sUAS News

RM LAW, P.C. announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of all persons or entities that purchased GoPro, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRO) (“GoPro” or the “Company”) securities between November 2, 2017 and January 5, 2018, inclusive (the “Class Period”). GoPro shareholders may, no later than March 12, 2018, move the Court for […]

DEMCON unmanned is looking for a talented software engineer to join its team of seasoned drone engineers in Delft, Netherlands. We are a new company focusing on automated solutions in the commercial (B2B) drone market. As an early hire, you will be involved in defining the company’s product portfolio and business strategy. You bring an […]

Looking just like a HobbyKing Beer Lift challenge entry, Boeing is touting their Unmanned Cargo Air Vehicle. They might want to rethink that title as for years UCAV has meant unmanned combat air vehicle, anyhow. From the video, it looks like they are running Ardupilot, NASA and Boeing can’t be wrong! The secret sauce in […]

Steve Cohen, writes to tell us about a new member benefit for DUG Network members. As a premier drone advocacy organization, we are continually seeking to enhance the value of your DUG Network membership. As part of that effort, we are proud to announce our partnership with Precision Autonomy and a special offer to use PrecisionTRAX, a drone deployment and management platform. […]

Sad news for those of us that have been around a while, I have had several Hobbico models and many many bits and pieces from them over the years. The NexSTAR model in RC Simulator RealFlight must have launched a thousand hobbyists. Hobbico announced today that they are filing for restructuring under Chapter 11 of […]

The use of drones has extended to construction, insurance and commercial buildings and structures, where they can capture hard-to-access structures, assets, rooftop, towers, bridges and many other utilities. With this incredible development in hardware for rapid data acquisition, the industry is experiencing the “data browser-basedpper an innovative technology company has developed a unique cloud-based platform […]

Bell took a VR cabin to CES, they are not yet ready to reveal the rest of their flying car brave new world entry. I also see eVTOL (electric VTOL) becoming a term. Hopefully, they will take this to FIA2018 and I can blag a ride. Bell certainly have an advantage in being a trusted helicopter […]

DARPA’s Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE) program aims to extend the capability of the U.S. military’s existing unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) to conduct dynamic, long-distance engagements of highly mobile ground and maritime targets in contested or denied battlespaces. Multiple CODE-equipped unmanned aircraft would navigate to their destinations and find, track, identify, and engage targets under established […]

DroneDeploy is the leading cloud software platform for commercial drones, making the power of aerial data accessible and productive for everyone. Trusted by businesses and individuals in over 140 countries worldwide, we are transforming the way drone users collect, manage and digest impactful data in a variety of industries, including agriculture, real estate, mining and construction. Simple by […]

Ground-based UAS airspace situational awareness system developed in Australia performs perfectly in first U.S. test COSTA MESA, Calif., January 09, 2018 – Insitu, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, announced the successful completion of a flight demonstration for its ground-based Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) airspace situational awareness system. Insitu is tackling one of the […]

Aireon and Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) will bring real-time air traffic surveillance to high-trafficked, terrestrial African corridors MCLEAN, VA. January 9, 2018 – Aireon announced today that it has signed a data services agreement with the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA). ASECNA, created in […]

Oh dear, too little too late I wonder. Steering committee and brand ambassadors selected to develop UAS training protocols ARLINGTON, Va. – The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) today announced the appointment of leading industry stakeholders to serve on a steering committee and as brand ambassadors who will develop the Trusted Operator Program (TOP) […]

An entry into the fixed wing world for Yuneec, are they trying to get a slice of market share that DJI seems to have no interest in? Yuneec International, the world leader in electric aviation, entered two new categories with the unveiling of the all-new fixed wing Firebird FPV and all-new HD Racer for a […]

The Earth Observation and Ecosystem Dynamics Group at Aberystwyth University have invested in a drone-based LiDAR and spectral imaging package in order to enhance their research across the globe. The bespoke unit, configured by COPTRZ, is expected to significantly enhance the university’s research into the monitoring of British forests, focusing primarily on the measurement of […]

SkySpecs, the leading automated infrastructure inspection company, announces an $8 million Series B financing led by Statkraft Ventures together with UL Ventures and Capital Midwest with follow-on investments from Venture Investors, Huron River Ventures and additional existing investors. Founders and Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees Danny Ellis and Tom Brady along with the SkySpecs team will use the investment to scale the company’s international operations and develop world-class inspection software […]

Intel is bringing the first drone light show to the Las Vegas Strip this week with nightly performances at the iconic Fountains of Bellagio during CES 2018. Audiences will experience the magic of Intel technology as a fleet of 250 Intel® Shooting Star™ drones light up the sky, integrated with the Fountains of Bellagio to […]

Rich and accurate data sources will be vital for safe drone transportation In the Autonomous World, ground and airborne vehicle traffic will need coordination Soon it may not only be our roads that are congested. The growing popularity of drones, whether for recreational or commercial use, has highlighted the challenge of managing traffic in low-altitude […]

ARE Corporation (American Rail Engineers), headquartered in Irvine, CA, has acquired Media Wing, LLC, a New England based UAV/Drone Data Collection, dba AirShark, and Video Production Company. The acquisition expands ARE’s industry-leading engineering, software development, bridge inspection services and nation-wide footprint to include unmanned flight operations, image analysis, GIS modeling and video rendering. Dave Anderson, […]

PTFS has officially launched Droneware™ on the Amazon Marketplace for both Hobbyist and commercial use along with a 90 day free trial. Droneware™ provides the ability for users to store, manage, and share their drone or cell phone photos and video in the Amazon Cloud, allowing them to be accessed from anywhere in the world, […]

Consumer Electronics Show, LAS VEGAS – January 8, 2018 – Kittyhawk, the market leader in commercial drone operations software, today announced new features to its best-in-class platform. Kittyhawk is adding an automated flight system to its Flight Deck feature set to work in conjunction with its recently released secure live streaming feature. The new automation […]

Companies working together to protect U.S. and allies against enemy drone threats Perth, WA and Columbia, Maryland USA: Department 13 International Ltd (ASX:D13) – a cutting edge developer of counter drone technology, is pleased to announce it has entered into a teaming agreement with Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), a leading technology supplier to global defense […]

Crow1 is the civil model of the SkyStar 180 aerostat. The Crow1 aerostat will be used for civil security mission. RT LTA Systems Ltd, developer and manufacturer of aerostat systems, has recently completed the delivery of its first Crow1 aerostat system to a European customer. Crow1 is the civil model of the well-known SkyStar 180 […]

I wonder why this one missed Christmas? I don’t think it has a GPS, but some impressive sounding machine vision makes up for it. This is our lightweight future evolving. Ryze Tech, a drone start-up, has completed development of its first intelligent toy drone called the Tello, and will officially debut the new product at […]

Planet has again partnered with FarmShots to power a next-generation agriculture solution for Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC). LIC’s Satellite Pasture and Cover Evaluation (SPACE™) service uses daily satellite imagery from Planet and field analysis software from FarmShots to measure pastures. We are very excited to collaborate with Farmshots on this innovative approach to pasture management. […]

Techcrunch reports that GoPro is to lay off 2-300 jobs largely in the drone section. Not quite sure how many people were working in the drones bit. Last we heard a handful of devs had been employed to start creating the Karma 2, but with no announce for this Christmas it was plain that was […]

NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) and Nidec Corporation (Nidec; TSE: 6594; OTC US: NJDCY) announces the successful joint development of a technology that enables highly precise, real-time remote control of Intelligent Motors (*1), motors incorporating microcomputers through a wireless network. As utilization of the Internet of Things (IoT) accelerates, there is greater need for robotic […]

After a successful pilot program, Cross Texas Transmission, LLC (CTT) has engaged Think Power Solutions (Think Power) to develop a comprehensive vegetation management inspection application using Think Power’s lightweight suite of software services. Following the massive blackout that occurred in 2003 leaving over 50 million people throughout the northeastern US and parts of Canada without power for […]

Consortiq has not rested on its laurels over the festive period and has been busy working on rolling out several improvements to its award-winning CQNet drone management software. It has once again taken on customer feedback and added new features to better operators’ experiences, including the introduction of a first of its kind offline airspace […]

The U.S. Air Force has awarded a new $48 million contract to Aurora Flight Sciences for the continued development of the Orion Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). Orion is a twin-engine high-performance UAS that can stay aloft over 100 hours at a time with payloads in excess of 1,000 pounds. Development of the Orion started in […]

Led by inventor and entrepreneur David Hall, Velodyne LiDAR – the world leader in 3D vision systems and advanced safety for autonomous vehicles – today announced a significant cost reduction for its VLP-16 Puck, which will spur hope and excitement for the development of safe autonomous vehicles that are accessible to all. Velodyne’s most popular […]

Word has reached me that Senior Vice President of Sales – Americas at Yuneec International David Morris resigned last week from Yuneec and has taken a position as a Senior Director at Intel. He will be responsible for the Falcon multirotor. Last September then Yuneec CEO Mike Khan resigned and moved to AEE technology. I believe this […]

The most anticipated news in the aerospace industry each December holiday season usually involves a sleigh and some reindeer, but in 2017, even Santa has his eyes opened to Elroy Air. The team at Elroy is developing a large-format autonomous aircraft focused on shipping weights of up to 150 lbs as far as 300 miles. This intersection […]

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for both defense and commercial applications, today announced the formation of a joint venture to develop solar-powered high-altitude long-endurance, or HALE, UAS for commercial operations. This category of UAS is also referred to as high-altitude pseudo-satellites, or HAPS. The joint venture will fund the […]

AgroFly developed – and patented – the first certified (in Switzerland, other countries pending) and assessed high-precision agricultural spraying UAV platform. Bringing the right amount of product at the right place on the crops doesn’t only protect plants efficiently but also in an eco-friendly manner. AgroFly’s target is to revolutionize plant protection treatments by bringing the right product, at […]

Hands up all those that remember crowd funder Plexidrone, the Canadian quadcopter that became an octocopter. All really very good on paper, but now after multiple excuses, and three years late refunds are on the table for a lucky few. This is what the current missive from DreamQii says about the delivery situation, and excuse me […]

The Property Drone Consortium (PDC), a collaboration that consists of insurance carriers, roofing industry leaders and supporting enterprises, announced today that it will sponsor and participate in the 2018 Public Safety UAS Conference to be held from March 5 – 7, 2018 in Crozet, Virginia (near Charlottesville). Charles Mondello, President of the PDC will present […]

Designed for FLIR Tau 2 core range as well as FLIR UAS products (Vue Pro / R series), ThermalCapture IRnet brings Ethernet/IP to drone thermal imaging payloads. Since nothing satisfying was existing on a super lightweight base, TeAx today presents the leading solution to an increasingly global market request. WILNSDORF, Germany, 3rd January 2018 – TeAx Technology, an […]

BELLEVILLE, Mich. – The International Drone Racing Association (IDRA) has announced that it has condensed its liability insurance for drone pilots into a single policy that has no drone limit, no deductibles, and maintains the worldwide coverage that has greatly benefited IDRA members. Starting January 1st, drone pilots can purchase the $1 million policy for […]

COPTRZ, the UK-based commercial drone specialist, has today announced the release of DRONE-FLX, an industry-first leasing solution that provides a cost-effective way for businesses and public bodies to enjoy the benefits of the latest drone technology. With costs spread over a three-year period, the latest drone hardware can be bundled with training and software to […]

The Laurel Marine Survey team and Flying-Cam team announce the successful acceptance testing of the Flying-Cam Air Mag Survey Platform. The Flying-Cam SARAH e 4.0 unmanned helicopter was operated in automatic mode from a ship and scanned an area of 40Ha in the Eastern Chinese sea. The magnetic data showed exceptional quality: high precision Cesium […]

Air traffic controllers are being corralled into the same building, no longer left to roam free and drink tea in that glass bit at the top of the tower. I do wonder if virtual towers will decrease local knowledge. If you are driving through the countryside in which aircraft get themselves lost to get to work […]

SALINA — Unmanned aircraft systems, more commonly known as drones, are popular gifts over the holiday season and a widespread hobby for flying enthusiasts. Many systems are sold and marketed as ready to fly; however, it is important that consumers are up-to-date with important regulations and safety practices. Kansas State Polytechnic is offering a free […]

It’s been a big year for the commercial drone industry. 2017 marks the first full year of FAA’s part 107 operators license being available. There are over 70,000 pilots flying commercially in all sort of applications. In fact, even the type applications opened up significantly. We saw the first “Flights Over People” waiver issued (Congrats […]

We build autonomous aircraft systems to deliver goods to the world’s most remote places. Our autonomous aircraft systems feature rotor-based vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and fixed-wing cruise flight with a hybrid powertrain for long range. We have designed a logistics system with integrated flight and ground operations that make our vehicles a safe, reliable, […]

SolarDrone, established from the laboratory of National Taiwan University, teamed up with experts in photovoltaic and UAV technologies to tackle the enduring problem of drone flight time. The product will be showcased at CES2018 Eureka Startup Marketplace (booth#52105), where some of the newest technology trends are featured. SolarDrone’s solar-powered quadcopters have been re-designed, re-engineered, and […]

I am somewhat humbled at the response today after my bath based rant of last night. Thank you all those that have emailed to say that you keep reading and are in agreement! So there is a feeling that the best days are over out there as corporate greed comes to take away innovation! Noise […]

The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation is bringing back its popular series of drone workshops for 2018. In 2017, over 500 attendees at four free workshops learned about drone flight operations, data management and dozens of various applications for government and commercial users. Presenters also provided updates on the latest changes in federal […]

The USDA Forest Service and Michigan Technological University (MTech) are using unmanned aerial systems, or drones, to advise the Hiawatha National Forest’s land management efforts. Located in Michigan’s wild and scenic Upper Peninsula, the Hiawatha National Forest’s dramatic shorelines lie nestled up to Lake Superior, Huron, and Michigan – three of the five Great Lakes. This past summer, the Federal […]

I have just jumped out of the bath to jot down some notes before today’s email goes out. A place holder if you will. What has prompted my disd ain? Some absolutely ridiculous forecasts for 2018 that I have just read whilst in the bath! President Trumps drone integration program is not going to make […]

Off the shelf, hobby priced SLT’s I think this one will be popular, looking forward to the reviews. If you want an autopilot that can fly it easily don’t forget the Ardupilot Quadplane stack is the leader of the pack (and its free). The power train for this will not be cheap, I still struggle […]