UAV News Talk – Drone News, eVTOLs, UAS Policy & Air Mobility

Episode 429 marks a major milestone for the podcast formerly known as&nbsp;The UAV Digest, soon to be relaunched as&nbsp;UAV News Talk. Max Flight and David Vanderhoof return to the mic after a long hiatus to introduce new co-host&nbsp;Max Trescott, known for his work on the&nbsp;Aviation News Talk&nbsp;podcast and expertise in both fixed-wing and helicopter flying.The episode opens with a nostalgic look back to 2013, when Max Flight and David launched the show to cover the then-emerging drone landscape without overwhelming their other podcast,&nbsp;Airplane Geeks. They describe how the show evolved as they educated themselves and listeners about drone technology, regulations, and culture—sometimes even poking fun at questionable UAV behavior in their humorous “Grounded Files.”Max Trescott shares his excitement for the relaunch and the evolving UAV and eVTOL landscape near his home in California. He describes spotting test aircraft like Joby and Archer’s eVTOLs during recent flights and highlights how the focus is now shifting from promise to actual operations, citing companies like Matternet that are actively making deliveries.Please take our listener survey&nbsp;by going to&nbsp;theuavdigest.com/surveyWe greatly appreciate your feedback!UAV News Stories CoveredSciFly’s novel UAV design, which mimics helicopter performance using large, overlapping rotors, airfoil-shaped arms, and variable-pitch blades. The team praises its engineering and endurance (a two-hour hover test), while noting it depends on government contracts and future funding.Lyten’s lithium-sulfur battery technology, which promises lightweight, cobalt-free energy solutions better aligned with national defense needs. They discuss the geopolitical implications of battery sourcing and the importance of secure U.S.-based supply chains.Jetson ONE, a personal eVTOL dubbed the “flying motorcycle,” boasting joystick controls, 63 mph speeds, and 20 minutes of flight time. Max Trescott raises safety concerns, emphasizing the need for operational limits and robust pilot training—even for intuitive aircraft.Abu Dhabi’s hybrid heliport initiative, designed to accommodate both helicopters and eVTOLs. The group agrees that infrastructure development is essential for advanced air mobility, especially in cities like New York where vertiport space is scarce. They praise the UAE’s leadership and view it as a model for global adoption.Throughout the conversation, the hosts reflect on how UAV imagery has shifted over the years—from predator drones to quadcopters to today’s sleek eVTOLs. They also touch on persistent challenges, such as restricted flight zones, FAA registration, and airspace integration.The episode wraps with Max Flight officially passing the baton to Trescott and offering encouragement: stay curious, have fun, and involve the community. The team announces a&nbsp;listener survey&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="http://theuavdigest.com/survey"...

If you’ve been a longtime listener, you know it’s been a while — actually, a couple of years — since our last episode. But the good news is: The UAV Digest is coming back!Since we last released an episode, the world of drones, UAVs, and advanced air mobility has evolved dramatically. And with so many exciting developments in technology, regulations, and industry trends, we want to make sure that the new version of the show stays in step with what matters most to you.When we return, the show will still have the spirit you remember, but there will also be some new and exciting changes. And that’s where we need your help.We’ve created a quick listener survey to hear your thoughts on what you’d like to hear in future episodes. It’ll only take a few minutes, and it will help shape the direction of the podcast as we move forward. You can find the survey at&nbsp;theuavdigest.com/survey.Now, you might be wondering why there haven’t been any new episodes for the past few years. David and I will be back in the next episode to explain the story behind the break, and what you can expect as we relaunch the show.In the meantime, please take a moment to visit theuavdigest.com/survey and share your thoughts. We’d really appreciate hearing from you.

Toroidal Propellers offer a solution for multirotor noise, layoffs at Prime Air, Valkyrie drones for the US Marines, regulating advanced air mobility in Utah, mapping a radioactive environment with a collision-tolerant drone, and a cargo drone that can carry 100 pounds for 600 miles.UAV NewsToroidal Propellers May Quietly Pave the Way to UAM Package Deliveries and MoreMIT might have a solution for the noise produced by multi-rotor propellers. The&nbsp;Structural and Thermal-Fluids Engineering Group&nbsp;at MIT Lincoln Laboratory is experimenting with&nbsp;toroidal propellers. [PDF] The toroidal propeller consists of two blades looping together so that the tip of one blade curves back into the other.Key Features:Decreases signals in the frequency range to which humans are most sensitiveReduces noise without requiring supplementary components that add weight and increase power drawLessens the likelihood that the spinning propeller will cut, catch, or clip objects or surfaces in the drone’s path&nbsp;Achieves thrust comparable to that of a multirotor drone propellerAllows reliable fabrication with additive manufacturing techniques that make it possible to customize the propeller for various multirotor models and typesAmazon’s drone delivery unit hit with layoffs just as 10-year-old project finally launchesIt’s been a decade since Amazon’s Jeff Bezos unveiled the company’s drone project on&nbsp;60 Minutes. Prime Air now has drone delivery operations in two small markets, but corporate cost-cutting is rampant in the tech industry. Amazon plans to cut 18,000 jobs and Prime Air is not immune. The company won’t say how many layoffs affect the program. Sources said employees in the design, maintenance, systems engineering, flight testing, and flight operations units were part of the layoffs.Marine Corps buying Valkyrie drones to investigate ‘future autonomous platforms’The Marines have a $15 million contract with&nbsp;Kratos for two XQ-58A Valkyrie drones. These large aircraft weigh about 6,000 pounds and have a 27-foot-wingspan. Likely missions include strike, intelligence gathering, and electronic warfare. Possible other applications are a “mothership” for small drones and the deployment of munitions.What is ‘advanced air mobility,’ and why is the Utah Legislature looking to regulate it?The Utah Legislature has been working on drone regulations and in 2022 a study group was formed to look at updating regulatory laws. A bill is now working through the state legislature that is described as a framework for regulation. Topics being discussed include tracking software for near-ground air traffic, noise concerns, and State supremacy over local jurisdictions<a href="https://dronelife.com/2023/01/24/the-department-of-energy-project-using-drones-to-map-radioactive-waste-storage-vaults/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

An autonomous drone that collects environmental DNA, a robotic wing that measures flapping performance, a Wyoming bill to outlaw drone flights over prisons, flying drugs into the U.S. with drones, and an ex-drone manager sues Amazon.UAV NewsSpecial drone collects environmental DNA from treesIf you want to find out what creatures live in an area, you can observe them or you can collect the “environmental DNA” they leave. Examples of external DNA include dead skin or feathers, waste, and fluids. These can be found in the soil, in water, or on rocks and tree branches. Collecting environmental DNA can be difficult and expensive. It can be unsafe if you have to climb up into the forest canopy to get the DNA samplesNow a special drone is being developed that can autonomously collect samples on tree branches. Collaborating are&nbsp;ETH Zurich, the&nbsp;Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, and environmental DNA (eDNA) specialist&nbsp;Spygen. (A French biotechnology company created in 2011 and specializing in molecular ecology.) The drone lands on a branch and adhesive strips collect the samples. DNA is extracted in the lab.Video:&nbsp;Special drone collects environmental DNA from treesEfficiency of flapping drones to be increased with wing-folding researchA recent study led by&nbsp;Lund University&nbsp;in Sweden found that birds fly more efficiently by folding their wings during the upstroke. This might have implications for flapping drones and could increase their propulsive and aerodynamic efficiency. In order to study the different ways that wings could flap, the research team constructed a robotic wing that can flap the way birds do but can also flap in ways birds don’t. Wind tunnel measurements record the performance of the wing. Biology researcher Christoffer Johansson says “Flapping drones could be used for deliveries, but they would need to be efficient enough and able to lift the extra weight this entails. How the wings move is of great importance for performance, so this is where our research could come in handy,”Bill Outlawing Flying Drones Over Prisons Soars Through Wyoming SenateThe Wyoming Department of Corrections says just two incidents have occurred in Wyoming that involve drones and prisons. (Those were attempts to deliver tobacco.) But other prisons have seen drone incidents. The Wyoming Corrections Director fears that drones could be used to spy on prisons and identify guards, inmates, and specific facility details. After the Senate vote, the legislation goes to the state House.It Looked Like A Nice Family Home. Cops Suspect It Was A Secret Drone Airport For MDMA...

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 NewsDrones Make Weather Prediction Easier at the PolesResearchers 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:&nbsp;Using small drones to measure wind speeds in the polar regionsDrones take the night shift for improved inventory trackingThe&nbsp;Vimaan StorTRACK Air&nbsp;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:&nbsp;Cycle Counting Autonomous Warehouse Drones track inventory accuracy and warehouse utilizationU.S. FCC proposes additional spectrum for drone communicationsThe 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:&nbsp;FCC Starts Rulemaking on Licensed Spectrum for Unmanned Aircraft UseWalmart Drone Delivery by the NumbersThirty-six Walmart stores in the U.S. have drone delivery hubs operated by&nbsp;DroneUp,&nbsp;Flytrex, and&nbsp;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 carbonThe underwater drone, or “glider,” nicknamed Migaloo is 1.5 meters long and measures...

A UAV tether for choppy seas, four advanced (and expensive) drones, drones changing the way buildings are designed, a drone (and rover) for simulated Martian missions, the Army’s short-range reconnaissance program with Skydio, an Apple patent for pairing UAVs and controllers, kites that take down drones, Ukraine drones that take down Russian drones.UAV NewsNavy engineers test new slack tether for launching quadcopter from boatsThe&nbsp;Naval Information Warfare Center&nbsp;in San Diego designed a smart winch tether system with an autonomous winch that keeps proper slack in the tether. A UAV can hover at a specific altitude while the ship pitches and rolls with the waves. The winch autonomously adjusts the spool motor by measuring the tether-departure angle. Adding a tethered quadcopter to the uncrewed Seahawk ship would allow it to elevate cameras and expand the line of sight.4 of the most advanced drones and copters coming to our skiesThe&nbsp;Aerwins&nbsp;Xturismo is a flying motorbike with a maximum range of 40km that can carry up to 100kg. The&nbsp;Airborne Drones’ Vanguard is a long-range surveillance drone with a 94-minute flight time and 4K video. The&nbsp;Lockheed Martin Indago 3&nbsp;is rugged and “whisper quiet,” taking only two minutes to get airborne. The&nbsp;Volocopter&nbsp;2X is a personal helicopter targeted to prospective air taxi operators.Five ways drones will change the way buildings are designed1. Creating 3D digital models of buildings with accuracy to within a centimeter. 2. Heritage simulations where drones help planners to visualize the final impact of restoration or construction work on a damaged or partially finished building. 3. Drone delivery including roof-top landing pads and recharging stations. 4. Drones mounted with 3D printers that could construct emergency shelters or repair buildings. 5. Agile surveillance with drone systems like biometric indicators and “face recognition.”Skypersonic Delivers Drones, Rover, and Piloting Platform to NASA’s Simulated Mars MissionsThe&nbsp;Skypersonic&nbsp;rover and drone system will be used by crew members to remotely explore Martian-like terrain. NASA’s Simulated Mars Missions will run for a year and operate from a 1,700-square-foot simulated Martian habitat at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.&nbsp;The rover and drone will be controlled by the crew in the Habitat, but they’ll actually be exploring Martian-like terrain remotely on Earth.Army Fields Its New RQ-28A...

European drone strategy 2.0, armed drones for Ukraine, drones used for poaching and other wildlife investigations, drone videos of three active volcanoes, dynamically assigning frequencies for UAS command and control, a survey of consumer attitudes on home drone delivery of goods and food, liquid hydrogen power, and the Dover AFB sUAS program.UAV NewsDrone Strategy 2.0: Creating a large-scale European drone marketThe European Commission adopted the European Drone Strategy 2.0 which offers a vision for the further development of the European drone market. The Commission wants to ensure that society supports drones. By 2030, the Drone Strategy envisions a number of services, including emergency services, mapping, imaging, inspection and surveillance; the urgent delivery of small packages, such as biological samples or medicines; Air Mobility services, like air taxis that provide regular transport services for passengers, initially with a pilot on board, but ultimately fully automated operations.The Commission’s strategy includes operational, technical, and financial actions:Adopting common rules for airworthiness, and new training requirementsFunding the creation of an online platform to support local stakeholders and industry implementing sustainable Innovative Air Mobility.Developing a Strategic Drone Technology Roadmap to identify priority areas for research and innovation, to reduce existing strategic dependencies and to avoid new ones arising.Defining criteria for a voluntary cybersecurity-approved drone label.See:&nbsp;A Drone Strategy 2.0 for a Smart and Sustainable Unmanned Aircraft Eco-System in&nbsp;Europe&nbsp;[PDF].Senators urge Pentagon to send advanced Gray Eagle drones to UkraineAfter some reports that the Pentagon had decided to not send armed drones to Ukraine,&nbsp;sixteen Senate Republicans and Democrats sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin objecting. In the letter, the Senators say, “This particular [Unmanned Aerial System] will increase Ukraine’s unmanned capabilities in the near term and demands careful reconsideration. Most importantly, armed [Unmanned Aerial Systems] could find and attack Russian warships in the Black Sea, breaking its coercive blockade and alleviate dual pressures on the Ukrainian economy and global food prices.” The General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones can hold up to four Hellfire Missiles.Poachers beware—new drone team launched to assist in wildlife crime investigationsThe five Utah&nbsp;Division of Wildlife Resources&nbsp;(DWR) drone law enforcement officers have been trained and have their FAA pilot licenses. The drones will assist officers in their investigations through increased documentation of crime scenes and locating evidence.Drones capture video of three active volcanoes around the worldWatch videos of three active volcanoes: Mauna Loa in Hawaii, the Villarrica volcano in Chile, and Russia’s Shiveluch volcano.<a...

The latest Amazon Prime Air drone, XQ-58A Valkyrie tactical drones, bringing a drone on a cruise ship, a drone light show fail, and attacking a navy with uncrewed surface vessels.UAV NewsAmazon reveals the new design for Prime Air’s delivery drone—here’s your first lookAmazon has continued to develop its delivery drone. The new MK30 drone has increased range, expanded temperature tolerance, and the capability to fly in light rain. It’s lighter and smaller than its predecessor and has redesigned propellers with 25% less perceived noise.Air Force pilots to try out XQ-58A Valkyrie drones ahead of potential UAV wingman programThe 40th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida has taken delivery of the first of two Kratos&nbsp;XQ-58A Valkyrie&nbsp;tactical drones. They’ll test the ability of the drone to autonomously operate over vast distances. The Squadron will figure out the logistics and infrastructure needed to house and operate the Valkyrie.Are drones allowed on cruise ships?Using a drone to capture your cruise ship experience seems like a great idea, but can you do it? Of the eight major cruise lines, only three allow passengers to bring drones on board and you can’t fly the drone from the ship.‘An expensive event’: 50 drones plunge into Swan River during sky show failAs thousands of onlookers watched a nighttime drone show in Perth, 50 of the 500 drones fell from the sky into the river. The reason for the failure is unknown and under investigation by&nbsp;Drone Sky Shows, but GPS signal interference is being cited as a possibility.Why Ukraine’s Remarkable Attack On Sevastopol Will Go Down In HistoryOn October 29, 2022, Ukraine attacked the Russian Navy at Sevastopol with seven maritime drones. What these uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) accomplished might be considered historically significant. Not so much for the damage they inflicted, but for the way naval warfare will be viewed from now on.UAV Video of the WeekDrones eye view of Hendrick Motorsports’ Campus

Operations Over People approval for AgEagle, transitioning to UAV-dominated air forces, women drone pilots in Ukraine, an autonomous Black Hawk helicopter, a drone facilitates a robbery, a BVLOS corridor in upstate New York, an autonomous firefighting helicopter, 500 drones celebrate a game anniversary, and how to increase lithium battery lifespan.UAV NewsAgEagle’s eBee X Series Drones Are the First and Only UAVs to be Approved by the FAA for Operations Over People (OOP) in the United StatesAgEagle Aerial Systems Inc.&nbsp;announced that the eBee X series of UAS comply with Category 3 of the&nbsp;Operations Over People&nbsp;rules for sUAS. These are the first and only drones on the market to comply with the rules published in March 2021. eBee drone operators will no longer need an FAA waiver for OOP or Operations Over Moving Vehicles. Testing was conducted by the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (“MAAP”). The family of eBee fixed-wing UAS includes the eBee X, eBee GEO, and eBee TAC.The eBee is currently approved for use by the U.S. Department Of Defense under the Blue sUAS 2.0 program, for BVLOS operations in Brazil, and Operations Over People and BVLOS operations in Canada. It is also the first drone to receive European Union Aviation Safety Agency (“EASA”) C2 certification and a Design Verification essential for these operations from EASA.Transitioning from Human Pilots to DronesThis opinion piece argues that manned military aircraft have issues and unmanned aircraft, or drones, can address some of them. This is not to say that manned combat aircraft should be abandoned. Rather, supplementing manned with unmanned should be the focus and the military should plan to “transition toward UAV-dominated air forces.”A new school in Kyiv is training women to pilot dronesThe Female Pilots of Ukraine school opened recently to teach Ukrainian women to operate drones. Most Ukrainian drone pilots are men and this school focuses on training women – civilians and military student pilots.Black Hawk Flies Missions Without PilotsPilot-less Black Hawk flies logistics and rescue missionsIn a demonstration to the U.S. Army, Sikorsky and DARPA showed how an autonomous Black Hawk helicopter could perform internal and external cargo resupply missions, as well as a rescue operation. The demonstration shows that in the future, optionally piloted utility helicopters could fly complex missions safely.How a DJI Mini drone enabled a $147,000 ATM robberyThe incident took place in broad daylight in France with security footage showing a drone flying into the air vent. The drone subsequently pushed a button that opened a door allowing the thieves to enter.<a...

FAA issues guidelines for community-based drone organizations, large Navy drone swarms, Iranian drone components, the 2023 FAA reauthorization bill, a large Chinese cargo drone, the Bell Autonomous Pod Transport, Russians with drones in Norway, plant specimen sampling with drones, a Wing drone comes to a fiery end, and Collaborative Combat Aircraft.UAV NewsFAA Updates Recreational Drone Flying GuidanceRecreational drone flyers are required to follow the safety guidelines of FAA-recognized community-based drone organizations. These organizations develop safety guidelines in coordination with the FAA. The FAA has issued guidance on how to become an FAA-recognized community-based organization for recreational drone flying. The FAA&nbsp;Advisory Circular 91-57C Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft&nbsp;provides a list of recommended safety guidelines. Applications for community-based drone organizations can be made through the&nbsp;FAA’s DroneZone website.The US Navy wants swarms of thousands of small dronesAccording to budget documents, the US Navy wants to use thousands of small drones that flock together and overwhelm anti-aircraft defenses. Israel became the first nation to use swarming drones in combat in 2021. Other nations are working on swarms, including China, Russia, India, the UK, and Turkey.Austrian engines, South Korean and Malaysian microchips, US parts found in Iranian Mohajer-6 dronesThe examination of drones that have been shot down shows the international components they contain. The Iranian Mohajer-6 reconnaissance drone was powered by a Rotax engine. Rotax is investigating and said the company “have not authorized and has not given any authorization to its distributors to supply military UAV manufacturers in Iran or Russia.” Previously, microprocessors from South Korea and Malaysia, bought in violation of sanctions, were found in the Shahed-136 kamikaze drone. Both drones are used by the Russian military in Ukraine.Drones and air taxis will be big part of FAA billHearings for the 2023 FAA reauthorization bill are underway and the Senate Commerce Aviation Subcommittee is looking at “new entrants” into the airspace. eVTOL aircraft (Advanced Air Mobility – or AAM) will likely get a lot of attention this time.China Flies Large Twin-Tailed Scorpion D Cargo UASThe Twin-Tailed Scorpion D is claimed to be the world’s first large-scale, four-engined uncrewed aircraft system. The 18-minute test flight was deemed to be “trouble-free.” The Scorpion D is 10.5 m (34.4 ft.) long with a 20 m wingspan and a height of 3.1 m. The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 4.35 tons. The Scorpion D will be exhibited at Zhuhai Airshow 2022, which begins November 8, 2022.<a...

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 NewsWhat Are Black Hornets? The Cutting-Edge Micro-Drones Donated to UkraineThe 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.Drones and rockets bring rainfall to China during record-breaking heatwave and severe droughtChina 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&nbsp;Wing Loong 2&nbsp;military drone.Watch drones pick up litter on Michigan beaches and waterwaysIt’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 FoundingA 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&nbsp;Our Genetic Legacy&nbsp;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 OperationsThis article describes three technologies that&nbsp;Draganfly&nbsp;has added this...

Automated inspection of solar panels, the NUAIR Public Safety Summit, USAF interest in supersonic target drones and the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, the Pixy selfie drone goes out of production, drones and rural law enforcement, and UAVs that can land on steep roofs.UAV NewsPercepto automated inspection drones monitor huge Thai solar farmPercepto&nbsp;announced it has completed the proof-of-concept phase for its automated system that will be used for inspection and data analysis of a giant floating solar power farm in Thailand. The solar power farm includes a grid of 145,000 panels floating over an area equivalent to about 70 soccer fields. The Percepto artificial intelligence-enhanced, automated UAVs will conduct regular inspection flights and use the company’s Autonomous Inspection and Monitoring software package to identify panels that need maintenance or repair.Drone Developers Fly their Latest Models at the Annual UAS Public Safety SummitNUAIR&nbsp;(the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance) recently hosted the fourth annual UAS Public Safety Summit at Griffiss International Airport in upstate New York. Drone developers exhibited their aircraft and some companies performed flight demonstrations. Aircraft exhibitors included&nbsp;Ascent Aerosystems,&nbsp;Skydio,&nbsp;BRINC,&nbsp;senseFly, and&nbsp;Inspired Flight.Video:&nbsp;Spirit | All Weather UAVStealthy Target Drones Sought As QF-16 Program Winds DownThe U.S. Air Force has long used target drones for training purposes, most recently with the QF-16 Viper Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) drones. Now the Air Force wants aerial targets that mimic supersonic Chinese and Russian stealth fighters and they’ve posted a request for information (RFI) for a supersonic-capable Next Generation Aerial Target (NGAT).USAF Eyeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat For Next Gen Air Dominance ProgramPreliminary discussions are underway on the possibility that the USAF could purchase the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat under the NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) program. The MQ-28 was known as the Boeing Airpower Teaming System and the Loyal Wingman project developed by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force.Looks like time is up for Snap’s Pixy droneSnap says it will sell the little selfie drone from its limited existing inventory. The company is shifting its focus and priorities.<a...

Women and drones documentary film, Chinese drone submarine, unmanned surface vessels, drone tech to India, portable ATM system, mapping with multiple drones, Ford patent.

D.C. court rules on drone Remote ID case, reconnaissance drones for Ukraine, more drones going to Mars, fried chicken coming by drone, lifeguard drones meet U.S. resistance, mapping a mountain with a UAV, NASA and Zipline partnership, and United Airlines sends a pre-delivery payment to Archer.UAV NewsD.C. Circuit Upholds Drone Remote ID RuleCourt Upholds Remote ID For DronesRaceDayQuads and drone operator Tyler Brennan sued to vacate the FAA’s drone Remote ID rule saying the rule amounted to “constant, warrantless governmental surveillance in violation of the Fourth Amendment.” The D.C. Circuit’s U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled and upheld the constitutionality of the FAA’s Remote ID requirement saying “drone pilots generally lack any reasonable expectation of privacy in the location of their drone systems during flight.” Also that the rule was properly developed.Ukrainian defenders will receive 20 Fly Eye reconnaissance drones from the Drone ArmyIncluded in the purchase are two control stations and 20&nbsp;Fly Eye&nbsp;drones, 78 Matrice multicopters, and two ground systems for 20 Warmate kamikaze attack drones. The&nbsp;Fly Eye&nbsp;drones are designed and built by&nbsp;WB Electronics&nbsp;in Poland, can fly up to 160 kilometers per hour, have fully autonomous take-off and landing capability but can be launched by hand.Video:&nbsp;NASA plans to send 2 more drones to MarsIndian multinational English news channel WION says NASA is not going to scrap their original plan of sending another rover to Mars and instead send two new helicopter drones to would retrieve the samples from the Perseverance rover, then transport them to a rocket that will return them to Earth.See also,&nbsp;Mars Sample Return Mission, and&nbsp;NASA, ESA to Discuss Mars Sample Return Mission.Lifeguard drones can save lives. But U.S. beaches might not buy them.Drones are being used by lifeguards at some European beaches with 22 of them in Spain using the&nbsp;General Drones&nbsp;Auxdron LFG, which costs 40,000 euros. A monthly fee of 15,000 euros pays for a trained pilot. In the US, there is a lifeguard shortage as younger Americans found other, higher-paying jobs during the pandemic. US lifeguard officials recognize the value of these drones but say widespread adoption is limited by their high cost.KFC takes to the sky with drone-delivered...

Archer Aviation planning full transition flights of their Maker aircraft, drone shuts down Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, protecting sporting events with drones, using lasers for drone communications, RQ-4 Global Hawk end-of-life, alligator attacks drone, a Remote ID device from Aerobits, and the Zephyr UAS flies for 26 days.UAV NewsArcher Flight Testing Gains Momentum, On Pace to Achieve Transition Flight By Year EndArcher Aviation Inc.&nbsp;announced it is confident it will achieve its goal of flying full transition flights with its Maker aircraft by year-end. Flight tests of the full-scale 12-motor eVTOL demonstrator aircraft with a Tilt Propeller System (TPS) have been successful.Maker successfully completed its first hover test flight in December 2021 and since then the engineering team has focused on the development and testing of the systems needed for a full transition to horizontal flight.Errant drone briefly shuts down D.C. airportAir traffic was shut down at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for 45 minutes. There is no information about who was operating the drone, if it was taken down, or if it was retrieved.&nbsp;The DHS told Congress that TSA has reported nearly 2,000 drone sightings near U.S. airports since 2021. Pilots had to take “65 evasive actions” after drones came too close or disturbed aircraft.World Cup to use drones to help protect stadiumsUtah-based&nbsp;Fortem Technologies&nbsp;has reached an agreement with Qatar’s interior ministry to provide the interceptor drones at this winter’s Fifa World Cup in Qatar. Fortem’s “DroneHunters” that shoot nets will be able to bring down small rogue drones. These are autonomous, radar-guided drones.Laser-Controlled Drones Can Evade Signal-Jamming CountermeasuresThe counter-drone technology that physically attacks rogue drones with a net or a projectile requires that you track the drone’s movement. On the other hand, signal jamming doesn’t require such precise tracking. But now British company&nbsp;QinetiQ&nbsp;has a way to remotely operate drones without the communication signals that can be jammed. The new system uses lasers or Free-Space Optical Communications (FSO, or FSOC) signals.Air Force’s RQ-4 Global Hawk drones headed for retirement in FY27The US Air Force plans to phase out all remaining RQ-4 Global Hawk reconnaissance drones by fiscal 2027. Northrop Grumman was informed they should expect that the fleet will reach its end of life by that date. In a statement, an Air Force spokeswoman said, “Our ability to win future high-end conflicts requires accelerating investment in connected, survivable platforms and accepting short-term risks by divesting legacy ISR assets that offer limited capability against peer and near-peer threats.”<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11040201/Alligator-leaps-Brazilian-river-snatches-drone-mid-flight.html" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

Microsoft announces a new AirSim platform to train drone AI systems, Amazon Prime Air eyes deliveries in Texas, Russia looks at Iranian drones, DJI pushes back against the American Security Drone Act, a UK drone superhighway, and new drones from Alphabet’s Wing.UAV NewsMicrosoft launches simulator to train drone AI systemsIn 2017 Microsoft created the open-source&nbsp;AirSim&nbsp;simulation platform for AI research and experimentation, but a lot of technical machine learning knowledge was needed to use it. Now Microsoft has announced a new Project AirSim platform for teaching autonomous drones to fly.&nbsp;Microsoft is talking with regulators about how AirSim could be used for aircraft certification.Video:&nbsp;Introducing Microsoft Project AirSim for aerial autonomyAmazon’s Prime Air drones will soon make deliveries in TexasAmazon says they’ll ask College Station residents if they are interested in drone deliveries with plans to start later this year. Mayor Karl Mooney said: “Amazon’s new facility presents a tremendous opportunity for College Station to be at the forefront of the development of drone delivery technology. We look forward to partnering with Amazon and Texas A&amp;M and are confident that Amazon will be a productive, conscientious, and accountable participant in our community.”The White House says Russian officials visited Iran to view drones for use in UkraineUS intelligence says Russia is interested in obtaining Iranian military drones. Satellite images show Russian officials visiting Iran twice with Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones on display and in flight.DJI reportedly making headway against US drone blacklist legislationThe&nbsp;Financial Times&nbsp;reports the DJI has been pushing back at the American Security Drone Act (ASDA). That act would prohibit U.S. federal funding from being used to buy Chinese drones, broaden the bans, and make it difficult for a ban to be rescinded. Notably, the bill was not retained in the National Defense Authorization Act passed by the House. Nevertheless, several Republican representatives vowed to make the ASDA law in a final version, or on its own.A 165-Mile Drone Superhighway Will Soon Be Built in the UKProject Skyway is the UK plan to build a 165-mile (265 kilometer) “drone superhighway” up to 10 km wide connecting the airspace above Reading, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Coventry, and Rugby. The project consortium is led by&nbsp;Altitude Angel, a UTM (Unified Traffic Management) solution provider.Video:&nbsp;Project Skyway 150722New Specialized Delivery Drones UnveiledNew delivery drones from Wing are tailored to be efficient for different delivery missions. The...

A company holds a patent for coaxial drone multirotors, locals push back on Amazon’s delivery plans, autonomous battery swapping, transforming battlefield medicine, drones in sports, saving elm trees, and investigating environmental polluters with drones.UAV Video of the WeekVideo:&nbsp;Why coaxial configuration of drones is a brilliant inventionNordic Unmanned&nbsp;has a patent for coaxial configuration on a drone. (Where two motors operate on the same axis, rotating in opposite directions.) The company will license the concept as a product. For more, see&nbsp;Nordic Unmanned – Coaxial Configuration Patent.UAV NewsAmazon drones are coming to town. Some locals want to shoot them.Amazon recently announced they would begin delivering packages by drone in the United States. Six months ago the company notified local authorities in unincorporated Lockeford, California. The drone facility is under construction, but residents are just hearing about it now and are not all supportive.Airrow is automating battery and payload swapping for dronesAirrow&nbsp;is an LA-based startup developing an autonomous device that swaps drone batteries and payloads. They say, “The biggest problem with drones today is the manual labor behind each drone’s ground operation.” Airrow believes that up to 80% of the daily operational costs for drones can be eliminated by “removing human labor from the mundane job of servicing a drone’s routine operation.” They call their solution Dronehub.How Drones Will Transform Battlefield Medicine – and Save LivesIn combat operations, one significant way to save lives is to provide blood products to forward-deployed medics and corpsmen quickly. Blood loss (or “bleeding out”) is reported to be the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield. Drones could offer a way to deliver blood products quickly.Drones in sports: Evolution of sports through digital eyesIndian sports company KreedOn looks at how drones impact sports:Training and game analyticsGet food delivered to your seatPre-game and halftime entertainment<a href="https://www.kreedon.com/drones-in-sports-its-evolution-know-crucial-impacts-of-drones-in-sports/#Drones_in_sport_-_Security_and_sanitation" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

The&nbsp;Dufour Aerospace&nbsp;CCO tells us about the manned and unmanned tilt-wing eVTOL platforms being developed by the company.Dufour AerospaceSascha Hardegger&nbsp;is the Chief Commercial Officer at Dufour Aerospace, a Swiss-based eVTOL startup developing manned and unmanned tilt-wing platforms. The company is currently focused on the Aero2 VTOL drone aircraft and the Aero3 next-generation 8-seat emergency medical service VTOL. Both aircraft feature tilt wings.The remotely-piloted Aero2 has a maximum takeoff weight of 150 kg (331 lbs), a payload of 40 kg (88 lbs) in standard configuration, and 20 kg (44 lbs) in long-range configuration. Cruise speed is up to 170 km/h (92 kts). Propulsion comes from four wing-mounted motors powering four propellers and two tail fans. A prototype is flying and Dufour is progressing toward a&nbsp;hybrid-electric propulsion system. Aero2 use cases include critical cargo transport, cargo to remote locations, and remote sensing.Find&nbsp;Dufour Aerospace&nbsp;on Twitter&nbsp;@DufourAero&nbsp;and be sure to see the company’s&nbsp;YouTube channel.Sascha is responsible for the commercial activities of Dufour Aerospace. He’s the former ops director of Swiss REGA, the largest HEMS operator in Switzerland. Sascha led their initial foray into drone operations for Search and Rescue. He has worked as a journalist, a media spokesperson for the Swiss federal department of justice and police, and on peace-keeping missions abroad for the military. He is also an aviation enthusiast with time spent flying planes, gliders, paragliders, RC models, and drones.Video:&nbsp;Dufour Aerospace: Combining the best of airplanes and helicopters

The Navy says they were drones not UFOs, an air assault experiment with a drone swarm, drone deployment planned for Africa, a drone that kills wasps, flying in the wind with deep learning, the unique view from above, and Walmart drone delivery service expansion.UAV NewsNavy Ships Swarmed By Drones, Not UFOs, Defense Officials ConfirmThe U.S. Navy says the objects detected in 2019 off the California coast were drones.&nbsp;This comes from statements by Department of Defense officials at the recent House hearing on UFOs.28-Drone Swarm Just Led The Way For A Simulated Air Assault MissionAt the 2022 Experimental Demonstration Gateway Exercise (EDGE 22) in Utah, the U.S. Army conducted an experiment where one operator controlled a swarm of 28 drones controlled through a mesh tactical network. The swarm searched for simulated enemy positions and sent back tactical data. The swarm was overseen by a surrogate for the Army’s Future Attack Recon Aircraft (FARA).Wingcopter to deploy 12,000 delivery drones across sub-Saharan AfricaGerman drone delivery company&nbsp;Wingcopter&nbsp;and Continental Drones, a subsidiary of Ghana- and Dubai-based&nbsp;Atlantic Trust Holding, announced a partnership where they plan to build a network of 12,000&nbsp;Wingcopter 198&nbsp;drones in Africa. They’ll deliver health care products such as medicine, vaccines, and laboratory samples. The drones will be deployed over five years, starting in 2023 and the network will span 49 sub-Saharan countries.Wasp-Killing spray drone finds new frontiersAeroPest&nbsp;has created a precision spraying drone called the Hummingbird. It can be used to control elevated pests like wasps with an articulating nozzle. Other applications can apply liquid at any height, including de-icing fluid and industrial machinery lubrication. The system should be available 3rd quarter of 2022.Neural-Fly Improves Drones’ Wind-Speed Capability – U.S. StudyCalifornia Institute of Technology (Caltech) engineers have created Neural-Fly, which uses deep-learning technology to allow drones can react to unexpected wind conditions in real-time. Research scientist Soon-Jo Chung explained: “The issue is that the direct and specific effect of various wind conditions on aircraft dynamics, performance, and stability cannot be accurately characterised as a simple mathematical model.” So they employ a technique called “separation” where the neural network is “pre-trained” and only a small number of parameters need to be altered in real-time.Th-airs something you don’t see every day! Drone snaps reveal extraordinary sights only...

Public meeting scheduled for BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee Final Report, the MQ-9B STOL, Skyward is closing, bombs dropping from commercial drones, an indoor drone from DJI, Commercial UAV Expo 2022, and drone docking systems.UAV NewsFAA: Unmanned Aircraft Systems beyond Visual Line of Sight Aviation Rulemaking Committee Final ReportThe UAS Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) has scheduled a public meeting for June 22, 2022. Its purpose is to give the public an opportunity to comment on the UAS&nbsp;BVLOS ARC Final Report.The meeting will be held virtually from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. On the day of the event, the Livestream can be viewed on&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;or&nbsp;YouTube. Members of the public who wish to provide written comments and/or oral comments may email&nbsp;[email protected]. Meeting minutes and other information will be posted on the&nbsp;FAA webpage.To see the March 10, 2022, final report, visit&nbsp;Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) Operations Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC).MQ-9B STOL, first aircraft in its class to offer short takeoff and landingGeneral Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. developed a kit for the MQ-9B SeaGuardian giving it short takeoff and landing, or STOL, capability. The kit allows the aircraft to operate from shorter fields (less than 1,000 ft) compared to the roughly 3,500-foot runways it currently requires.Verizon is closing its Skyward drone management companyVerizon bought the Skyward drone management business in 2017. In a surprise announcement, Verizon now says it will close down Skyward on June 30, 2022, to focus on higher near-term growth activities.Skyward Is Closing—What Does This Mean for LAANC and for Parrot’s ANAFI Ai?Skyward launched in 2013 and provided LAANC services starting in 2017. The company conducted a remote drone operation in 2020 without a pilot present in a Washington state wildfire, helped establish Remote ID requirements, and partnered in 2021 with Parrot to provide 4G LTE connectivity for its ANAFI Ai.Now There’s A Drum Magazine For Dropping Multiple Bombs From Commercial DronesReports are unconfirmed that a Dutch company (unnamed) has developed a drum magazine for commercial drones that holds and drops...

We discuss the C-UAS National Action Plan recently released by the White House. The Plan calls for specific measures that address shortfalls in the ability of law enforcement to protect against rogue drones.Domestic Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems National Action PlanIn&nbsp;episode 401, we talked about the&nbsp;Domestic Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems National Action Plan&nbsp;issued by the White House. We wanted to explore this Action Plan in more detail so we invited&nbsp;Jeffrey Starr,&nbsp;the Chief Marketing Officer at&nbsp;D-Fend Solutions&nbsp;to join us for an analysis of the Action Plan.The Action Plan seeks to protect against the increasing threat of UAS in unauthorized airspace by calling on Congress to “adopt legislation to close critical gaps in existing law and policy that currently impede government and law enforcement from protecting the American people and our vital security interests.”In our conversation, we look at some of the elements of the Plan, including;Extending detection and mitigation authority to State, Local, Territorial, Tribal (SLTT), and Critical Infrastructure LevelsCreating an authorized technology listPlacement of C-UAS mitigation equipment at critical infrastructure sitesA National training centerA Federal UAS incident tracking databaseEstablishing a comprehensive criminal statuteJeffrey points out that the Plan safeguards the expansion of positive UAS activity while also protecting against malicious actors. He also makes the case that next-generation detection and mitigation technologies must be employed to overcome the limitations of legacy systems.We thank Jeffrey for bringing his knowledge and experience to the conversation about the issues that the Administration’s Action Plan seeks to address.D-Fend Solutions&nbsp;supports the growth of safe and secure drone adoption, along with innovative solutions that defend against rogue drone threats. Their technology has protected world leaders, gatherings, and organizations from the threat of rogue drones, including at the G7 Summit and championship sporting events. The company’s flagship offering is EnforceAir, which has been deployed worldwide at forward-operating bases, borders and ports, international airports, federal government agencies, and many other places.

A new vertiport opens in England, a new military tactical UAS, detect-and-avoid system deployment at a UAS test site, major Army drone swarm test, request for malicious drone legislation, NTSB wants more drones and pilots, DJI suspends business in Russia and Ukraine, and Drone Safety Day.UAV NewsWorld’s first airport for drones opens in the heart of CoventryAn&nbsp;Air-One vertiport&nbsp;opened in Coventry, England for demonstrations of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. It is planned to remain in Coventry for at least a month then will move to other UK locations, and internationally. The circular vertiport structure with a central takeoff and landing zone includes traveler processing, arrival/departure lounge, baggage scanning, and retail.Urban-Air Port Limited&nbsp;designs, develops, manufactures, sells, and operates infrastructure for urban air transport such as air taxis and autonomous delivery drones. The company wants to create a ground infrastructure that permits a “zero-emission-mobility ecosystem” and cuts congestion and air pollution. The company plans more than 200 vertiports worldwide over the next five years.Meet ‘Phoenix Ghost,’ the US Air Force’s new drone perfect for Ukraine’s war with RussiaThe Phoenix Ghost Tactical UAS was designed by the US Air Force and manufactured by&nbsp;AEVEX Aerospace. Similar to the Switchblade, it’s believed to be a single-use drone but the Pentagon isn’t providing any details.NUAIR Partners with CAL Analytics and FAAUnder a Technical Assistance program with the FAA, CAL Analytics will deploy its detect-and-avoid system for low-altitude BVLOS operations at the New York UAS Test Site. NUAIR (the&nbsp;Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance) manages the 50-mile Drone Corridor and FAA uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) Test Site at Griffiss International Airport in New York.&nbsp;The CAL detect-and-avoid service provides a suite of UTM services including situational awareness, conflict detection, health monitoring, and various weather services. The recent BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee recommended that the FAA develop a methodology for approving safety-critical UTM services for BVLOS.Army To Test Its Biggest Interactive Drone Swarm Ever Over UtahThe Army’s 2022 Experimental Demonstration Gateway Exercise (EDGE 22) will test up to 30 small networked drones launched from air and ground vehicles. This will include Area-I&nbsp;ALTIUS 600&nbsp;drones and Raytheon-built&nbsp;Coyote&nbsp;drones. The swarm will use infrared sensors and electronic warfare payloads to detect enemy signals, establish their positions, and send the information back through the network to command

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 lawsUAV NewsDroniq CEO Jan-Eric Putze on Creating a UAV and eVTOL EcosystemDroniq&nbsp;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.Read more about&nbsp;U-Space:The U-Space Deadline is January 2023. What Has to Happen Before That? A Conversation with ANRAs Amit GanjooFrance Chooses 8 UTM Providers to Create a Best of Breed Integrated Solution U-Space TogetherPutze is also the president of the&nbsp;Alliance for New Mobility Europe&nbsp;(AME), a new organization that brings together stakeholders in the European UAV and eVTOL market.Australian hypersonic UAV project awarded $2.95 million federal fundingThe project partners are developing the DART CMP Airframe, a hydrogen-powered vehicle using the Hypersonix&nbsp;SPARTAN&nbsp;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&nbsp;Hypersonix Launch Systems&nbsp;(Sydney), the&nbsp;University of Southern Queensland&nbsp;(Toowoomba),&nbsp;LSM Advanced Composites&nbsp;(Harlaxton), and&nbsp;Romar&nbsp;Engineering&nbsp;(Sefton).300 Drones Formed a QR Code That Rick Rolled Dallas on April Fools’ DaySky Elements Drone Shows&nbsp;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...

The proposed BREEZE drone for Venus, a tethered drone for first responders, river rescue missions, taking out drones with Thor’s hammer, UAS over the Arctic, drone deliveries to offshore wind farms, and hobby drones in Ukraine.UAV NewsNASA considers bird-like drones to explore Venus’s atmosphereNASA wants to study the use of drones that fly through the Venusian atmosphere and study the planet.&nbsp;BREEZE, or Bioinspired Ray for Extreme Environments and Zonal Exploration, will be funded for a two-year concept study. The BREEZE drones would be inflatable, fly at altitudes between 50-60 km, and ride zonal winds. This is one of 17 proposals under the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program.Video:&nbsp;BREEZE | A Revolutionary Ray-inspired Airship Concept for Aerial Venus ExplorationNCDOT launches national first with tethered drones on IMAP TrucksThree years ago, in&nbsp;episode 285, we covered the&nbsp;Fotokite&nbsp;tethered drone and their partnership with Pierce Manufacturing. Now we see that the North Carolina Department of Transportation is launching a pilot with Fotokite. Some IMAP (Incident Management Assistance Patrol) vehicles will be fitted with tethered drones to provide situational awareness to the NCDOT Operations and Traffic Management Centers and assist with overall traffic management of the incidents.Iris Automation receives FAA waiver to test BVLOS drones in Nevada river rescue missionsThe&nbsp;Iris Automation&nbsp;waiver allows them to fly BVLOS in a rural, unpopulated area south of Reno, Nevada using the company’s Casia X detect and avoid system. Iris is working with the City of Reno and the Reno Fire Department (RFD) which conducts about 40 rescues per year at the Truckee River.Killing drones with Thor’s hammer: Air Force eyes counter-UAS ‘Mjölnir’ weaponThe Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded a $26 million counter-UAS contract to&nbsp;Leidos. The company will build a prototype system that disables sUAS with high-power microwaves. Called Mjölnir, the name of Thor’s hammer, it builds on previous work under the&nbsp;Tactical High Power Operational Responder, or THOR, program. THOR is a counter-swarm electromagnetic weapon that uses non-kinetic energy to defeat multiple targets. In 2020, the Defense Department became so concerned it created the&nbsp;Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Office, led by the Army.<a...

The design for a large autonomous cargo drone, important noise research, Ford’s idea for a vehicle inspection drone, a high-speed VTOL concept challenge, identifying human trash on the beach, UAS in unsegregated airspace, Western parts in a Russian drone, the longest BVLOS waiver issued by the FAA so far, and an intelligent drone controller that “looks ahead.”UAV NewsDrones as Big as 747s Will Fly Cargo Around the World With Low Emissions, Startup SaysNatilus&nbsp;has designed a blended wing cargo drone that the company says allows it to carry 60 percent more cargo, slashes cost by 60 percent, and produces 50 percent fewer carbon emissions. Founded in 2016, the company&nbsp;announced $6 billion&nbsp;worth of pre-orders for over 440 of its aircraft. Four models are envisioned with cargo capacities ranging from 3.5 to 130 tons. Natilus has completed two wind tunnel tests and the first flight of a full-scale prototype is planned for 2023.Video:&nbsp;Natilus Wind Tunnel Test 2021Natilus Announces $6 Billion in Advance Purchase Commitments to Deliver Autonomous Cargo Aircraft to CustomersThe advanced purchase commitments are for the delivery of 440+ aircraft in pre-orders, from&nbsp;Volatus Aerospace,&nbsp;Astral Aviation,&nbsp;Aurora International,&nbsp;Dymond Group, and&nbsp;Flexport. Others are to be announced. Flexport completed a $900 million investment round and has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for two 100T Natilus aircraft, with an option for a third.Drowning Out the Sound of DronesResearchers at the University of Cincinnati are studying aeroacoustics using microphones in an anechoic chamber to test the frequency, wavelength, and amplitude of sound from drones. However, the “acceptable” noise level depends on where people are, the time of day, and the goal of the technology. For example, you might not mind the noise if the drone is delivering key medical supplies, but you might mind if it’s a pizza delivery to your neighbor.Ford wants to hide spy drones in autonomous carsFord has patented a concept where a drone is hidden somewhere inside the vehicle, specifically, inside an autonomous ride-hailing car. The secret drone could inspect the vehicle for damage after the ride. Ford is co-owner of the Argo AI autonomous car company which plans a ride-hailing service.<a...

CycloTech propulsion for eVTOLs, the first autonomous Blackhawk helicopter flight, the little drone carrying meth, universities study Verizon 5G drone applications, a Wisconsin bill to ban government use of DJI, and Navy unmanned underwater vehicles.UAV NewsMarkus Steinke on CycloTech’s cycloidal rotor conceptThe cycloidal rotor concept uses a large, open, rotating spool with airfoils that run between the ends of the spool. The vehicle has four spools (or rotors), one at each corner. Last year, Austrian company&nbsp;CycloTech&nbsp;conducted the first free flight of their technology demonstrator. The CycloRotor thrust can be directed in a 360-degree direction around the axis of rotation. The design has advantages that are desirable for eVTOL operations, including a smooth transition from vertical to horizontal flight and vice versa, precision maneuvering, and the decoupling of aircraft body attitude from the flight path.Video:&nbsp;CycloTech GmbH First Free FlightSafe, Reliable, and Uninhabited: First Autonomous BLACK HAWK® Helicopter FlightWith the flick of a switch, the DARPA S-70 Blackhawk helicopter goes from piloted to unpiloted. In this first flight, the S-70 autonomously completed a pre-flight checklist, started its engines, spun up its rotors, and took off with no crew on board. The ALIAS system (Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System) on-board sensors provided real-time obstacle data as the helicopter navigated through a simulated cityscape.Video:&nbsp;First Uninhabited Black Hawk FlightA tiny DJI drone smuggled its own weight in drugs over the US border wallLast October, the US Border Patrol spotted a DJI Mini 2 flying over the 25-foot-high fence. The drone landed in a parking lot and a Mercedes pulled up to retrieve it. An Agent grabbed the drone first. The 249g DJI Mini 2 was carrying 259g of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) obtained a warrant to search the drone for evidence that might lead to the pilot. It’s not clear if the warrant asks DJI to provide information about the drone flight.Verizon taps universities for 5G drones, manufacturingVerizon is working with two universities to develop and demonstrate use cases for low-latency networks. Verizon deployed millimeter wave 5G at the California Institute of Technology and the Pennsylvania State University. The universities will trial using AI to interpret drone data and research ways to improve and automate manufacturing processes.INTERVIEW: Sen. Roger Roth on bill to ban Chinese-made dronesWisconsin State Senator&nbsp;Roger Roth&nbsp;represents Senate District 19 and co-sponsored&nbsp;<a...

A drone-as-a-service company is building a country-wide network in Germany, drones as tools, the impact of AI on UAV capability, a new hypersonic drone, an apple-picking drone, creating a digital twin of a national treasure, and a lethal killer drone.UAV NewsBeagle Systems launches first station in country-wide drone networkIn Germany,&nbsp;Beagle Systems GmbH&nbsp;is building a nationwide network of landing and charging stations for drones. Beagle Systems is a drone-as-a-service provider that specializes in long-range UAS flights that are controlled from the Hamburg company headquarters. The company hopes to serve the delivery, courier, and express services market.The Real-Life Evolution of the DroneEarly on, some people considered drones to be “toys.” But drones have come a long way since then. Now they are tools for marketing, wildfire restoration, wildlife study, public safety, newsgathering, and a lot more.The Role Of Drones In Connecting AI And Human IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence (AI) plays an increasing role in the missions of UAVs. Deep learning algorithms are trained with images and used to classify items detected by a variety of sensors.&nbsp;Affordable AI solutions are available and their integration with drones will continue to accelerate.Hypersonix and Kratos to Launch Hypersonic Drone Next YearThe DART AE drone is 3D-printed and powered by a hydrogen scramjet engine. A&nbsp;Kratos Defense&nbsp;booster will accelerate the vehicle to over Mach 5, then the&nbsp;Hypersonix Launch Systems Ltd.&nbsp;scramjet engine will ignite. Mach 5 to 12 speeds are claimed for the engine which has been tested in a shock tunnel up to Mach 10. The drone will fly autonomously “along a programmed flight path to a predetermined landing location.”Apple drones are now reality… in orchards cultivating fruitApple growers have found that it is difficult to find workers to pick apples. Israeli startup&nbsp;Tevel Aerobotics Technologies&nbsp;is offering its Flying Autonomous Robots (FAR) platform. A ground vehicle slowly drives between rows of fruit trees while several quadcopters are tethered to the vehicle. They have arms and articulated grippers that identify ripe apples, pick them and place the crop on QR-coded spots.&nbsp;How Did Data Captured by Drones Help Create a Digital Twin of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge?The Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Hungary opened in 1849 and is an historic landmark. Upgrade work on the 380m-long, 14.8m-wide suspension bridge began in 2021 and they wanted to capture a “digital twin” of the bridge. A team worked to scan and model the bridge&nbsp;using ground surveys, aerial scans, and...

A $1B counter-UAS contract, Kittyhawk air mobility, sports game halted, no recreational drones in UAE, medical deliveries in the Navajo Nation, locating pets after a disaster, peeking at volcanos, an unidentified drone spotted, and a drone research contract at a UAS test site.UAV NewsUS Special Ops Command Awards $1B Counter-Drone ContractAnduril Industries&nbsp;has won a 10-year, $1 billion counter-UAS integration contract. Awarded by US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Anduril is to “deliver, advance, and sustain” counter-UAS sensors and systems in a layered configuration. Anduril’s cUAS Lattice system includes a solar-powered Sentry Tower with sensors and the Anvil sUAS, all running on the Lattice operating system. The system “autonomously detects, classifies, and tracks targets, alerting operators to threats and allowing options for mitigation or engagement.”A Larry Page-backed drone guru expects you to be a future passenger. Here’s whyLarry Page funded&nbsp;Kittyhawk&nbsp;and picked up a portion of 3D Robotics, co-founded by Chris Anderson, now the Kittyhawk COO. Kittyhawk pivoted from air mobility with a pilot to pilotless.I am a drone guy, and this was the perfect, obvious next chapter, just bigger drones and the use case is so much more obvious, moving people from A to B more quickly and as cheaply as a car is the kind of mission I can get behind. On the tech side, there is no reason we can’t move a significant fraction of people off the roads and into the sky.Chris AndersonPremier League clash between Brentford and Wolves halted for 19 minutes due to a DRONE hovering over the west London stadiumPlay of the English Premier League was halted due to an “unofficial drone” flying over the field. Both teams returned to the dressing rooms while a helicopter was used to try and shoo the drone away.UAE bans flying of recreational drones after fatal attackRecreational drones and light sport aircraft have been banned in the United Arab Emirates. This follows a fatal drone attack on an oil facility and a major airport. Also, some people were flying drones outside the area of their permits, often into areas where drones are prohibited. The penalty for violating the ban is heavy:&nbsp;Six months in jail and Dh100,000 fine for flying drones in the UAE, prosecutors says.Navajo Nation to use drones to deliver medical suppliesThe “Healing Eagle Feather” project is a partnership between&nbsp;MissionGo&nbsp;and the Navajo Nation to deliver medical supplies and other essentials with drones to people in remote...

A partnership for hydrogen drones and another partnership for maritime drone deliveries, Lithium-Air batteries, drones attacking U.S. troops, flying a drone over a school, UPS commitment to delivery drones, flying in the fog, and how to save a dog with a drone.UAV NewsSoCalGas to deploy Doosan hydrogen drones in pipeline inspectionsAt this year’s CES,&nbsp;Southern California Gas Co.&nbsp;announced a partnership with&nbsp;Doosan Mobility Innovation&nbsp;(DMI) and&nbsp;GTI&nbsp;to launch a hydrogen drone demonstration. DMI will be demonstrating their DS30 octocopter drone system that uses a DMI hydrogen fuel cell powerpack for up to 120 minutes of flight time. The DS30 can carry an 11-pound maximum payload and monitor a 1-mile-long pipeline in a single flight. SoCalGas plans to use the DS30 drone for natural gas pipeline inspections.&nbsp;Zero CO2 Emissions Drone Delivery with Sky-Drones TechnologiesSky-Drones Technologies&nbsp;and&nbsp;F-Drones&nbsp;are partnering to provide maritime deliveries. F-Drones Focuses on deliveries between shore, ships, and offshore platforms. They use electric autonomous VTOLs. Sky-Drones Technologies offers hardware and software for flight control, ground control, communication systems, and a cloud-based management platform. With Sky-Drones’ technology, F-Drones can relay, record, and replay live video footage from their VTOLs.Video:&nbsp;SmartAP AIRLink – How it’s madeScientists Design Lithium-air Batteries for Commercial Use in EVs, DronesLithium-ion batteries are nice but don’t have the energy density we’d like. On the other hand,&nbsp;Lithium-air batteries could have two to five times the energy density. The development of rechargeable Li-air batteries has progressed, but the study of their operation in real-world applications is lacking.A shadowy drone force keeps attacking US troopsAmerican troops in Iraq have been attacked with drones three times this year. All drones were shot down during attacks near Baghdad airport and near an airbase. Small drones have been used in other attacks, including in Syria, Iraq, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia.Policy addresses drones over school propertyThe Wilkes North Carolina school board has a new policy for flying drones over school property. It requires a written request for permission submitted to the superintendent or his designee at least three days in advance. Names and contact information for anyone connected with the flight are required, as well as proof of insurance coverage, proof of any required FAA permits, proof of any required N.C. Department of...

What the eVTOL industry can learn from helicopters, a counter-unmanned aircraft missile/drone, a birthday drone light show, saving lives with a drone, fused sensor data across manned and unmanned aircraft, and getting the most from the DJI Mavic 3 drone.UAV News5 Lessons eVTOL Can Learn from Legacy Helicopter AirlinesWe see what the emerging eVTOL industry can learn from the history of helicopter airlines: safety first, encouraging public acceptance, keeping a critical eye on operating costs, maintaining tight routes, and including the first and last mile.Dog owner spends nearly $16K on drones to celebrate pooch’s birthdayA woman in China hired 520 drones to spell out “Happy 10th birthday to Doudou” for her dog. The drone light show featured a birthday cake and a jack-in-a-box-like present. Authorities said they would have shot down the drones if they had seen them.This Footage Of Jet-Powered Coyote Drones Obliterating Other Drones Is IncredibleRaytheon Missiles &amp; Defense&nbsp;released a video showing Coyote missiles launched from a truck and taking out different fixed-wing drones. In partnership with the U.S. Army’s Integrated Fires and Rapid Capabilities Office, the tests used precision targeting radar and mobile sensing radar&nbsp;to detect and defeat drones of varying size and range. Raytheon says the Coyote 2s have a “dogfight-type of capability” and are capable of engaging highly maneuverable targets.Video:&nbsp;Raytheon Missiles &amp; Defense proves counter-UAS effectiveness against enemy dronesDrone helps save cardiac arrest patient in SwedenA 71-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest while shoveling snow in Sweden.&nbsp;Everdrone&nbsp;dispatched an autonomous drone with an Automated External Defibrillator. It arrived within 3 minutes and a doctor on the scene used the defibrillator at the man’s house – all this before the ambulance arrived.Video:&nbsp;Everdrone’s emergency medical delivery service in action in SwedenTwo GA-ASI Avengers Equipped with Lockheed Martin Legion Pods Autonomously Send Fused Air Threat Data to Command CenterGeneral Atomics Aeronautical Systems&nbsp;(GA-ASI) has demonstrated sending fused sensor data to a command center. The long-range air threat data was captured passively by two Avenger® Unmanned Aircraft Systems and fused by an advanced sensor algorithm. The Avengers were each equipped with a&nbsp;Lockheed Martin Legion Pod®. GA-ASI Senior Director of Advanced Programs Michael Atwood said, “Avenger with Legion Pod demonstrates how collaborative...

RaceDayQuads v. FAA&nbsp;and the Remote ID rule, drones for law enforcement and telehealth, Russian attack drones and drones that recharge from power lines, a DARPA program for underwater drones, and finding lost hikers.UAV NewsD.C. Circuit May Blow Up the Remote Identification Rule for DronesOral arguments were heard in the&nbsp;RaceDayQuads v. FAA&nbsp;case where the FAA’s remote identification (RID) rule is being challenged.In brief, the RID rule applies to small drones (0.55-55 lbs) which would broadcast a “digital license plate” over WiFi and/or Bluetooth with a unique identifier, position, altitude, velocity, control station coordinates, and other “message elements.” The broadcast would be openly accessible by anyone.&nbsp;This RID capability must be either hardwired into the drone (Standard Remote ID) or attached externally in the form of a module (Broadcast Module RID or BMID). Drones without RID can only fly in FAA-recognized identification areas (FRIAs) under the purview of community-based organizations and educational institutions.Manufacturers have until September 2022 to comply. Drone operators have until September 2023 to comply.RaceDayQuads&nbsp;(RDQ) is a large online retailer that supports first-person view (FPV) drone-racing customers. RDQ’s co-founder and CEO, Tyler Brennan said he seeks “to protect the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens to be free from unreasonable searches from the government when they are flying in their own backyards.” RDQ alleges that:The rule is a violation of the Fourth Amendment because it allows warrantless tracking in a backyard.The FAA arbitrarily and capriciously relied on undisclosed&nbsp;ex parte&nbsp;communications during the rulemaking process.The final rule was not a logical outgrowth from the NPRM.The FAA failed to comply with a legal mandate to consult with Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).The FAA failed to address significant public comments as required by the Administrative Procedure Act.&nbsp;For its part, the Government contends:Merely requiring RID technology onboard a drone does not equate to an unreasonable search.&nbsp;Planes flying in public view do not give rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy.Even if the rule did violate the Fourth Amendment, the special needs exception would legally justify it.A ruling is likely to come sometime in early 2022.&nbsp;Autonomous drones to respond to gunshots in new policing systemUS company&nbsp;ShotSpotter&nbsp;and Israel-based&nbsp;Airobotics&nbsp;are teaming to provide Israeli law enforcement agencies with a system that detects and locates gunfire, alerts the police, and provides live drone video footage and stills of the scene. ShotSpotter would identify and locate the sound of gunshots with a network of acoustic sensors. Airobotics would deploy its autonomous drones to the ShotSpotter coordinates.Special Delivery: Drones bring the doctor to you: Medicine’s next big thing?Manish Kumar, Ph.D., Professor of Mechanical...

Measuring kinetic energy to certify drone flights over people, additional funding for Dedrone, documenting endangered heritage sites, Italian heavy-lift multirotors, testing the MQ-25 refueling drone on an aircraft carrier, defining the “next” Reaper, an FAA grant for UAS training, and Navy harassment by drone swarms.UAV NewsTest methods for drones help put a crucial rule for safe flights over people into practiceTo certify drones for flight over people, the FAA links injury severity to kinetic energy. But the classic calculation of kinetic energy using mass and velocity makes some assumptions that aren’t applicable to a drone hitting a human head. So the&nbsp;Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership&nbsp;(MAAP) along with the&nbsp;Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics&nbsp;developed a testing methodology for the actual kinetic energy from a drone impact.Dedrone Secures $30.5 Million Series C to Protect Airspace Against Unauthorized DronesAxon Invests in Dedrone: Partnership Between Public Safety and Counter Drone TechnologiesAirspace security company&nbsp;Dedrone&nbsp;closed a $30.5 million Series C financing round led by&nbsp;Axon&nbsp;and including previous investors. Dedrone sold over 1,000 sensors in the past year that detect, identify, and locate over 200 different types of drones. Customers include more than 65 critical infrastructures, 50 correctional facilities, 20 airports, 10 Fortune 500 companies, and four of the seven G-7 nations.Using drones to capture coastal heritage before it’s lostThe&nbsp;Seaford Head Project&nbsp;wants to assess and record the archeology of Seaford Head before it is lost to coastal erosion. They are developing ways to quickly assess the situation and record the data, including using drones to survey the site and create 3D models. The project intends to create

Guided cargo delivery drone from Silent Arrow, the best cities for flying a drone, bringing power to those without, sailing the Gulf Stream, an airline plans for drone delivery, protecting the Pope from rogue drones, and DJI end of support.UAV NewsThese gliding drones could deliver supplies from Air Force planes to the battlefieldDrone maker&nbsp;Silent Arrow® has won a contract from the Air Force for 15 “Precision Guided Cargo Delivery Drones.” In this Small Business Innovation Research (“SBIR”) Phase II contract, the GD-2000 (Glider, Disposable, 2000 pounds) platform will be scaled down and called the Silent Arrow Precision Guided Bundle (SA-PGB). Initially developed as an autonomous cargo delivery glider, it will be designed for side door and multi-unit (swarm) ramp deployment. The SA-PGB will be compatible with a fleet of delivery aircraft.The best cities for flying a drone (and one you should definitely avoid)This article provides information about cities with drone-friendly areas and photographic views. Most locations are in unrestricted Class G airspace. The best: Philadelphia, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Chicago, IL, Bar Harbor, ME, Houston, TX.Power drones: Toyota supplier tries novel fix to disaster outagesJapanese automotive supplier&nbsp;Aisan&nbsp;has a concept for a disaster relief drone that could deliver power to areas that are cut off from the grid. The gasolene-powered engine would charge a battery that could power lights and recharge phones.Three ocean drones launched from Newport; will spend six months gathering data from Gulf StreamThe uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) have been sent on a mission to sail through the Gulf Stream. The&nbsp;Saildrone&nbsp;vehicles will spend six months collecting data to assist weather forecasting and carbon accounting. This effort is led by the University of Rhode Island (URI) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). It’s funded by a grant from the Google.org Impact Challenge on Climate. The Saildrones are designed to survive harsh weather conditions that crewed ships could not.SpiceJet plans drone delivery service for medical and essential supplies in remote areasIndian domestic airline&nbsp;SpiceJet&nbsp;plans to introduce a drone delivery service to serve remote areas for medical and other essential supplies. The customized drones will allow for different payload weights and the initial focus is mid-mile deliveries. Last-mile deliveries are planned for later. The airline’s cargo unit SpiceXpress will provide the service in partnership with&nbsp;Throttle Aerospace&nbsp;for the drones and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aeologic.com/"...

A perching drone saves battery power, drones that connect communities, considerations for photography drones, Covid vaccination deliveries, secret combat drones, breaking up street racing, Airmap acquires DroneUp, and NOTAMs and drones.UAV NewsWatch this falcon-esque drone perch and carry objects like a birdEngineers at Stanford University created robotic talons that can be attached to a drone so it can perch and carry objects like a bird. The SNAG (Stereotyped Nature-Inspired Aerial Grasper) has two independently moving legs inspired by the peregrine falcon. The 3D-printed “bones” articulate with motors and fishing lines that act like muscles and tendons.The legs and claws of the perching drone grasp quickly, in no more than 20 milliseconds. When the SNAG accelerometer detects an impact with the perch, it activates a balancing algorithm and tilts the drone forward, just like a bird does.Video:&nbsp;Stanford engineers create perching bird-like robotDrones on Cape Cod: Skyports and MassDOT Partner to Connect Remote CommunitiesThe Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Division has partnered with&nbsp;Skyports&nbsp;to investigate connecting remote Cape Cod communities. The Department wants to provide emergency medical delivery after storms or other natural disasters and everyday services such as healthcare and logistics. Cape Cod is composed of difficult-to-reach islands and peninsulas.6 Important Things To Consider Before Buying A Drone For PhotographyStyle of the DroneFlying Range and Battery LifeFlight Control System and TransmitterIs Raw or DNG Format Support Necessary?Camera Quality and SupportSafety Features and Intelligent FunctionsIndia tests drone delivery of COVID-19 vaccine in remote JammuVaccine deliveries in remote regions can be problematic. But in India where the travel time can be two hours by road, a multirotor drone can make the same trip in 20 minutes. India’s CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories has developed the octocopter that can carry a 10-kilogram payload over a range of 20 kilometers.Two New Secret Drone Programs Could Emerge In The Air Force’s Next Budget ProposalDevelopment money for two classified unmanned air combat vehicles is planned for the 2023 fiscal budget. The combat drones would be designed to operate alongside the Next-Generation Air Dominance Program (NGAD) and the B-21 bomber, both classified programs. Teal Group’s Richard Aboulafia speculates this could be Skyborg – the loyal wingman program. See also,&nbsp;2 new secret combat drones are in the works, Air Force secretary says.<a...

FAA launches the “12 Days of Drones” campaign, the dangers of drones to aircraft, injunctions against local drone rules, $9,000 drone from Sony, long-endurance electric solar drone, amphibious drone tanker, and a Navy drone hub.UAV NewsLooking to buy a drone this holiday? These are the FAA operating rules, regulationsThe FAA’s “12 Days of Drones” educational campaign is underway to help the public understand how to fly holiday drones safely.&nbsp;The campaign’s safety messages will be posted on the FAA Drone Zone&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;and&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;accounts throughout the week. The FAA also released a&nbsp;new video&nbsp;reminding everyone of the rules and regulations that drone pilots must follow.Aviation expert weighs in on how to decrease drone dangers to aircraftCaptain John Cox&nbsp;says geofencing, FAA prioritization and enforcement, and increased requirements for drone licensing could help the situation.Michigan judge blocks county’s drone ban on public propertiesA circuit court judge in Michigan issued an injunction that blocks Ottawa County from restricting drone flights in parks and banning them at other public properties. It also prohibits the local authority from restricting recordings at county land or facilities. The judge ruled that local restrictions violated Michigan’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act (UASA) which defers to federal laws. The&nbsp;Michigan Coalition of Drone Operators&nbsp;filed the complaint.Sony’s $9,000 pro drone starts shipping Christmas EveThe Sony&nbsp;AirPeak S1&nbsp;is a pro-level quadcopter designed for the Sony Alpha series of full-frame mirrorless cameras. Sony developed the propulsion device and flight control system. Flight time is up to 22 minutes without a payload. Retractable landing gear provides an unobstructed camera field of view. Pre-orders are open and the estimated ship date is December 24, 2021. The suggested retail price is $9,000. Gimbal ($2,200), camera, and lens sold separatelyVideo:&nbsp;Key features | Airpeak S1E-solar-thermal drone flies marathon test missionThe K1000ULE is an electric-, solar-, and thermal-powered UAV that comes from California startup&nbsp;Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, which focuses on “ultra long-endurance unmanned aerial...

Personal eVTOL, Navy and Marines resupply drones, an Army UAS, drones on construction sites, UAS support for hypersonic missile testing, weaponized drones, a contraband-carrying drone, and drone video evidence in a high-profile criminal case.UAV NewsPersonal eVTOL Vehicles: AIR CEO Believes in the Flying Cars of the FutureAIR&nbsp;is a Tel Aviv-based company that has unveiled its first product offering, the AIR One two-seat personal eVTOL. Designed for recreation and short commutes, the AIR One is powered by a 60 Kw-hour lithium-ion battery and offers a range of up to 110 miles on a single charge at a speed up to 155 miles per hour.AIR CEO and co-founder Rani Plaut believes that UAM composed of commercial eVTOL vehicles like air taxis has certification and regulatory challenges that will cause the industry to move forward very slowly. Instead, personal eVTOL products based on the automotive model will be more successful short-term. The company has flown unmanned test missions of its prototypes using its Fly by Intent software.US Navy Trials Logistics Drones for Sea, Land MissionsUAS are being tested for front-line warfighter re-supply. Trials were held by the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems program office and&nbsp;Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division&nbsp;(NAWCAD). The Marine-focused UAS is the TRUAS (Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System) for on-shore tactical resupply up to 150 pounds. The Navy-focused UAS is the BWUAS (Blue Water logistics UAS) with longer range but lower payload capacity (30-50 pounds).The Army is testing drones that can deliver life-saving blood to the battlefieldArmy researchers are working with&nbsp;Near Earth Autonomy&nbsp;and&nbsp;L3Harris Technologies&nbsp;to develop autonomous unmanned aircraft that can deliver blood to the battlefield. A demonstration flight of the L3Harris FVR-90 drone was conducted in Fort Pickett, Virginia. The drone maps the landing zone to identify a safe landing point. See:&nbsp;Near Earth Autonomy, L3Harris Demonstrate Blood Delivery via Drones.Video:&nbsp;Project Crimson – Long Endurance Precision Delivery 8/21Drones becoming ever more common on construction sitesThe article provides general background information on drones and the industry, but contains some inaccuracies, as pointed out in a comment by a reader with&nbsp;MKE Drones, an aerial service provider in Milwaukee offering drone imagery.<a...

Where to get Hydrogen for fuel cells, Boeing loyal wingman milestone, new drone rules for Oregon, Gremlins snatched in mid-air, a drone attack on the U.S. power grid, and Black Friday drone deals.UAV NewsThe Potential of Hydrogen Fuel Cells for UASDoosan Mobility Innovation Co., Ltd.&nbsp;is using a hydrogen fuel cell to increase range, and they have partnered with a hydrogen supplier to serve customers.&nbsp;ReadyH2&nbsp;offers hydrogen tank rental and refueling with delivery to the customer worksite. Approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the hydrogen tanks are made with a carbon-fiber composite and are lined with a high-density polymer liner.Video:&nbsp;CUAVA Expo: DoosanBoeing Loyal Wingman UAV’s Landing Gear Engaged for the First TimeBoeing Australia has reached a milestone with its Loyal Wingman aircraft (Airpower Teaming System) where one of them extended its landing gear for the first time. The landing gear system is supplied by RUAG Australia while the flight control and navigation systems came from BAE Systems Australia. Aircraft two successfully completed its first flight mission.New rules for drones at Oregon state parks, Coast, coming for summer of 2022Oregon recently formed a drone rules committee to determine where drone pilots can take off and land at state parks and the Oregon Coast. The rules will take into account drone impacts on wildlife and personal privacy and are expected to be in place by summer 2022.C-130 Successfully Snatches Gremlins Drone In MidairDARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, reports on some successful tests with the X-61A Gremlin Air Vehicle drone. A C-130 Hercules cargo plane successfully recovered the drone in mid-air, two X-61As flew together, and the drone can be turned around within 24 hours after a mission.Video:&nbsp;DARPA Gremlins Program Demonstrates Airborne RecoveryDrone Attack on U.S. Power Grid Failed – This TimeA modified DJI Mavic 2 was recently found trailing a copper wire. It is believed this was an attempted attack on a Pennsylvania power substation in 2020. We learn about this from a recently released Joint Intelligence Bulletin (JIB) initially published on October 28, 2021, by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC).Black Friday drone deals 2021: early sales and what to expectBlack Friday 2021 is November 26, but you don’t have to wait until then. While not all retail establishments have announced their discounts on drones, some...

Hunting with drones and the fair chase concept, autonomous agile flight, thermal mapping to reduce building heat loss, Trick or Treat, the delivery drone hold-up, UAS over wildfires, and a LAANC update.UAV NewsOutdoors in Maine: Drones in the woods, and the ethical debate over whether they belongThe law in Maine says hunters cannot use drones to locate game. According to&nbsp;Title 12 Section 11216 Hunting with aid of aircraft, “A person on the ground or airborne may not use an aircraft to aid or assist in hunting bear, deer or moose.”&nbsp;Section 10001(1)&nbsp;defines an aircraft as “a machine or device designed for flight.” In 2014, Colorado became the first state to outlaw the use of drones for scouting, hunting, and taking wildlife. The concept of “fair chase,” a registered trademark of the Boone and Crockett Club, comes into play.Watch these autonomous drones zip through the woodsRapid autonomous flight in complex and changing environments is difficult, but researchers at the University of Zurich in conjunction with Intel Labs are tackling this problem. Using simulations, they are training drones to imitate expert human pilots for autonomous agile flight.Video:&nbsp;Learning High-Speed Flight in the Wild (Science Robotics, 2021)Project webpage:&nbsp;Learning High-Speed Flight in the Wild&nbsp;Warren, MN, uses drones, thermal sensors to map its heat-leaking homesThe Minnesota town of Warren is using a drone to help residents cut their energy costs. Warren is a&nbsp;Climate Smart Municipalities Partnership&nbsp;member where cities in Minnesota and Germany link up for sustainability and climate initiatives. They used a thermal sensor-equipped drone to produce a municipal map showing structural insulating inefficiencies and losses of heat. Pilots and drones came from Northland Community College.Drones have fun at Halloween 2021This is a compilation of drone Halloween videos and photos, including a drone light show in Dallas produced by&nbsp;Sky Elements Drone Shows, flying witch drones, trick or treating robots, and an Australian youngster dressed up as a Wing delivery drone.Amazon Drone Delivery Was Supposed to Start By 2018. Here’s What Happened InsteadIn 2013, Amazon announced an experimental drone delivery service. Now it’s 2021, almost 2022. Where are the Amazon delivery drones? Amazon Prime Air is still committed to delivering packages by drones, and they say, “We are pioneering new ground and it will continue to take time to create the right technology and infrastructure to safely deliver packages to...

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.UAV NewsGuidebook on Airport Response to UAS Threats, Developed by Woolpert, Published by National Safe Skies AllianceThe National Safe Skies Alliance published a 44-page guidebook titled,&nbsp;“Airport Response to Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Threats”&nbsp;[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.&nbsp;Woolpert&nbsp;was contracted to develop the document which includes examples and case studies.Ohio City Considering Anti-Drone Voyeurism LawA 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 awardPress release:&nbsp;Winners announced in 2021 AUVSI XCELLENCE Humanitarian and Public Safety AwardThe Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI) announced the winners of the XCELLENCE Humanitarian and Public Safety Awards.&nbsp;In the Humanitarian Project/Program category:UNICEF African Drone &amp; 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 &amp; Rescue servicesDrones in the Construction IndustryDrones 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 healthcareTransporting blood samples.&nbsp;Wingcopter&nbsp;has been transporting blood 26...

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 NewsBAE Systems to build T-650 cargo quadrocopter with 300kg capacityBAE Systems&nbsp;and&nbsp;Malloy Aeronautics&nbsp;want to develop an all-electric heavy-lift UAS targeted to missions for military, security, and civilian customers. The&nbsp;T-650 Heavy-Lift Electric UAS concept vehicle&nbsp;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.NOAA Data Storage Needs May Grow as Drones Become SmarterThe&nbsp;National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration&nbsp;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&nbsp;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 HallVideo:&nbsp;Drones Aid NOAA Scientists with Hurricane Tracking and Animal MonitoringThe Best Way To Watch Rallycross Is From A DroneVideo 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:&nbsp;FPV Drone Vs Rallycross RacingDrones 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.<a...

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&amp;T COWs provide cell coverage, new drone rules in India.UAV NewsTerrafugia Inc. Launches New Brand and Commercial UAVTerrafugia Inc.&nbsp;announced the launch of the new&nbsp;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 ProgramAccording 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 trainingA 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 TaeanThe 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 SystemIt’s called DRAKE (the&nbsp;Drone&nbsp;Restricted&nbsp;Access Using&nbsp;Known&nbsp;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&amp;T COW drones restoring phone service cut by Ida’s extreme weatherAT&amp;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:&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/WEIplszMzoI" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

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 AsiaUAV NewsPaladin publicly launches Knighthawk, a first response drone for citiesPaladin&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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 launchIn 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 ShipsThe 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 timesA 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 dronesNASA wants maps of the wind...

NASA’s&nbsp;System-Wide Safety&nbsp;project is focused on safe operations of unmanned vehicles in the National Airspace System.&nbsp;GuestDr. Wendy A. Okolo is the Associate Project Manager for NASA’s System-Wide Safety project, which seeks to develop new research tools, innovative aerospace technologies, and re-defined operational methods. Researchers and stakeholders are developing an integrated safety management solution that considers the new unmanned entrants into the airspace. The project looks at safety from both a design and operations perspective.Wendy describes the System-Wide Safety project, including its participants and objectives. We consider what “safety” means in this context, project methodology and timeline, beneficiaries of the project, and accomplishments to date. She explains the complexities of the project and collaborating with established and new entrants in the unmanned aircraft space.As an aerospace controls research engineer, Wendy’s expertise is in unconventional controls system design and optimization for air and space vehicles. Wendy’s research experiences include stints at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Advanced Development Programs of Lockheed Martin (the Skunkworks). She worked on multi-aircraft formation flight, and performance-optimizing flight control for the Joint Strike Fighter F-35C aircraft.At 26 years old, Wendy became the first black woman to obtain a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is the recipient of the 2020 NASA Ames Award for Researcher and the 2019 NASA Ames Early Career Researcher Award. She also received the 2019 Black Engineer of the Year Award for Most Promising Engineer in the U.S. Government, the 2019 Women In Aerospace Award for Initiative, Inspiration &amp; Impact, and the 2019 U.T. Arlington Distinguished Recent Graduate Award.

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&nbsp;T-Mobile’s 5G off to the drone racesT-Mobile is partnering with the&nbsp;Drone Racing League&nbsp;(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&nbsp;Quectel.Video from the Drone Racing League:&nbsp;Making of the Magenta 5G DroneSystem trains drones to fly around obstacles at high speedsFast 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&nbsp;Multi-fidelity black-box optimization for time-optimal quadrotor maneuvers.US Navy spends millions to develop a solar-powered UAVThe US Navy has awarded a $5 million contract to US-Spanish aerospace company&nbsp;Skydweller Aero&nbsp;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:&nbsp;Skydweller Aero Autonomous Software Flight Test – April 2021As with consumer pilots, DJI drones dominate emergency responder fleetsA survey by the&nbsp;Airborne International Response Team&nbsp;(AIRT) and its&nbsp;Droneresponders&nbsp;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&nbsp;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,...

An interactive UAS incident map, an airspace coordinator collaborates with archaeologists, a drone swarm that sniffs out gas leaks, the X-56B UAV is destroyed, making drones and air taxis quiet, and AI drones that find meteorites.UAV NewsExplore Thousands Of FAA Drone And Unidentified Aircraft Incident Reports With Our Interactive ToolThe Drive has taken FAA incident reports of UAS and unidentified aircraft and created an interactive and searchable UAS incident map. The approximately 10,400 incident reports cover the period from November of 2014 until December 2020. Find the UAS incident map at&nbsp;UAV Geography. (Be patient, it can load slowly.)Pax UAS Airspace Coordinators Collaborate with Local ArchaeologistsHistoric St. Mary’s City (HSMC) is the earliest settlement in Maryland with a fort erected in 1634. Archeologists working the site considered drones to be part of their archaeological toolkit, but they didn’t have an understanding of the regulatory requirements. Pax River’s then-UAS Airspace Coordinator Air Traffic Controller 1st Class James “Cody” Green stepped in and started working with HSMC to ensure the drone operations were safe and legal.Swarm of autonomous tiny drones can localize gas leaksResearchers at the Delft University of Technology&nbsp;Micro Air Vehicle Lab&nbsp;and Harvard University have developed a swarm of tiny drones that can autonomously detect and localize gas sources in cluttered indoor environments. The bio-inspired navigation and search strategy algorithm is called “Sniffy Bug.”Video:&nbsp;Sniffy Bug: A Fully Autonomous Swarm of Gas-Seeking Nano Quadcopters in Cluttered EnvironmentsNASA’s X-56B UAV destroyed in crash on 9 JulyA “flight anomaly” caused the vehicle to crash. The aircraft was being used to test ways to suppress flutter. It is not clear if other X-56B vehicles exist, or when testing will resume.Whisper Aero emerges from stealth to quiet drones and air taxisStartup&nbsp;Whisper Aero&nbsp;believes they can make drones quiet. An electric thruster would reduce the drone’s noise down to background levels that would be difficult for the human ear to hear. Whisper isn’t saying much about their thruster design.Automated drones being taught to locate fallen meteoritesLess than 2% of meteorites are recovered but University of California, Davis researchers believe they can increase that percentage using AI and automated drones. These would fly in grid patterns at low altitudes over areas where they suspect meteorites have fallen. Images from the UAV would be analyzed by...

Google released the new OpenSky app, collecting water samples, cellular command and control, Zipline raised additional investment, Skyborg made a second autonomous flight, integrating drones with warehouses, and an interview with&nbsp;Robotic Skies.UAV NewsGoogle’s Wing launches free app to help drone pilots obey US regulationsThe&nbsp;OpenSky&nbsp;app lets both commercial and recreational pilots in the US see where they can fly. The app is in beta but it’s based on Google maps and shows flight restrictions for the selected location. OpenSky also allows you to plan a new flight and submit a Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) request.&nbsp;Drone-based water sampling goes deepReign Maker&nbsp;has developed a drone-based water sampling and data collection system called&nbsp;Nixie. The company spent two years developing a system that produces higher sampling rates and accuracy without the need for as much equipment and field personnel. The sampling attachment lowers EPA-certified bottles two feet under the water’s surface. Timestamps and GPS coordinates are associated with collected samples. The system currently supports DJI M600 and M300 RTK enterprise drone platforms.FAA Moves to Further America’s Cellular-Connected Drone OperationsThe FAA and Verizon’s&nbsp;Skyward&nbsp;signed a 3-year MOU to experiment with cellular-connected drones. Titled&nbsp;“Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)—Cellular Technologies to Support UAS Activities,”&nbsp;the agreement seeks to advance BVLOS, UTM, and one-to-many operations utilizing the cellular network.California Drone Operator Zipline Raises $250 MillionZipline&nbsp;plans to create more hubs and warehouses in Africa and invest in US market expansion. Zipline co-founder and CEO Keller Rinaudo noted that traditional supply chains broke down during the pandemic. He said “Covid has significantly accelerated all of our timelines. As more and more health systems were betting on us, we were realizing that the opportunity is bigger and we need to be making big investments.” The funding round values Zipline at $2.75 billion. Investors include Scottish investment firm Baillie Gifford, Fidelity Investments, and Singapore’s state-owned fund Temasek.Skyborg makes its second flight, this time autonomously piloting General Atomics’ Avenger droneTwo months ago, the Air Force first flew the Skyborg autonomy core system (ACS) aboard the Kratos UTAP-22 Mako. Now Skyborg has autonomously flown a General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger drone. This means...

Open source drones offer many opportunities, using drones to make a quiet place, US Army trials ground-vehicle drone launches, a Canadian drone membership program, New York law enforcement drones, tern tracking with a Phantom, cleaning up dog poop, a flapping wing UAV, some DJI drones are now government approved, air-to-air refueling.UAV NewsDroneAnalyst: The Rise of Open Source DronesDroneAnalyst&nbsp;David Benowitz says “There are two key elements driving the push for open-source drones…” particularly in America: “geopolitical tensions between the US and China and the search for a true DJI competitor.” According to DroneAnalyst estimates, drones built around open source technologies account for 16% of all commercial drones sold, but more than 60% of all non-DJI drones sold. See also,&nbsp;What Will DoD Do About Open Source Drones?Here’s a Cool Idea: Sony Patents Drones for Noise CancellationUnder this patent, networked drones with speakers could be used to cancel ambient noise in real-time, creating a “mobile quiet-zone.”US Army Trials Launching Drones From Ultra-Light VehiclesGround vehicles such as the DAGOR ultra-light tactical vehicle could become a mobile base to launch drones, such as the ALTIUS-600. The Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team’s Twitter account posted a photo stating, “#EDGE21 the ultimate soldier touch point.” Edge 21 is the Experimental Demonstration Gateway Exercise.COPA Introduces Drone Membership Options – Bridging Gap between Traditional and Remote AviationCOPA, the&nbsp;Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, has a&nbsp;membership option&nbsp;for the remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) community. Benefits include updates on regulations and issues, education and safety programs, insurance coverage for recreational and commercial RPAS pilots, training discounts, and an RPAS scholarship. AOPA also has a&nbsp;drone membership&nbsp;program.Use of drones, robotic dog in NY police intervention spark debateFederal agents flew a UAV into a Poughkeepsie, NY apartment while executing a search warrant. Video from the drone showed the suspect throwing a handgun out of a window. He was arrested and booked on illegal possession of a firearm. NYC lawyer Albert Fox Cahn said,&nbsp;“Flying drones in public air space is invasive enough, but using it inside of a person’s home is completely unconstitutional.”We used...

We talk with&nbsp;MissionGO&nbsp;about&nbsp;the unique challenges of human organ delivery with UAS and the benefits to the medical community. MissionGo is developing their own aircraft that is specialized to the requirements of this medical cargo, and their team includes a diverse group of individuals with hardware, software, and even regulatory experience.GuestsFrank Paskiewicz&nbsp;is Executive Vice President of Cargo Operations at&nbsp;MissionGO. He leads aircraft certification and manufacturing, FAA regulatory consulting services, UAS integration strategies, and air cargo operations. This includes running MissionGO’s cargo operations and supporting UAS client FAA certification programs. Frank also leads the development of products and services for MissionGO’s air cargo operations, including research studies, airspace analysis, and flight activities.Ryan Henderson&nbsp;is Lead Pilot at&nbsp;MissionGo. His responsibilities include overseeing all flight operations, managing pilot and crew currency and qualifications, managing all SOP’s/Instructions, directing all Operation Readiness Reviews, curriculum creation and facilitation, and maintaining all UAS records. Ryan is an airspace analysis expert and has been called upon multiple times for Certificates of Waiver or Authorization (COA) and Part 107 Waivers.Correction:&nbsp;Dr. Joseph R. Scalea, MD is a Multi-Organ Transplant Surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center. In this episode, the doctor was inadvertently associated with Hopkins.

Get ready for drone soccer! Also, a heavy lift unmanned rotorcraft, David get’s to say “attritable” again, making a drone invisible, a drone ground station for the military, the sound of the Mars helicopter, drones and avigation easements, flinging drones off an aircraft carrier, and Chicago’s secret drone program.UAV NewsColorado to host nation’s first ‘drone soccer’ tournamentsIn this educational “e-sport” from&nbsp;United States Drone Soccer, participants learn to build, program, fly, and repair drones. The racing drones are surrounded by plastic exoskeletons and the game is played in a netted arena. Each team tries to fly their drones into the opponent’s hoop. They keep the other team from doing the same by blocking and bumping the drones. In March 2021, the&nbsp;Academy of Model Aeronautics&nbsp;recognized U.S. Drone Soccer as an authorized STE(A)M program.Flight Testing Soon for Upgraded Marine Corps K-MAX UASFirst flight of the heavy-lift K-MAX Titan unmanned rotorcraft was conducted by&nbsp;Kaman Air Vehicles. Two Marine Corps K-MAX aircraft are being upgraded with the K-MAX Titan unmanned system and the sensor-based autonomy suite from&nbsp;Near Earth Autonomy.&nbsp;Skyborg autonomy ‘brain’ flies for first time aboard Kratos UTAP-22 UAVIn a 2h 10min test flight April 29, 2021, the US Air Force’s Skyborg autonomy core system flew aboard a&nbsp;Kratos&nbsp;UTAP-22 Mako tactical UAV at Tyndall AFB in Florida. This was the first time the autonomy core has flown Kratos Mako UAV. This represented “Milestone 1” of the ongoing “Autonomous Attritable Aircraft Experimentation” campaign.Another 360-degree ‘invisible’ drone hits the marketCurrent 360-degree cameras use two lenses to capture the entire world view but put one on a drone and you get the drone in the video. Now&nbsp;NewBeeDrone&nbsp;uses the&nbsp;Insta360 ONE R camera in its Invisi360 drone. You provide the camera and mate it with the Invisi360 and you’ve got 360-degree video without the drone.Video:&nbsp;Introducing Invisi360Portable drone hangar gets military certificationThe&nbsp;Easy&nbsp;Aerial&nbsp;Easy Guard ground station was certified to MIL-STD 810G. The station looks like the familiar Pelican case and allows a drone system to take off, land, and charge in the field. The system is mobile...

The NASA/FAA ASRS safety reporting system is now extended to UAS operators. Also, an autonomy&nbsp;Level 4 drone, learning from dragonflies, a triple-drop drone, a possible ADS-B solution for UAVs, getting your groceries delivered in Ohio, and a virtual UAS Symposium.UAV NewsFAA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) now available for dronesNASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) collects confidential information about near misses from pilots and others. The data is used by the FAA to make aviation safer while maintaining confidentiality to maximize the number of incidents reported.&nbsp;Aviation Safety Reporting Program (ASRP) for UAS&nbsp;describes how “NASA’s ASRS has a reporting form tailored to the UAS community. This will ensure that the safety data that is collected will result in actionable information for the entire aviation community.”Exyn Technologies’ drones achieve autonomy milestone with on-board mappingDrones from Exyn Technologies have reached “Level 4A” autonomy and can explore a designated 3D area without a remote operator and operate without GPS. All spatial and mapping computations are done onboard, and unlike Level 3 autonomy, they do not&nbsp;require an operator who can take over if required.The company says, “We developed an autonomous system that can take you into dark, dirty, dangerous environments. Place it at the edge of danger and send it off to collect the information that you need. Oftentimes the information you need is beyond the line of sight, both in terms of communications as well as visual.”See&nbsp;The 6 Levels of Vehicle Autonomy Explained&nbsp;for more.Future drones likely to resemble 300-million-year-old flying machineResearchers at the University of South Australia designed and tested components of a dragonfly-inspired drone. They describe the dragonfly as the “apex insect flyer” because of its flying abilities. The team modelled the aerodynamic properties of the dragonfly’s body, studied dragonfly wing geometry of 75 species, and created 3D images of the wings. The researchers believe drones that mimic dragonflies could perform many tasks, such as collecting and delivering unbalanced loads, safely operating near people, exploring delicate natural environments, and executing long surveillance missions.Published in the journal&nbsp;Drones, 27 March 2021:&nbsp;Biomimetic Drones Inspired by Dragonflies Will Require a Systems Based Approach and Insights from BiologyWingcopter debuts a triple-drop drone to create ‘logistical highways in the sky’Wingcopter&nbsp;is a German startup that calls their Wingcopter 198 “the world’s first triple-drop delivery drone.” It’s fully autonomous, fixed-wing, BVLOS, and one...