Tag Archives: Flytrex Aviation

418 Weather Prediction with Drones

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Using drones for weather prediction, tracking warehouse inventory with an autonomous drone, an FCC NPRM for the UAS communications spectrum, Walmart delivery drone statistics, underwater drones to detect ocean carbon, hardening the electric grid from aerial attacks, and cargo delivery to moving ships.

UAV News

Drones Make Weather Prediction Easier at the Poles

Researchers are using DJI Mavic 2 drones to measure Arctic wind speeds. The only modification required was the addition of an inexpensive, lightweight thermal anemometer. The Japanese National Institute of Polar Research is flying drones from a research vessel.

Video: Using small drones to measure wind speeds in the polar regions

Drones take the night shift for improved inventory tracking

The Vimaan StorTRACK Air autonomous warehouse drone can automate inventory control functions. It scans warehouse racks, delivers accurate inventory status to the warehouse management system, and doesn’t just read barcode labels – it includes optical character recognition and captures the entire contents of warehouse racks.

Video: Cycle Counting Autonomous Warehouse Drones track inventory accuracy and warehouse utilization

https://youtu.be/_7k8pAcfYZ0

U.S. FCC proposes additional spectrum for drone communications

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed new spectrum rules for unmanned aircraft systems. This is necessary to accommodate the increasing number of drones, which require wireless communication. The NPRM addresses the 5030-5091 MHz band, which was previously allocated to support terrestrial control links for UAS without adopting service rules. This proposal is the first step to developing those service rules for UAS operations.

Ref: FCC Starts Rulemaking on Licensed Spectrum for Unmanned Aircraft Use

Walmart Drone Delivery by the Numbers

Thirty-six Walmart stores in the U.S. have drone delivery hubs operated by DroneUp, Flytrex, and Zipline. 6,000+ drone deliveries were completed in 2022. The top five customer favorites delivered by drone were cookies, ice cream, lemons, rotisserie chicken, energy drinks, and paper towels. Drone delivery is operating in seven states: VA, NC, FL, AR, TX, UT, AZ.

Meet the scientists and their underwater drones tackling the ‘weirdly complicated’ world of ocean carbon

The underwater drone, or “glider,” nicknamed Migaloo is 1.5 meters long and measures CO₂ and pH ocean parameters to understand global carbon sink. The Atlantic Carbon Observatory Pilot Program (ACOP) utilizes moored bottom observatories and gliders that provide mobile pH and CO₂ sensors. Real-time data collected is collected via Iridium and Fiberoptic links. The Slocum Underwater Glider is designed and manufactured by Teledyne Webb Research.

We must act now to protect the electric grid from drones

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation is set to review the physical security standards of the electric grid, but that doesn’t address airborne threats. Defensive options need to be investigated, leveraging the progress that National Laboratories and the Department of Defense (DOD) are making in counter-UAS (C-UAS) technologies and systems. Current statutory restraints limit the ability of utilities to defend their facilities from drone attacks.

U.S. Navy Drones Pass Long-Range Test of Unmanned Cargo Delivery to Moving Ships

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) “recently demonstrated multiple unmanned systems in a first-of-its-kind mission to move supplies to ships at sea.” Two VTOLs were involved in the testing: the Martin V-BAT 128 and the Skyways V2.6 Cargo Aircraft. The Navy is looking for UAVs that have the ability to transport cargo under 50 lbs and fly to and from moving ships.

400 U-Space

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Creating a U-Space ecosystem for UAV and eVTOL, a hypersonic UAV project in Australia, how to Rickroll a crowd with 300 drones, the Switchblade drone in Ukraine, the outlook for agricultural drones, drone delivery service in Texas, and drones and export laws

UAV News

Droniq CEO Jan-Eric Putze on Creating a UAV and eVTOL Ecosystem

Droniq is a German company that provides hardware and software solutions for UAS Traffic Management (UTM). They started in 2016 as a research project of Deutsche Telecom and DFS, which is Germany’s air navigation service provider. CEO Putze says, “We have a highly regulated air environment and a highly unregulated drone world. We’re trying to come together.” He notes that the drone economy innovates using trial and error but manned aviation doesn’t work that way. Also, the drone industry and manned aviation can learn from each other.

The U-Space system is in test in Germany but other EU states are behind and probably won’t meet the January 2023 U-Space deadline.

Australian hypersonic UAV project awarded $2.95 million federal funding

The project partners are developing the DART CMP Airframe, a hydrogen-powered vehicle using the Hypersonix SPARTAN scramjet engine. Fully reusable, with ceramic matrix composites (CMC) components, the DART CMP should travel at speeds up to Mach 12. The project will begin in July 2022. Partners include Hypersonix Launch Systems (Sydney), the University of Southern Queensland (Toowoomba), LSM Advanced Composites (Harlaxton), and Roma r Engineering (Sefton).

300 Drones Formed a QR Code That Rick Rolled Dallas on April Fools’ Day

Sky Elements Drone Shows formed a giant QR code with 300 drones over Dallas on April 1, 2022. Those who followed the link wound up at Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” music video.

Switchblade: A look at the drone the US is sending to Ukraine

The AeroVironment Switchblade (sometimes called the Kamikaze), was introduced in 2011 and developed for US Special Forces in Afghanistan. The Switchblade 300 is designed to attack personnel and light vehicles, can be carried in a backpack, and is just over ½ meter long. The larger Switchblade 600 has a Javelin anti-armour warhead, requires a 10-minute setup, weighs 23 kg, and can fly out 40 km in 20 minutes, then loiter another 20 min.

Global Agriculture Drones Market Forecasts to 2026: Exemptions Provided by US FAA for the Use of Agriculture Drones and Increasing Investments

ResearchAndMarkets.com is offering the Agriculture Drones Market – Forecasts from 2021 to 2026 report. The agriculture drones market was projected to grow at a CAGR of 32.49%, reaching US$7 billion by 2026. Drone use in agriculture is growing and is seen as a reliable and cost-effective tool. Just published is a new report: Agriculture Drones Market – Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 – 2027) with a lower 7.1% CAGR, largely due to the industry effects of COVID-19.

More drone delivery services take flight in North Texas

The drone food delivery service Flytrex has started Granbury, Texas. Using the Flytrex app, customers can order from several restaurants and have their food delivered by drone to their yard. Flytrex also operates in three North Carolina locations. (Holly Springs, Raeford, and Fayetteville).

Video: Flytrex Sky Delivery Takes Off In Texas

As Drones Grow More Sophisticated, Export Rules Still Stuck in 1980s, Experts Say

The 1987 Missile Technology Control Regime defines unmanned systems in the same category as missiles. To comply, the State Department has frequently killed proposed foreign military sales of drones. But if the drones can’t be purchased from the U.S., others are more than happy to supply them, including China. A recent paper from The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies discusses the issue: Building Alliances and Competing with China: The Imperative for UAV Export Reforms.

Commercial UAV Expo 2022

September 6 – 8, 2022 Las Vegas

The Commercial UAV Expo is a leading trade show and conference that focuses on the integration and operation of commercial UAS with more exhibitors than any other commercial drone event.

Industries covered include Construction; Drone Delivery; Energy & Utilities; Forestry & Agriculture; Infrastructure & Transportation; Mining & Aggregates; Public Safety & Emergency Services; Security; and Surveying & Mapping. The Commercial UAV Expo was launched in 2015 and it gathers the international drone ecosystem under one roof.

You’ll find educational opportunities, unparalleled networking, and more exhibits than any other commercial drone event. It’s really a must-attend event if you hope to keep up with the newest technology and developments. The Expo is presented by Commercial UAV News and organized by Diversified Communications. Use the hashtag #expouav.

348 Weaponized Drones

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Weaponized drones, Walmart tries to catch up with Amazon, drone swarms and UFOs, disinfecting a stadium with a drone, converting old biplanes to unmanned aircraft, and a video of whales swimming with surfers.

UAV News

Well, Sure: Drone With a Shotgun

The i9 is a weaponized drone created for the UK’s Strategic Command by an unnamed company. It’s a human-operated, 6-rotor drone, about a meter across and intended as a breaching weapon for urban warfare. It uses machine vision to identify targets and carries twin shotguns.

There is some resistance to lethal autonomous weapons, including weaponized drones, although the i9 is reportedly not autonomous. The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots says the “US, China, Israel, South Korea, Russia, and the UK are developing weapons systems with significant autonomy in the critical functions of selecting and attacking targets.” They are concerned that taking lives without human intervention crosses a moral threshold. The organization published the paper “Country Positions on Negotiating a Treaty to Ban and Restrict Killer Robots” [PDF] which lists 30 countries that have called for a prohibition on fully autonomous weapons. The UK and the US are not included.

Heads up! Walmart is building their own drones to catch up to Amazon

Walmart partnered with drone delivery company Flytrex to deliver “select grocery and household essential items” with automated drones. Walmart is also partnering with Zipline for health and wellness products. Delivery test trials are scheduled for 2021. In addition, Walmart is partnering with Quest Diagnostics and DroneUp for at-home COVID-19 self-collection kits. Amazon and Walmart are pursuing different strategies: Amazon is developing their own drones while Walmart is relying on 3rd parties.

Drone Swarm or UFO? Verge Aero Helps UFO Seekers Figure it Out

Verge Aero provides drone light shows and the software needed to produce them, making them experts in drone swarming. They’ve assisted the History Channel with their series Unidentified: Inside America’s UFO Investigations. That show wanted to know if drone swarming technology could lead to UFO sightings.

COVID-19: NFL Stadium Being Cleaned with Drones Ahead of Return of Fans

American football is proceeding with caution. Some games are being played with no spectators and others are allowing a small number of fans into the stadium. Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home to the Atlanta Falcons, has partnered with Lucid Drone Technologies as part of their cleaning protocol. The drones have electrostatic spraying nozzles and distribute medical-grade disinfecting chemicals. An inhibitor prevents bacteria and viruses from adhering to surfaces without leaving a residue. Lucid drones are built in the U.S. The D1 disinfecting drone is intended for stadiums, schools, and manufacturing facilities. The C1 cleaning drone is designed for building exteriors and windows.

Video: Lucid D1 Disinfecting Drone – Stadiums

https://youtu.be/HkDg_4kcSv0

Video: Disinfecting Drone for Schools

https://youtu.be/b2o59L4IPFQ

Azerbaijani military turns Soviet biplane aircraft into drones

The Azerbaijani military has converted old Soviet-era civilian An-2’s into UAVs. A special kit replaces the human pilot in the cockpit and the conversion takes a short time to install. These unmanned An-2’s are being used in the Armenian and Azerbaijani conflict over a disputed separatist region. Satellite imagery shows that Azerbaijan deployed more than 50 An-2 biplane aircraft to one airport. Several have been shot down.

Video: Ադրբեջանական անօդաչուի խոցումը [Azerbaijani drone strike]

UAV Video of the Week:

Two Whales Swim Near Surfer In Australia In A Mesmerizing Footage

At Seven Mile Beach near Lennox Head, south of Byron, two Bryde’s whales were filmed swimming with surfers. The whales, which weigh 12 to 20 tonnes each, were joined by a pod of dolphins in hunting a large school of bait fish while surfers caught waves above them.

Video: Incredible drone footage shows two Bryde’s whales joining surfers

https://youtu.be/WN31N9AEx6M

299 Aeronautical Knowledge Test

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An update on the aeronautical knowledge test for recreational drone pilots, UPS plans for medical deliveries, a drone field technician college degree, a waiver for drone flights over people, opinions on drone strikes on airliners, environmental BVLOS missions, and a message from the FAA on drones and dangerous weapons.

UAV News

Recreational Drone Flyer Test Coming Soon

FAA seeks third parties to administer online recreational drone tests

The FAA wants to outsource the administration of the aeronautical knowledge test for recreational drone pilots mandated by Section 349 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The agency has posted a request for information and seeks responses from commercial, non-profit, or academic entities that would serve as test designees. The FAA said it won’t pay test designees and is “agnostic as to the business model” they choose to administer the test. Replies are due by September 12, 2019.

UPS details drone plans in federal exemption request

Since March 2019, UPS Flight Forward and partner Matternet have been transporting blood and medical samples by drone for WakeMed hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. Now UPS wants to expand this service to other areas in the U.S.

Atlantic Cape debuts new degree in drones this fall

Atlantic Cape Community College in New Jersey is offering an associate degree in applied science with a concentration in sUAS (Drones) Field Technician. The college says “Upon successful completion of the program students will demonstrate basic proficiency in the area of small UAS operations, general maintenance and repair, the use of a small UAS for the collection of and pre and post-processing of aerial images and videos, and geospatial data collection.”

Fast Food Delivery Drone Being Developed in Syracuse, N.Y.

Flytrex has received a waiver from the FAA to fly over people, specifically over a highway in Holly Springs, North Carolina as part of a three-year test project. Flytrex wants to deliver food over a single route from a shopping center with 15 restaurants to customers at a nearby public park and sports complex.

NUAIR (the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research alliance) tested the Flytrex drone (a DJI Matrice 600 Pro) and parachute (from Drone Rescue Systems of Austria) in a series of 45 different failure tests at Griffiss International Airport.

Are Drone-Aircraft Collisions A Real Threat To Airline Passengers and Crews?

The author observed a drone out the window of a commercial flight out of Newark Airport. The seatback in-flight map showed an altitude of 2,800 feet and a ground speed of 230 MPH. He offers some suggestions for the flying public, legislators, and drone manufacturers.

Aeromapper Talon Amphibious fly BVLOS missions over marine reserve for illegal fishing detection and biodiversity research

Two Amphibian Aeromapper Talon drones were used in trials in Belize to detect and document illegal fishing activities and perform conservation research. The waterproof drones can land on water. Twenty-four BVLOS flights were successfully flown during the trials. Current enforcement involves patrols around the atoll in small boats.

Video: Commercial grade amphibian fixed-wing drone

Drones and Weapons, A Dangerous Mix

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is warning the general public that operating a drone with a dangerous weapon attached is a violation of Section 363 of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act enacted Oct. 5, 2018. Operators are subject to civil penalties up to $25,000 for each violation unless the operator has received specific authorization from the Administrator of the FAA to conduct the operation. “Dangerous Weapon” means any item that is used for, or is readily capable of, causing death or serious bodily injury. Operators are subject to civil penalties up to $25,000 for each violation.

296 Bio-inspired Drones

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Bio-inspired drones are getting attention, a general contractor receives a waiver for flights over people with a parachute-equipped drone, six Israeli drone companies, a drone-mounted flamethrower, BVLOS critical infrastructure inspection, and an online drone survey.

UAV News

Forget props and fixed wings. New bio-inspired drones mimic birds, bats and bugs

Bio-inspired drones are being investigated by a number of researchers. A Northeastern University roboticist is working on a bat-inspired robot called Bat Bot. Animal Dynamics of Oxford, England, is working with the United Kingdom’s Defense Science and Technology Laboratory to build a dragonfly-like drone called Skeeter. Harvard University researchers are working on RoboBee which weighs less than a paper clip and features two pairs of solar-powered wings controlled by artificial muscles.

Video: Advanced Robotic Bat Can Fly Like the Real Thing

ParaZero Client Gets FAA Waiver for UAV Flights Over People

ParaZero Technologies Ltd announced the FAA has approved a waiver for flights over people to Hensel Phelps, a large general contractor. Hensel Phelps will use ParaZero’s ASTM F3322-18 compliant SafeAir Phantom Parachute System. The system monitors flight parameters for anomalies and when critical failures are identified, the rotors are stopped and the parachute is deployed. According to the FAA, this process is scalable and available to other applicants who propose to use the same drone and parachute combination. The FAA will require each applicant to provide the testing, documentation, and statement of compliance listed in ASTM 3322-18 in their applications using the same drone and parachute combination. ASTM 3322-18 is the Standard Specification for Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) Parachutes.

From Apple Picking to Security Details: 6 Israeli Companies Developing Specialized Drones

This article describes six Israeli drone companies:

The Tevel Aerobotics Technologies Ltd. autonomous drone has a one-meter long mechanical claw which can pick apples and oranges.
Flytrex Aviation Ltd. has a cellular data communication module allowing operators to remotely control any drone using a mobile app.
SkyX Ltd. modifies commercially available drones to become agricultural spraying machines.
Construction tech startup Civdrone Ltd. turns commercially available drones into land surveying, measuring, and marking machines for construction sites.
Airobotics Ltd. develops automatic drones for security details and land surveys at factories, refineries, and mining sites.
Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) has a “suicide drone” called Rotem that uses a grenade to attack targets in combat situations.

How can a Flamethrower on a Drone be Utilized by Commercial UAS Operators?

Flamethrower manufacturer Throwflame is now selling a drone-attachable flamethrower, the TF-19 Wasp, available for personal and commercial use such as controlling weeds, ground-clearing, ice and snow melting/clearing, and grassland management.

Soaring Eagle Imaging Performs 51 Mile BVLOS Utility Inspection

Soaring Eagle Imaging (SEI) utilizes unmanned technology in inspection applications for enterprise clients. They have been granted 17 emergency BVLOS waivers in the past and helped with critical infrastructure inspection near Baton Rouge after Hurricane Barry hit Louisiana on July 13th, 2019. SEI is a veteran-owned and operated UAS company that offers drone aerial services, such as image capture, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), aviation and FAA regulations.

Does a drone flying overhead make you uncomfortable? The NCDOT wants to know

The N.C. Department of Transportation wants to gauge public opinion about the growing use of drones and has created an online survey. Please support NCDOT’s efforts and contribute your input.