sUAS News

FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) announced today it has been awarded a contract from the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) in support of the French Operational Pocket Drone (DrOP) program. The contract has a ceiling value of $89 million to provide the FLIR Black Hornet® 3 nano-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and Personal Reconnaissance System (PRS) to […]

At a meeting in Shenzhen that perhaps did not include sandwiches DJI handed 16 employees over to law enforcement officials and a further 29 were dismissed. The news outlet, Yicai Global, believes more than 100 DJI employees might be involved and losses may exceed 147.6 Million US Dollars. It appears that the group inflated prices […]

Unless Duran has found really small employees I think South African company ALTI is just about to fly what I believe to be the largest separate lift thrust (SLT) in the world. This is perhaps the most popular VTOL method at the moment. A multirotor handles the take off and landing and then a petrol […]

In order to monitor BVLOS (Bejond visual line of sight) infrastructures, DB relies on drones from Quantum-Systems for the “Urban Air Mobility” project in Ingolstadt. Ingolstadt strives to become one of the competence centers for drones and autonomous mobility in general. Thus the model project “Urban Air Mobility”, which is also supported by the EU […]

At TUS Expo Europe, Picterra introduced the custom detector, a tool that allows users of their online platform to build their own artificial intelligence model to detect objects in aerial and satellite images. Without any previous machine learning experience, the new tool allows users to create their own AI detection model and train it to […]

By Amanda Russo and Harrison Wolf Right now, most countries restrict who and how you can fly drones. They can only be flown within the operator’s line of sight, and operators cannot oversee more than one aircraft. Safety and security are important, but these regulations mean we are not maximizing the benefits that drones can […]

Federal grant helping Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus, law enforcement agencies evaluate remote-sensing technologies to fight crime SALINA — The Applied Aviation Research Center on the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus is working with law enforcement partners to evaluate small unmanned aircraft remote sensing technologies to reconstruct crime scenes. Under the grant, sponsored by the National Institute of Justice, […]

January 16, 2019 – DJI has concluded its investigation into the issue concerning some TB50 and TB55 batteries reporting incorrect power levels in late 2018. The current firmware (v01.02.0301), which adds a redundancy algorithm to the battery management system, has successfully addressed the small number of early Return-To-Home (RTH) or Automatic Landing (AL) cases triggered by initial conservative measures DJI […]

Skeyetrain are pleased to announce the release of our new PfCO course location in Maidstone, Kent! With our first course here on 12th -14th March and a stunning location with 26 acres of beautiful scenery to fly around this course will be fully booked in no time. Get in contact now to reserve your place, […]

The aerospace industry is characterized by extremely demanding levels of Quality Assurance (QA), and this philosophy is applied at all levels for product manufacturers. In the case of UAV Navigation, an ISO qualified company, the QA cycle within the manufacturing process begins with the calibration of sensors. Each autopilot or Attitude & Heading Reference System […]

New York, NY- As part of an ongoing global growth initiative, Microdrones has acquired Aircam UAV Technology (“Aircam”), a 64 employee Chinese company with its main location in Foshan, an hour-drive from Guangzhou in Southern China, and a branch in Beijing. Aircam has developed a large Chinese and Southeast Asian customer base with a focus […]

TOULOUSE, France – January 16, 2019 – Delair, a leading supplier of commercial drone solutions, today announced interoperability of high-precision data acquired from the Delair UX11 drone with version 5.0 of the Trimble Business Center software. The integration enables geospatial professionals to simply drag and drop Delair UX11 PPK data directly into Trimble Business Center […]

San Francisco-based DroneDeploy, the world’s leading commercial drone software company, announced today that its customers have safely conducted more than 1 million automated drone flights around the world. This milestone was made possible by 4,000+ DroneDeploy customers as aerial data powered smarter workflows in industries as diverse as construction, agriculture, energy, and emergency management. DroneDeploy’s […]

Drone airspace integration and what not to do if you want a thriving industry. When I was in China speaking at the World UAV Federation symposium, I said, “Whatever you do, do not emulate the U.S. airspace integration effort, unless you are not interested in making money.” It took about ten or so seconds to […]

Running a drone operation is a complex business. Dronecloud is an easier way to manage and grow drone operations whilst engaging with clients and stakeholders. Expect a full launch towards the end of Q1 2019. In the meantime, drone operations of all sizes are welcome to register and help refine what is set to become […]

On 14 January 2019, Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao addressed attendees to the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 98th Annual Meeting on the future of Transportation. In her remarks, Secretary Chao highlighted the DOT / FAA Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) Pilot Program (UPP) awardees, which included the FAA-designated State of Nevada UAS Test Site. The […]

Alan Stevens – ALS Support Over the last 11 years, AJS Support Ltd (AJSSL) has been following the developments and trends within the vast scope of the UK drone industry. This work is used in support of our customers who are looking strategically towards future delivery, optimisation or use of sUAS capabilities. One of these […]

DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, welcomes the U.S. Department of Transportation’s proposals announced today to help expand the use of drones in America and looks forward to a substantive discussion that balances the requirements of the proposed rules with the benefits they would achieve. The new rules would allow […]

On December 17th, 2018 (the 115th anniversary of flight), Kittyhawk, Wing and AirMap all travelled to San Bruno, California, and demonstrated an implementation of an open source, network-based, remote identification solution called InterUSS. I wanted to talk a little bit about why Kittyhawk felt it was so important to participate in this demonstration and why […]

Aireon has announced a successful eighth and final launch and deployment of the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation hosting the Aireon space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) payloads. At 7:31 a.m. PST (15:31 UTC) on the 11th of January 2019 a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and placed the final 10 Iridium NEXT […]

By James Willoughby A drone has been used for the first time to successfully help count a colony of Atlantic grey seal pups, which have reached record high numbers. Ritchie Southerton, of Ritchie Southerton Photography, turned to UAV specialist Heliguy to purchase a DJI Phantom 4 Pro for the important job on the Farne Islands, off the Northumberland coast. The count […]

DOWNEY, CA – Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – also known as “drones” – have continuously demonstrated incredible value assisting with disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, and volcanos. These catastrophic events have elevated the use of UAS technology beyond basic public safety and into an entirely new realm uniting stakeholders from government, industry, and academia all for […]

The LidarSwiss Solutions GmbH crew under the lead of the CTO Robert Kletzli and CEO Dennis Menick successful delivered two LidarSwiss Micro Vux Long Range sensors to the Royal Thai Survey Department. The LS Micros Vux LR flies under a Swissdrones SDO50 V2 and covers 8km x 3km at a speed of 15m/s at 400m AGL gathering 5-8 points m2 and 10cm […]

Widely regarded as a technical leader in the emerging field of Drone Traffic Management (UTM), Altitude Angel develops cloud-scale systems to facilitate the safe integration of unmanned vehicles into national airspace worldwide. In short, we don’t make drones; we make them safe. Our national foundation technologies are deployed internationally by governments, civil aviation authorities and […]

Suntuity AirWorks (https://www.suntuityairworks.com), is excited to announce the acquisition of BirdsiVideo and Osprey Assessments, two of the largest UAS (unmanned aerial systems) dealer and services networks across the United States. The acquisition will enable BirdsiVideo and Osprey Assessments to leverage the length and breadth of the Suntuity Group of Companies which includes financial, software, energy, […]

At the time of musing about this piece, I believe we were three weeks into the current government shutdown. There are people on the various social media sites who have posted but, now that I think about it, not as much as prior to the shutdown. They are lamenting over their plights and voicing dissatisfaction […]

One of the few eVTOLs not starting life as a Part 103 aircraft the 34-foot wingspan, 4,000-pound Ava has been in stealth mode for some time. It has emerged as an amazing eVTOL arena entrant. I would not be surprised if the test flight alone made it the fastest eVTOL to date. The nerdy bit that appeals […]

Recent Sightings At Multiple Airports May Be Influenced By Publicity DJI is monitoring recent reports of drones flying in close proximity to various airports and has offered assistance to investigators and airports where these sightings have occurred. To date, none of these reports has been confirmed, and there is no proof that any of these […]

The main objective for Avinor ANS is to achieve a cost efficient system in support of providing safe air traffic control services in Norway. The amount of requests to operate drones inside the 5 km zone of airports and other airspaces is increasing, and Avinor ANS is therefore considering procuring an UTM-system for handling drone […]

AUSTRIA – Schiebel doubles its production capacity in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. Schiebel has been contracted by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to supply Camcopter S-100 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for maritime surveillance services. Schiebel provides maritime surveillance services at several locations simultaneously. The UAVs will be equipped with an L3 Wescam MX-10 Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) […]

Delft, the Netherlands. 10th January 2019. DroneClash, the world’s first counter-drone competition, is today announcing its final call for entries, with a spoof video The film shows a drone circling a tower at “Katwick Airport”, before a close-up reveals that the drone is carrying a banner, advertising DroneClash 2019’s top prize of € 30,000. The […]

Looks like FPV racers are finally conceding to the fact that watching small racing drones is like watching paint dry. UVify seem to have quite cleverly extended the arms on their Draco and added 12 motors! It makes for quite a sizable machine which will be easier for spectators to see. The Draco 4×4 and DR1 […]

Drone safety systems company, ParaZero Technologies Ltd (ASX: PRZ), announced today that its customer, Airobotics, has secured a Certificate of Waiver (CoW) from the Federation Aviation Authority (FAA) that allows them to fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight for automated drone operations over people. Airobotics’ drone system integrates ParaZero’s SafeAir System for increased safety and […]

Foxtech 3DM-MINI Oblique Camera is used to provide high-resolution aerial photos to create a 3D model on the city and buildings etc. It is a cost-effective Oblique multi-camera system, also efficient equipment to maximize your productivity. The Oblique Camera integrates with 5 Sony 5100 Camera cores, it is very light, and the total weight including lens is only about 791g(nadir lens at 25mm, and […]

Northwest UAV has partnered with Embention to offer the most advanced and user-friendly avionics systems in the industry. Veronte is the pilot’s choice for advanced professional UAV and Unmanned Vehicle Control. The Veronte Autopilots are an ideal addition to Northwest UAV’s growing list of product offerings. As the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) industry continues to […]

Today the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, unveiled the new rules for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) — widely referred to as “drones”. The new rules will have a significant impact on the industry that has expanded into recreational and commercial popularity over the last few years. The new regulations are outlined in […]

Drone Delivery Canada ‘DDC or the Company’ (TSX.V:FLTOTC: TAKOF), is pleased to express its support for the new Remotely Piloted Aircraft regulations announced today by the Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau. These regulations are specific to drones used in Visual Line of-Site operations, may not necessarily be applicable to DDC’s Beyond Visual Line-of-Site (BVLOS) initiatives. However, DDC believes […]

A new DfT research and development project led by the Transport Systems Catapult will lay the ground work for a safe working environment for commercial drone use in the UK, enabling safe sharing of airspace with traditional aircraft and beyond line of sight operations of drones. The project will explore a future Unmanned Aerial Vehicle […]

Rocketmine has become the first drone operator in South Africa to achieve Level 1 BBB-EE status; following a rigorous audit by a SANAS accredited agency. This incredible endorsement is testament to the company’s commitment to transforming the space where technology and mining meet in South Africa. In 2017, leading economist Dr Roelof Botha presented research […]

The Indemnis Nexus parachute system for the DJI Inspire 2 drone has been validated as compliant with the new international standard for drone parachutes, following a strenuous testing procedure at the New York UAS Test Site in Rome, N.Y. managed by NUAIR. This breakthrough in reliable parachute technology for small drones opens a wide range […]

Leading drone technology company Flytrex announced today that it has raised $7.5 million in Series B funding, bringing the company’s total to $11 million. The round is led by Benhamou Global Ventures (BGV) with additional investment from btov. The funds will be used to scale-up Flytrex’s operations and technology, improving existing drone delivery services in […]

Recently, TTA Education launched a groundbreaking pilot training course, students used VR headsets into a fascinating, immersive, educational experience that allowed them to interact naturally for UAV flight operation, aircraft assembly and etc. It is figured they could help make learning and teaching better, using VR to increase engagement and aid better understanding of operations. […]

State Farm has been granted the first national waiver to any company in the U.S. by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The national waiver allows State Farm to conduct drone operations over people (OOP) and flights beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight (BVLOS) through November 2022. Previous waivers State Farm was granted were limited […]

DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, continues its tradition of making aerial technology accessible to everyone by introducing a powerful new remote controller for its drones at CES 2019. The Smart Controller features an ultra-bright display screen and controls optimized for DJI drones, allowing pilots to fly the newest drones without […]

DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, welcomes the UK Department for Transport’s new regulatory measures announced on 7th January. The amendments to the Air Navigation Order strike a sensible balance between protecting critical infrastructure such as airports and allowing British businesses and the public at large to enjoy the benefits of drone technology. […]

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, revealed the configuration and full-scale vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) air taxi vehicle today during CES 2019. The air taxi, named Bell Nexus, is powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system and features Bell’s signature powered lift concept incorporating six tilting ducted fans that are designed to safely and efficiently redefine […]

Septentrio, a leader in high-precision GNSS technology, and Sapcorda, specialized in safe broadcasted GNSS correction services, are pleased to announce live demonstration of a safe high-accuracy positioning and correction solution for automated driving. The companies have combined their respective technologies to deliver the benefits of SSR (Space State Representation) technology seamlessly to OEM automakers and […]

Do you like drones? Do you want to be a pioneer and join the front lines of using drone technology to enable smarter decisions in business? Fantastic – we do, too! PrecisionHawk, Inc. is dedicated to changing the way businesses view their assets and manage resources. To extract the true commercial value of drones, we must continue […]

Immersive First-Person View (iFPV) is today’s technology for imaging, transfer, and immersive reproduction of low-latency video, for the purpose of control and/or monitoring of remote equipment, typically remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Remote Reality (RR) is a new innovative way of enabling a user’s immersive experience of remote real-world environments in real-time, at sufficiently low latencies […]

Sydney Australlia and Warrenton, Virginia, USA – DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO or DRO.AU) (“DroneShield”), a publicly-traded leader in the emerging industry of drone security solutions, has released a video showing its portable, rifle-shaped jammer DroneGun Tactical™ in action. The release follows a surge in the interest in the counterdrone industry following the recent events at Gatwick Airport, […]