sUAS News

Over 100,000 high school students across the world participating in the Air Force’s JROTC citizenship training program may soon have a chance to earn college credit while taking their first steps in becoming aviators and unmanned aircraft systems (drone) operators thanks to classes taught by Embry-Riddle professors. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Gaetz Aerospace Institute has announced a […]

SolAero Technologies Corp (SolAero) announced the completion and delivery of the first solar wing for Bye Aerospace’s “StratoAirNet”, a solar-electric unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). SolAero is integrating their advanced high-efficiency solar cell technologies on the graphite composite StratoAirNet wing using proprietary methods to maintain the critical laminar flow surface on the wing. The initial wing-solar […]

Vertical Technologies has released their DeltaQuad series of autonomous VTOL UAVs. This hybrid vertical takeoff fixed wing vehicle can stream telemetry and video over the cellular network using VPN, and boasts an impressive 1 Kg payload capacity, 2 hour 45 minute flight time and 150 Km range. The DeltaQuad is developed by members of the […]

WhiteFox’s proposal to top regulatory officials is good for the industry, consumers, and the future. The world is currently in the “Wild West” stage of drone integration. Existing laws are not enforceable, drone pilots have unrestricted flight access, and drones are vulnerable to exploitation by bad actors. The rising prospect of such threats underscores the […]

DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, has won a prestigious Emmy® Award for Technology and Engineering from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. DJI’s camera drone technology was recognized for excellence in engineering creativity, specifically for creating “Low Latency Remote Controlled Airborne Video Platforms for Television.” DJI’s technology […]

The official launch of DRONEFAX (https://dronefax.us/) is big news for the drone industry, as the company offers a first-of-its-kind used drone brokerage service that includes physical inspection of every vehicle by a licensed FAA technician. DRONEFAX gives both sellers and buyers peace of mind and ensures a fair transaction. With the drone industry continuing to […]

The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation is hosting a workshop for commercial and government drone/Unmanned Arial Systems (UAS) operators. NCDOT and partners are aiming to educate local agencies and businesses about potential practical applications of this emerging technology. This workshop will focus primarily on how drones can be used for emergency management. Other topics will include flight […]

Icaros Inc., a leading provider of aerial imaging software, and Agrowing, a leading supplier of multispectral sensors and analytics software, are pleased to announce an integrated drone product that bundles Icaros’ OneButton software into Agrowing’s solution stack, automating the entire workflow from image capture through generation of fully indexed orthomosaic maps for agriculture. As part […]

The historical relationship between the Chinese and United States is steeped in espionage. A quick search of sUAS News website will reveal an article going back to 2013: “QinetiQ North America was attacked by a Shanghai-based hacker group from 2007 to 2010, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The hacking collective has been coined the ‘Comment […]

Yuneec International, a world leader in electric aviation, today announced the availability of the H520 sUAS, the company’s first product offering dedicated to commercial use. The H520 system utilizes Yuneec’s proven six-rotor platform and incorporates enterprise-grade cameras and mission planning software for high-end commercial use in verticals such as public safety, construction, inspection, video production, […]

A Memorandum of Agreement was today signed between Aerodyne Group and Makamin Offshore Saudi (MOS). The collaboration allows Aerodyne to bring their award-winning innovative UAS Enterprise Solutions to one of the world’s largest and most dynamic markets. It consolidates their position as the leading global UAS service provider and marks the beginning of an exciting […]

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and detail-oriented electromechanical problem solver to help support the bringup and launch of a fleet of intelligent aerial vehicles that will bring the power and sophistication of truly autonomous flight to a very broad audience. How you’ll make an impact: Technical and operational support in the bringup, testing, analysis and […]

This Request for Information (RFI) is in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15.2 and is published only to obtain information for use by Program Executive Officer, Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation (PEO (U/W)), Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office (PMA-263), Patuxent River, Maryland. This RFI does not […]

Little Arms Studios, a leading developer of professional-grade simulation solutions, announced a strategic partnership with leading UAS training provider, SkyOp, LLC. The partnership will deploy Little Arms Studios’ Zephyr Drone Simulatorthroughout the SkyOp commercial and consumer drone training network which serves much of the Northeastern United States. Zephyr’s unique Learning Management System makes it the preferred solution […]

DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, is establishing a “bug bounty” program to reward people who discover security issues with DJI software. The DJI Threat Identification Reward Program is part of an expanded commitment to work with researchers and others to responsibly discover, disclose and remediate issues that could affect […]

Guy Cherni, CMO, Atlas Dynamics This month, DJI and 3DR, once former competitors, announced that 3DR’s Site Scan drone data software platform will integrate with DJI’s drone platform. Yes, this story received its fair share of attention and examination, but the implications of this deal go beyond a simple partnership between two companies. Now that […]

Aeronautics Group, the leading UAS manufacturer, will present its newest members of the Orbiter family, the Orbiter 4 Multi-Mission STUAS and the Orbiter 1K loitering MUAS at MSPO in Kielce, Poland. Aeronautics’ high-end aerial solutions are already deployed by the polish armed forces for over 12 years, and serve them successfully in different missions. With […]

Terra Drone Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Tokushige Toru) have launched their image processing software “Terra Mapper” designed to assist drone surveying services. Terra Mapper is an automated drone navigation, image processing, and 3D image analysis program. It can be utilised on its own, rather than requiring the use of multiple different supplementary […]

By Peter van Blyenburgh, UVS International The worldwide survey on Non-Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)/Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)/Drone Operations is available online in 6 languages (English, French, German, Italian, Polish, & Spanish). In the very near future it will also be available in Japanese. This survey is open to drone operators in the following […]

For the current crop of 3100+ UK CAA Permission for Commercial Operation (PfCO) holders the Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA) industry has quickly become competitive in nature. To distinguish themselves in this market – in essence to ‘be a blue cow in a field of black and white cows(!)’- the next step might be to consider […]

Scenario This is a “made in Canada” Simulated BVLOS UAS Student Competition. The purpose of the competition is to promote and develop Canadian expertise and experience in unmanned systems technologies at the university and college levels. Small unmanned aerial vehicles are complex systems requiring a well planned and executed design and rehearsed operational approach. In […]

It was announced today in Melbourne, Australia that Freedom Drone Sports (FDS) and Sports Media and Entertainment 360 (SME 360) have formed a new company to manage and promote the newly sanctioned FAI Freedom Class and Freedom 500 Drone Racing series globally. Both FDS and SME 360 will have equity in the new entity and […]

On August 6th MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (MQ-1C ER) aircraft completed a 41.9-hour endurance flight, exceeding the 40 hour flight test goal. The Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), designed and developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), flew out of El Mirage, Calif. in a representative U.S. Army mission configuration. Since the first flight […]

CCLD Technologies Inc., headquartered just north of Atlanta, Georgia, has taken delivery of the RIEGL VUX-SYS for unmanned applications! The RIEGL VUX-SYS is comprised of a VUX-1UAV with an Applanix AP20 integrated with CCLD’s DJI M600 Pro. The VUX-SYS is a completely integrated laser scanning system of low weight and compact size to meet the […]

For those of you who are looking to play around with image recognition in your UAS projects, there’s an open source real-time image recognition system for that. I am not sure yet how well this would work at longer distances with smaller images when capturing footage from a flying platform but could be interesting. I […]

VTOL AEROSPACE (formerly Elytron Aircraft LLC) is introducing a new line of UAV products called Converticopters, adding unmanned versions to its manned convertiplanes. Since its creation in 2013, VTOL AEROSPACE has made extensive use of flying proof-of-concepts at different scales, going from compact unmanned test vehicles up to a 28-ft manned prototype. Putting these test […]

Today, Tanzania announced that it is launching the world’s largest drone delivery service to provide emergency on-demand access to critical and life-saving medicines. Beginning in the first quarter of 2018, the Tanzanian government will begin using drones to make up to 2,000 life-saving deliveries per day to over one thousand health facilities, serving 10 million […]

The Property Drone Consortium (PDC), a collaboration that consists of insurance carriers, roofing industry leaders and supporting enterprises announced today that Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) has joined the consortium as a technology member. “We are pleased that TWIA has decided to become a member of the consortium,” said PDC President Charles Mondello. “Their decision […]

WhiteFox Defense Technologies, Inc. demonstrated their flagship product, the DroneFox, to a range of U.S. military leaders during the Joint Interagency Field Experimentation (JIFX) program from July 31 to August 4, 2017. The U. S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit Experimental’s (DIUx) Rogue Squadron used the “red teaming” method to test the product’s capabilities […]

The FAI has ratified a duration world record for a unique experimental unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The VA001, an unmanned aircraft that looks like a glider but is powered by a diesel engine, successfully flew for 55hrs 56mins non-stop and without re-fueling on 2 December 2016. The flight took place at New Mexico State University’s […]

The Sky Guys Ltd. (“The Sky Guys”), Canada’s leader in drone technology, and Cambridge House International announced the first round of speakers at the 2017 Big Drone Show. The two-day event will take place in Toronto on September 27 and 28 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Now entering its second year, The Big Drone […]

senseFly’s eBee Plus, eBee SQ and albris drones have been added to Transport Canada’s list of “Compliant Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)”, a distinction that allows Canadian organisations using senseFly drones to apply for Compliant Operator status. The new designation, held by only a few drone producers, mirrors that of senseFly’s original eBee drone, which became […]

The first operational drone delivery service in the world is kicking off today in Iceland. Drone technology company Flytrex, in partnership with AHA, an online marketplace in Iceland, today announced the official launch of their on-demand food and consumer products drone delivery service in Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital city. The service isn’t ‘door to door’ but […]

Last night Gary had a very interesting and in-depth chat with the team responsible for the new sub-250gram SkyViper $150 GPS equipped camera drone fitted with a custom Ardupilot. From Ardupilot’s side, Dr. Andrew Tridgell (Tridge for those not familiar with his full name) and Luis Vale Gonçalves joined the chat along with Matt Morton from […]

After being released earlier this year, the WingtraOne is now spreading its wings in international waters. First stop: US and China. “We are proud to say that our users come from areas as diverse as surveying, precision farming, glacier monitoring and wildlife monitoring,” says Basil Weibel, CEO Wingtra. Within few months, the startup has already […]

Dronefax is concept that extrapolates some of the positives from the automobile version but tailored toward brokering unmanned aircraft systems. I know you’re probably mumbling under your breath, but I’ve got Craig’s list! Sure, you could go that route, but I’ve always been leery of buying used drones, and it has been my experience that […]

Aerix Drones announced the release of DaVinci, the company’s first mid-sized aerial photography and racing drone hybrid. DaVinci’s on-board first-person view (FPV) camera streams live video and records to the on-board micro SD card in 720p at 25fps, making it Aerix’s highest resolution video drone yet. DaVinci features four brushless motors — two standard motors […]

Drone Delivery Canada ‘DDC or the Company’ (CSE:FLT), is pleased to announce that its common shares commenced trading on the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States under the symbol “TAKOF” as of August 22, 2017. “Listing on the OTCQB market is part of our long-term strategy to broaden our audience of international investors,” said […]

HAZON Solutions announced today that the company has recently surpassed the inspection of more than 100,000 linear feet of railway bridges. Since early 2016, Norfolk Southern has commissioned HAZON to conduct the most comprehensive drone-based inspections in the industry. “We’re very proud to announce this remarkable milestone,” said CEO and co-founder David A. Culler, Jr. […]

Kespry, the leading aerial intelligence platform provider, announced that highly regarded forensic engineering, research and testing firm, Haag, has conducted an independent study analyzing the precision and efficacy of Kespry’s industrial drone platform. Kespry becomes the first company to submit its enterprise drone system to Haag for independent evaluation and to receive the firm’s seal-of-approval for […]

Loveland Innovations, maker of advanced drone solutions for the P&C insurance industry, announced today a new partnership with the leading provider of educational tools and services for insurance professionals, Vale Training. This partnership allows Vale Training to use Loveland Innovations’ first-of-its kind autonomous drone inspection solution, IMGING™, as part of a new program designed to […]

Last week, the United Kingdom (UK) Civil Aviation Authority released this press announcement. The TL;DR here is that the UK has officially announced that ADS-B is the “preferred national system for electronic conspicuity.” (Before going any further, “electronic conspicuity” (EC) is the UK term for “see and be seen” by electronic means.) This is a big […]

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) announced the launch of its Unmanned Aircraft Systems Standardization Collaborative (UASSC) with a kick-off meeting scheduled for September 28 in Washington, DC. The UASSC’s mission will be to coordinate and accelerate the development of the standards and conformity assessment programs needed to facilitate the safe, mass integration of unmanned […]

Sharper Shape Inc. has announced this week that their new Automatic Detail Inspection (ADI) service has successfully completed field trials and is now available for immediate commercial use by electric utilities. The ADI service is available as a complete end-to-end inspection package, or companies can use their own aircraft and personnel, utilizing Sharper Shape’s ADI […]

Amimon, the creators of wireless HD video technology with zero latency, is launching its new HX camera for the CONNEX ProSight system. The new native 720p60 camera will now include a 120-degree wide-angle view with customizable picture balance settings, enabling a fully immersive drone racing experience. The HX camera is compatible with existing CONNEX ProSight […]

Well done Police officers from Aylesbury in the UK, they are trying to reunite a Phantom and its owner. As their tweet suggests. Pop into the Police Station to collect it from one of our friendly officers #P6951 Such kind-hearted souls, they know that the owner must be worried about their expensive drone. Her Majestys […]

News has arrived of a mandatory firmware update from DJI. Owners of DJI’s latest and smallest quadcopter must update their firmware by September 1st or their machines will automatically ground themselves. The reason for the firmware update is, apparently, to stop in-flight shutdowns that have been occurring. So no bad thing to fix, a safety […]

Mike Rizkalla of Raised Performance who trade as Brave New World, have filed in Canada against Pleiades the company behind the 2013 Kickstarter Spiri quadcopter. Remember, 2013 when everything drone was new and exciting. Spiri raised $146,623 from 382 backers. Of course, the crowd-funded drone missed its delivery target. That is traditional. Dartmouth litigator Derek Brett is claiming $197,000 for work undertaken […]

The third instalment of the UK Commercial Drone Podcast is now out and provides vital listening to those working in the UK drone industry or considering entering the market. The UK Commercial Drone Podcast looks into the drone industry in the UK. Adam Bailey hosts the podcast and welcomes guests from across the industry to […]

The Applied Aviation Research Center on Kansas State University’s Polytechnic Campus is continuing its work with PrecisionHawk, a provider of advanced commercial drone technologies, on operational testing with unmanned aircraft systems. This partnership comes from PrecisionHawk’s continued work with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Pathfinder program, which involves industry partners exploring expansion of UAS operations in […]