sUAS News

Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) today announced that the company has developed a next generation high performance fuel cell propulsion system to power unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones. Ballard has also received a follow-on contract from Insitu, a Boeing subsidiary, for extended durability testing of the next-generation 1.3 kilowatt (kW) fuel cell […]

Quaternium, a leading European brand of long-endurance multirotors, has flown for 4 hours and 40 minutes with their HYBRiX.20 fuel-electric quadcopter. They believe that this flight time beats any former demonstration ever made with an electric, hybrid of hydrogen multicopter HYBRiX.20 RPA was designed by Quaternium in 2014 and its first model was built in […]

Aireon enters 2018 with almost two-thirds of its operational space-based ADS-B system completed and receiving over 6 billion ADS-B position messages each month Aireon announced today the successful fourth launch and deployment of its space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) payloads hosted onboard the Iridium® NEXT satellite constellation. At 5:27 PM PST, a flight-proven SpaceX Falcon 9 […]

Insta360 today released the beta for Insta360 Pro V2.0, a package of major firmware and software upgrades for the Insta360 Pro, its industry-leading, pro-level 360° VR camera. Adding 12K super high-resolution photos, important improvements to image quality, and a range of new features, the update cements the Insta360 Pro’s status as the premier tool for […]

Mothership Aeronautics is using autonomous solar-powered blimps to disrupt long-distance aerial data collection. Mothership Aeronautics has raised a seed round of USD $1.45 Million to build and deploy its new TerraSoar Aerial Intelligence Airship. The round was led by Shatter Tech Venture Holdings and included Silicon Valley VC Draper Associates and Manila-based accelerator Cerebro Labs. […]

Salary range: circa. £80k + Share Options + Car Allowance (dep. on experience) Benefits: Pension, Perkbox, flexible working, training opportunities, and more! Location: Reading, Berkshire (UK) Reporting to: COO Altitude Angel is seeking an experienced Sales Director to join our growing company and based at our new headquarters in Reading, Berkshire. As Sales Director, you’ll manage our team of […]

Surf Life Saving New South Wales Australia this week commenced RPA operational trials at 9 locations, using DJI P4P’s & M600’s and machine learning algorithms which analyse live video and generate an alert whenever it identifies a shark. Twenty seven Volunteer life savers and forty three professional life guards have cross trained to become RPA […]

The International Drone Racing Association (IDRA) has announced a new partnership with Heroes Dutch Comic Con for the 2018 Drone Racing Series. The IDRA will hold the first race of the professional series at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, Netherlands, during Heroes Dutch Comic Con on March 31st & April 1, 2018. Tickets will be available […]

Eight international teams have registered for DroneClash, the first counter drone competition in the world. During this competition the teams use their highly sophisticated drone(s) to take down as many other drones as possible, RobotWars in the sky as it were. Teams need to bring at least two drones per battle, but they can use […]

Czech company Primoco UAV SE, which develops, manufactures and sells the unmanned aircraft Primoco UAV One 100/150 soared to a sky high finish in 2017. “When I look at the results of the whole year, I consider the development, certification and contracts for the first sales of our aircraft in Russia and Malaysia to be a […]

3W-International exhibited the new 3W-180 SRE hybrid Wankel engine at this year’s Xponential early in the summer of 2017. After half a year, CEO Karsten Schudt draws a positive balance relative to the new engine. The 3W-180 SRE hybrid is unique in the drive technology for UASs. The engine features 180 ccm and a short-engine […]

DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, is introducing a knowledge quiz this Friday for all pilots who are operating drones in the UK airspace. The test comes prior to government plans to introduce a safety awareness test for drone users in 2018. A recent survey carried out by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) revealed […]

NASA has selected two finalist concepts for a robotic mission planned to launch in the mid-2020s: a comet sample return mission and a drone-like rotorcraft that would explore potential landing sites on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. The agency announced the concepts Wednesday, following an extensive and competitive peer review process. The concepts were chosen from […]

A man has been jailed for five years today after being convicted of flying drones carrying £35,000 worth of drugs and contraband items into prison grounds. Michael Tovey, 28, was found guilty of using two drones to transport quantities of cannabis and psychoactive drugs, mobile phones, phone chargers, SIM cards and needles into the grounds […]

by Greg Crutsinger https://www.dronescholars.com/ I recently attended the Emerald Cup, a large two-day gathering of the California cannabis industry. Tens of thousands of participants, growers, associations, and grow-related businesses descended on the Sonoma County fairgrounds in Santa Rosa to celebrate the 2017 fall harvest. Let me preface that my weed-smoking days are long behind me. I […]

Elistair, French designer and manufacturer of tethered drone systems has signed an agreement with the DGA – French Defense procurement Agency – for the financing of its AIRWATCH project, under the RAPID program – Dual Innovation Support Scheme. The AIRWATCH project aims at developing a smart « dronebox »: tethered drone for surveillance and telecommunications […]

Leading UK drone technology and service provider uVue has taken delivery of what is believed to be the world’s first ever production hydrogen drone – the MMC Hydrone 1550 – enabling a new era for drone technology services in the UK to begin. According to uVue, the MMC Hydrone 1500 is a huge breakthrough for […]

The FCC has imposed a $180,000 civil penalty on a Sarasota, Florida, company that had been marketing non-compliant audio-visual transmitters intended for use on drones in violation of the Commission’s Amateur Service and marketing rules. In an Order released on December 19, the FCC explained that Lumenier Holdco LLC (formerly known as FPV Manuals LLC) was advertising […]

The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Identification and Tracking Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) chartered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in June has submitted its report and recommendations (PDF) to the agency on technologies available to identify and track drones in flight and other associated issues. The ARC’s 74 members represented a diverse array of stakeholders that included the aviation community […]

Direct Broadcast Drone ID Method Imposes Fewest Burdens, Protects Privacy December 19, 2017 – DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, welcomes today’s release of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) committee report on technology to identify drones in flight, clearing the way for drones to be used in new beneficial ways. The […]

Airbus and Williams Advanced Engineering, the innovative engineering and technology business of Williams Grand Prix Engineering, are to explore potential areas of technological collaboration. Under the terms of a newly signed MoU, the two companies will examine in particular applications that may combine Williams’ innovation culture, lightweight composites and battery expertise with Airbus‘ Zephyr High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite […]

Sagetech Corporation once again proved small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) can safely fly in controlled airspace using the same technology that has helped maintain flight safety for decades. A PAE ISR Resolute Eagle UAS, equipped with a Sagetech XPC-TR-50 Mode C transponder, successfully completed a mission in civil airspace on November 8, 2017. The flight took […]

Falcon Foundation UAS, L.L.C. is pleased to announce the Certificate of Waiver for GreenSight Agronomics of 50 Milk St, 19th Floor, Boston, MA 02109 for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations granted on December 15th 2017. The FAA issued this waiver because of the risks that were addressed with science based data given to […]

At the request of U.S. national security and law enforcement agencies, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations § 99.7 – “Special Security Instructions” – to address concerns about unauthorized drone operations over seven Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. The FAA and DOE have agreed to restrict […]

Dronefly, a leader in commercial drone solutions has been working alongside officials to identify and develop solutions for fire fighting and rescue operations. Our goal with this infographic is to educate the public and other first responders on the many benefits of drones. These benefits include a quickly deployable aerial overview, a lower cost compared […]

Rory San Miguel Getting started is the hardest part. That’s what our customers tell us. They believe that the right drone data solution will supercharge their profits, safety and productivity. But the work of figuring out exactly what they need, and which vendor is best placed to provide it, turns out to be trickier than they thought — and […]

The past year has been a fruitful one for commercial drone use, as public acceptance grows and the boundaries continue to be pushed in what this disruptive technology can do. Some twelve months ago there was a far greater concern from the general public regarding the risk to both safety and privacy that UAVs could […]

Drone Delivery Canada ‘DDC or the Company’ (CSE:FLT OTC:TAKOF) is pleased to announce that Transport Canada has accepted the Company’s Declaration of Compliance for the X1000 Sparrow cargo delivery drone. This unmanned aircraft system (UAS) is now compliant with the Transport Canada UAS standard. The Sparrow is the first cargo delivery drone of its kind to […]

A new training agreement signed at the 1st ICAO Safety and Air Navigation Implementation Symposium by ICAO’s Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu, and the International Director of the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (UKCAA), Mr. Ben Alcott, will directly contribute towards the strengthening of global compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). The agreement will […]

The most advanced drones use GPS sensors for Smart navigation functions such as keeping its position at a fixed altitude and position, “Go Home” maneuvers enabling the drone to go back to the takeoff location, autonomous flights which are possible due to a route prepared in advance and made of referenced points by GPS locations… All […]

YellowScan and Geotrim have concluded a distribution agreement for Finland. Headquartered in Vantaa, Geotrim is the Finnish Distributor of Trimble Geomatics solutions with long time experience on Imaging and UAV technologies. The agreement broadens YellowScan´s coverage in the Scandinavian regions. UAVs in combination with LiDAR technologies are now recognised as one of the most effective and reliable […]

The John Deere operations centre facilitates seamless integration of data between Sentera and AgDNA products. Sentera and AgDNA announce completion of API integration work that allows users to seamlessly share real-time in-season precision ag information using the John Deere Operations Center. Integration with the Operations Center helps Sentera and AgDNA customers make better decisions and […]

American Robotics, an industrial drone developer specializing in agricultural automation, has unveiled its flagship product ScoutTM. It is a self-charging, self-managing drone system capable of autonomously carrying out daily scouting missions. By 2050, the world population is expected to grow to 10 billion. As a result farmers will need to increase food production by 70%. […]

Ladies and gentlemen the results are in, and as expected the Phantom operator was operating beyond visual line of sight, and with no idea of the regulations he or she should have been complying with. Interesting that the NTSB has looked at previous log files and noted that the operator flew above 400’and that they […]

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VA – Aurora Flight Sciences conducted a successful demonstration of the company’s autonomous helicopter system developed under the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System (AACUS) program. Held at Marine Corps Base Quantico’s Urban Training Center, the AACUS-Enabled UH-1H (AEH-1) conducted multiple flights, showcasing its ability to autonomously […]

DURANT, Okla. (December 12, 2017) – The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has submitted a declaration of intent to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to seek an FAA Drone Integration Pilot Program designation as a tribal government. The designation would permit the Choctaw Nation to participate in an initiative unveiled in October 2017 by President Trump, […]

NEC Australia, a leading ICT solutions and services company, has entered a strategic partnership with Silicon Valley vision analytics firm, CrowdOptic, to bring next generation security to smart cities. NEC Australia and CrowdOptic are jointly introducing a ground-breaking intelligent live video streaming security system enabled by real-time analysis of footage captured from fixed cameras and […]

Vigilant Aerospace has announced a new investment from Kluz Ventures, through its commercial drone and robotics fund The Flying Object. The Flying Object (TFO) makes investments into US and international unmanned aerial systems technology and service companies that are leading the industry. Vigilant Aerospace’s product, FlightHorizon, provides individual unmanned aircraft pilots, autopilots and airspace managers […]

In preparation for the 2018 growing season, Sentera is announcing exciting new features and pricing for its most popular NDVI and Red Edge sensor products. Through the end of the year, the company is also offering additional discounts for 2018 pre-orders. Suggested retail pricing for our most popular agriculture sensor kits have been reduced by at least […]

The 15th century Halberstadt Cathedral in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany is getting help from 21st century technology: the Intel® Falcon™ 8+ drone. In collaboration with experts from Bauhaus University Weimar and Kulturstiftung Sachsen-Anhalt, a foundation for the preservation of cultural monuments, Intel is powering inspections and damage assessment of the cathedral with advanced commercial drone technology. Through […]

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. (ESAero) announced today a key NASA X-57 project milestone, the arrival of the ‘Maxwell’ tooling fuselage at ESAero’s manufacturing and integration facility in San Luis Obispo, CA. ESAero will conduct the parallel processes of fit check and integration of the X-57 Mod III wing, power, and instrumentation systems. Concurrently, the original […]

RUAS division are delighted to have recently partnered with Bangor University to work alongside them on a new project to map artificial and natural substrates at coastal locations across Wales. Bangor University, founded in 1884 with a long tradition and pedigree in research, is a partner in the Ecostructure project, a consortium led by Aberystwyth […]

Manned Multirotor Racing, do I think it could become a thing? Yes I think it probably could. I don’t like crowd funded drones as a rule, but I must concede to being impressed by the teams willingness to show failures in the journey so far. After two years of development in a secret location in […]

Phase One Industrial, a leading manufacturer of medium format aerial photography equipment and software solutions, today released Phase One iX Capture 3.0. This capture, control and RAW conversion processing software was designed specifically for use with Phase One Industrial aerial cameras. Engineered to support easy control of all essential camera functions, iX Capture 3.0 offers […]

Neva Aerospace is offering the first ever electric turbofans (ETFs)*optmized for static thrust and VTOL/STOL. The unique turbofan housing design further ingeniously boosts thrust with no extra weight added. The breakthrough technology of the Athena Series ETFs will displace uncaged rotor blades in the current commercial drone applications and will create exciting new possibilities for […]

2017 has been an interesting and eventful year for the drone industry, especially when it comes to the drone rules and regulations. With the UK government announcing a new set of drone regulations coming in the form of a Drone Bill in Spring 2017 as well as the introduction of new laws in other countries […]

Face-Six, a global face recognition vendor announced today the release of its FA6Drone – a face recognition software designed to recognize people from drones (UAV’s). The Face-Six (FA6Drone) software allows drones to identify people from any range, provided that faces are of decent quality and have a minimal size (60 Pixels). “We are pleased to […]

BELLEVILLE, Mich. – The International Drone Racing Association (IDRA) has announced that Liftoff, developed by LuGus Studios in Belgium, is the official game for the 2018 Drone Racing Series and 2018 Challengers Cup. Liftoff, the largest drone racing simulator, will feature IDRA race tracks from multiple marquee professional and semi-professional competitions. In addition to making […]

GeoSwift Mapper Built on the Same UAS Platform Embraced by NASA, NOAA, and Other Leading Scientific Agencies Boulder, CO – (December 12, 2017) – With a legacy of delivering reliable, robust, and highly accurate small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), Black Swift Technologies (BST), a specialized engineering firm based in Boulder, CO, and Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), a subsidiary of Geotech […]

Embry-Riddle’s Eagle Flight Research Center to Help Create Jobs DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A new project at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce through its Economic Development Administration (EDA), is expected to create 387 new jobs and spur $1.6 million in private investment. On Dec. 11, U.S. Secretary […]