hydrogen fuel cells a better choice? HyPoint in Menlo Park, California demonstrated an air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell powertrain that produces 1000 watts per kilogram of specific power with an energy density of 530 watt-hours per kg. The next HyPoint product is to provide a specific power of 2,000 W/kg and 960 Wh/kg energy density. Fuel cells look good for longer-range aircraft, but may not be as suitable for short-range from a weight factor standpoint.

UAV162 A Call for Harmonized EU Drone Rules

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Manned aviation associations want drone safety rules across the EU, Israeli Air Force changes UAV training system strategy, a Lockheed Martin and the Warsaw University partnership, observations from the Commercial UAV Show Asia, Mercedes and Matternet partner on package delivery, and Huerta delivers InterDrone keynote.

Organizations calling for harmonized EU rules for drones

News

EU aviation groups want all drones to be registered

Ten manned aviation associations issued a Joint call to safely integrate Drones / UAS into Europe’s Airspace [PDF]. They believe the safety risks associated recreational drones are underestimated and they want harmonized rules across the EU. The groups are calling for:

  1. Extensive public awareness campaign
  2. Registration of all drones (Ireland and USA cited as examples)
  3. Mandatory training and certificate/license
  4. Technical Performance Limitations (geofencing)
  5. In-depth research into the impact of collisions between drones and manned aircraft
  6. Integration of recreational drones into national Model Aircraft Flying Regulations
  7. Increase in the effectiveness of enforcement.

Signatories are: Airlines for Europe (A4E), Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE), Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), European Cockpit Association (ECA), European Helicopter Association (EHA), European Regions Airline Association (ERAA), International Air Carrier Association (IACA), International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), and International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA).

IAF will select existing UAV for training academy

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) had initially planned to ask Israeli UAV manufacturers to develop a dedicated training system for its unmanned air vehicle academy. Instead, the IAF will now select an Israeli off-the-shelf UAV for training.

Lockheed, Warsaw U demonstrate UAV fleet command and control

Lockheed Martin and the Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) are engaged in an advanced applied research program to optimize fleets of manned and unmanned aircraft. They’ve conducted a demonstration where they use advanced math to model the constraints and calculate a “best answer.” The model typically offers a 10 to 20 percent improvement over other methods.

On the Ground at the Commercial UAV Show Asia 2016

The Commercial UAV Show Asia 2016 was held September 1-2, 2016 in Singapore. Netherlands-based Aerialtronics, who specializes in precision agriculture and inspection, showed a gas-sniffer to detect gas leaks in pipelines. Parrot offshoot SenseFly showed applications for agriculture and property mapping. The eBee SQW fixed-wing drone was there, and based around the Parrot Sequoia multispectral camera. Ukrainian-based manned aircraft maker Skyeton recently started manufacturing airframes and avionics systems for third-parties looking to fly their own sensor packages. The Commercial UAV Show next visits the London ExCel center on October 19-20, 2016.

Draganfly Innovations Receives Permission to Test ADS-B Communications Technology

Canada’s Draganfly has become that country’s first UAV manufacturer to receive permission to test an integrated command-and-control system that utilizes automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) avionics with their UAV. Draganfly is partnering with uAvionix.

Mercedes partners with U.S. startup to push drone delivery forward

Daimler AG, the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars and trucks, has acquired a minority stake in Matternet in 5-year, €500 million project to develop drones for networked electric delivery vans. The adVANce initiative will encompass vehicle digitization, automation, robotics and mobility solutions technologies. The Vision Van would have a human driver making deliveries, with the drone simultaneously making additional deliveries.

Drone forensics boosts UAS defense

Department 13 is offering a commercial service that provides drone forensics to clients such as border patrol, prison security, and law enforcement.

Proposal for drones to fly over crowds in the works, FAA chief says at Las Vegas conference

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta delivered the keynote at InterDrone, and confirmed that a proposal to fly over crowds will be released by the end of this year. FAA is working on a proposal for flying beyond visual line of sight.