sUAS News

Over 100 of the fastest FPV drone racing pilots converged on the U.S Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida last week for the Sebring Done Race 2017. This MultiGP sanctioned event had one of the largest prize purses (over $20,000) seen at a drone race, with a $10,000 cash first place prize. FPV pilots from […]

This project consisted of several phases and took place in an office building of Mosini Caviezel SA, Switzerland: a rural house that includes five rooms and a large hallway. The main objectives were to create an indoor plan in 2D, evaluate the application of terrestrial photogrammetry for establishing a PPE (Propriété Par Étages/property by floors, […]

Horray for Google, their patent that went through yesterday has given me a most excellent excuse to post my favourite drone video of 2016 once again, Robot Drone Man Fly! First the Google patent. A mobile telepresence system may include a frame, a propulsion system operably coupled to the frame to propel the frame through […]

The following are some observations made at the Drone Advisory Committee meeting held in Reno, Nevada on January 31, 2017. First, I have to state that I am not new to the standards bodies or the RTCA. I started working with the SC-203 in 2006 (ASTM May 2005, Reno) and was on the small UAS […]

So you’ve obtained executive buy-in for a drone program at your company and started small. By achieving gains in efficiency and overall safety, you’ve made a strong case for expansion. How do you take the next step forward without jeopardising what you’ve already built? Scaling your drone operation can seem daunting. With a little smart planning […]

3DR, Autodesk, Atkins and the Department of Aviation of the City of Atlanta worked together to perform the first FAA approved commercial drone operation in Class B airspace at the busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). In 2015, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport became the first airport in the world to […]

Rwanda forges forward in drone mapping use After Rwanda made waves in the news early last year for allegedly being the first country to approve drone delivery, people paid attention. The country, with its rolling hills and one of the fastest growing economies in Central Africa, has already established regulations regarding drones and become a […]

Altavian is partnering with MicaSense to integrate their RedEdge multispectral camera as the latest customizable payload available in both Altavian’s Nova and Galaxy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Integrating RedEdge with Altavian’s enterprise grade drones, like the Nova, brings multispectral sensor capabilities to a single 90-minute flight that can cover up to 600 acres, following standard […]

Airware, which provides end-to-end solutions that turn aerial data into actionable business intelligence for enterprises, announced today that it has secured a strategic investment from Caterpillar Ventures. The investment allows Airware to accelerate programs that enable dealers to offer solutions and services within the construction, mining, and quarrying industries and highlights Caterpillar’s commitment in leading […]

Recently new digital surface model ArcticDEM Release 3 has been released for wide list of territories – Alaska, Baffin Island (Canada), Svalbard (Norway), Iceland, Novaya Zemlya (Russia) and Franz Josef Land (Russia) enabling safer UAV mission planning. This is exciting news for UAV industry, as UAV usage has increased in Arctic region during last 5 […]

The small Unmanned Systems Business Exposition (sUSB Expo) announces open sponsor and speaker opportunities for the 2017 sUSB Expo, this year’s Expo builds on the last with the addition of an outdoor cage-free Demo Field Day. Previous years subject matter has covered, Standards, Robotics, Cinematography, Hardware Systems, Software, Industry analysis. The sUSB Expo is looking […]

Bats have long captured the imaginations of scientists and engineers with their unrivalled agility, but their complex wing motions pose significant technological challenges for those seeking to recreate their flight in a robot. The key flight mechanisms of bats now have been recreated with unprecedented fidelity in the Bat Bot—a self-contained robotic bat with soft, […]

During its yearly review, Delair-Tech announces a surge of its activity and triples its turnover, which reaches $ 7.1 million in 2016. Starting with a $15M fundraising, 2016 was the year of many successes for Delair-Tech: opening of a subsidiary in Los Angeles (USA), M&A operations, and technological and commercial partnerships. The Toulouse-based firm confirms its position as a […]

The Small UAV Coalition congratulates Elaine Chao on being confirmed as the 18th Secretary of Transportation. Secretary Chao takes office at a pivotal time for the commercial unmanned aerial systems (UAS) industry – as she said during her confirmation hearing, “drones are poised to become a major commercial force.” The Coalition looks forward to working […]

Today, Katharine “Kathie” Morgan began serving as president of ASTM International, one of the world’s largest standards development organisations. Morgan will lead a team that supports thousands of members, customers, partners, and other stakeholders worldwide. She succeeds James A. Thomas, who served in the role for 25 years. “I am thrilled and humbled to serve […]

Today, Pix4D’s mobile flight planning app, Pix4Dcapture, introduces new support and features for iOS. The following devices are now compatible with the app: DJI Mavic Pro drone Parrot Skycontroller All DJI drone pilots can now create circular flight missions, which are ideal for 3D model reconstruction of single buildings or objects. These 360° flight missions […]

Juniper Unmanned, Inc announced that it has partnered with Ascentium Capital LLC and Airsure Limited to offer new drone insurance and customized finance packages in the United States. By combining Juniper’s training and support services, customers can spread payments over 2-3 years, and experience savings on insurance by as much as 50%. Available immediately via […]

Just ahead of tomorrow’s earnings call GoPro have put the Karma back up for sale on their website. It is as before retailing for $799 for the drone, case and grip. No GoPro camera is included at that price. Are they really trying again with the same numbers as before after the runaway success of […]

Autel Robotics USA it would seem has laid off staff. I have reached out to Autel but nothing direct back from them yet. I thought I would l take to LinkedIn. Former Autel employee Aaron Beach has updated his profile. I accepted a job with Drone start-up Autel Robotics in Seattle as a Senior Account […]

Baam.Tech is excited to announce their company launch as well as the launch of their brand new fixed-wing aircraft, the Futura. The Futura was designed specifically for the commercial surveyor and centred around the strong belief that current commercial UAV systems fall short to accomplish timely and accurate data collection in the field. Yesterday’s drone […]

We are keeping an eye on you, Chris Ballard! Freedom Class Racing steps closer to being a thing. Leonard Hall of Ardupilot on the sticks and giving it beans (small portion). There is great potential for large scale racing quads, quite simply because the camera and crowd can see them. If they crash is should […]

The one in which we talk about Nevada and flying over private property. Drone Journalism at Poynter. Bruce Simpson from RC Model Reviews and his view of the S800 shadow Flying Wing and Kickstarter Mini Race Wing. Peggy Gilligan to leave the FAA. Waivers and delays. Why you should not post too much information about […]

GS Pro (or Ground Station Pro) is the latest app for iPad developed by DJI to plan and control complex drone missions and perform automated flights with DJI aircraft. GS Pro demonstrates DJI’s expansion into enterprise market by including many features aimed at increasing safety, accuracy and efficiency in various industrial applications. Over the last […]

uAvionix Corporation, a leading Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) avionics provider, announced the development and test of its smallest ADS-B transceiver yet. Weighing less than 1 gram, a dime sized ADS-B prototype module for drones with transmission power between 0.01-0.25 Watts could provide visibility to any aircraft equipped with ADS-B “IN” avionics from 1 – 10 […]

SBG Systems releases a new version of the Ellipse Series, its popular product line of miniature inertial sensors. The Ellipse has been greatly improved, showing unmatched performance in attitude measurement while adding Galileo constellation to its GNSS receiver. After thousands of Ellipse miniature inertial sensors operational on the field, SBG Systems proves again its capability […]

The Urgency to Measure Coastal Erosion Protecting coasts from erosion is a global mission. In the UK alone, the British Geological Survey states that across England and Wales 113 000 residential properties, 9000 commercial properties and 5000 hectares of agricultural land are within areas potentially at risk of coastal erosion. Mitigating the effects of climate […]

By Vicki Krueger Newsrooms around the world are experimenting with unmanned drone aircraft to add context to their visual reports. But drones require a high level of skill and safety awareness and, as of 2016, an FAA license to operate commercially. The Poynter Institute is offering a groundbreaking training initiative to give journalists the skills […]

The Coast Guard completed system operational verification testing of a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) on Coast Guard Cutter Stratton, a national security cutter (NSC) based in Alameda, California, Jan. 2. The Stratton crew and UAS program officials tested the power, communications, and launch and recovery systems that make up the sUAS to ensure that […]

Remember the Wingtra, another from an Autonomous Systems Lab at ETH in Zurich spin-off. Well, it’s moved into Beta and its a smart looking bit of kit. The first batch of WingtraOnes is available now. Request an invitation to our beta program and be amongst the first to experience how easy data collection can be! Beta […]

his past week at Geospatial World Forum 2017 in Hyderabad, India, RIEGL displayed some of the latest products of their broad product portfolio for terrestrial, mobile, airborne and UAV-based laser scanning, in cooperation with their distribution partner for India, MeaTech Solutions (www.meatechsolutions.com). RIEGL’s survey-grade UAV LiDAR platform, the RiCOPTER, was one of the highlights of […]

A major Japanese start-up has chosen Queensland for its regional office after being inspired by the Palaszczuk Government’s drive to advance innovation and entrepreneurship across the state. Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Jackie Trad said Terra Drone, Japan’s leading unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) provider, made the decision to come to Brisbane as […]

Vigilant Aerospace has completed successful beyond lineof-sight flight testing of its new FlightHorizon detect-and-avoid collision avoidance system for unmanned aircraft at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The tests demonstrated the system’s ability to provide beyond line-of-sight flight safety for both small and mid-sized unmanned aircraft to help comply with FAA regulations and […]

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, tactical radars, and electro-optic and related mission system solutions, launched a “Type-Certifiable” (STANAG 4571) version of its Predator® B product line, called SkyGuardian™, this week before an audience of international dignitaries from nine nations including the United Kingdom, Italy, France, […]

It’s an exciting time for UAS operators as the pace of technological development makes more ambitious operational capabilities a reality. Trig Avionics is leading the way, launching their latest TT26, ETSO certified UAS transponder product. The TT26 is truly ground breaking, providing four vital functions to support on board autopilot systems. The one box TT26 […]

Sentera today announced the release of its NDVI Toolbox™ for AgVault™: a set of tools for customizable Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data that give growers and agronomists significant insight into field and crop health, today and throughout the season. Users can recolor, dynamically regenerate, and highlight areas of an NDVI Crop Health Map, on […]

Race Quads have shown what is possible with FPV. They have raised the bar for freestyle and race flying and planes never really caught up. The MiniRaceWing is designed to change that. It is fast, agile, easy to transport and it can take a beating. The MiniRaceWing gives you an exceptionally carefree and exciting flying […]

Instant access to high-resolution aerial imagery allows you to be everywhere without going anywhere The new year is well underway. At Nearmap, we’ve been reflecting on the past but also looking ahead with excitement and enthusiasm. To put our mission in context, as Nearmap evolved—first in Australia and now also in the US—a singular purpose […]

Guess who’s almost back! It’s more than a drone, Karma! GoPro has recently put a Karma Core kit up on their website, which is the airframe only for $399.99. It is not ready to buy, just coming soon. Nick Woodman suggested something would happen in February during CES and that is just around the corner. The […]

Emlid, the creators of the first truly affordable RTK GNSS receiver Reach just introduced a ruggedized, battery powered Reach RS model. It enables centimetre accurate positioning for survey, mapping, agriculture and drones once again changing our perception of the equipment cost. With an integrated high-performance dual-feed antenna mounted on a large ground plane Reach RS […]

u‑blox (SIX:UBXN), a global leader in wireless and positioning modules and chips, today announces the launch of ZOE‑M8G, an ultra‑compact GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver module, especially designed for markets where small size, minimal weight and high location precision are essential. ZOE‑M8G offers exceptionally high location accuracy by concurrently connecting to GPS, Galileo […]

The PowerLine Tethered System mounts directly to the DJI Inspire product. PowerLine Power supply ground station provides power through the ultralight-tether to drone for unlimited flight time. The ultralight onboard power replaces the stock battery, providing unlimited, reliable and redundant power source. Designed to run 24/7, the PowerLine system will meet your schedule without watching […]

Paul Bronfman, Chairman/CEO of Comweb Corp. and leading equipment provider, William F. White International Inc. (Whites), today announced that the company has entered into a first-in-Canada exclusive partnership/representation agreement with California-based drone company, Aerial MOB. Established in 2013, Aerial MOB is the first drone company of its kind to obtain approval from the Federal Aviation […]

This MultiGP sanctioned event has attracted the fastest drone racing pilots in the world, from as far away as South Africa, to the Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo. Pilots will be competing for the $20,000 prize purse, with one pilot being crowned champion and walking away with $10,000 for the 1st place prize. Hosted by […]

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may change import duty and classification for DJI and other drones currently imported as toys watch out for Aerial Photography Aircraft (Unmanned) Last year, (2016) was often called the year of the drone by many reporters, tech advocates and news agencies. Many small drone service companies took off the ground, mid-size […]

Kespry, the leading aerial intelligence platform provider, today announced that it has enhanced the Kespry Drone 2 with higher performance features that deliver significantly greater accuracy and reliability. These enhancements make Kespry Drone 2 even more ideal for a wide range of industrial applications, including those requiring survey-grade precision, such as in mining and the […]

Joint administrators were formally appointed by the Court today, Wednesday the 25th of January 2017 As insolvency agents, it is their task to try to sell the assets and goodwill of the business for the benefit of the creditors of the company. Should any parties be interested in purchasing the intellectual property rights of the […]

The Part 107 rules did a lot to open up United States airspace to commercial drone operations, and there’s never been a better time to incorporate aerial imaging into construction and real estate. Even though construction growth projections for 2017 might not be so bullish as recent years, there’s still plenty of opportunity, especially in […]

PrecisionHawk, a provider of advanced commercial drone technologies, today announced that Michael Chasen has been appointed as the company’s new chief executive officer (CEO). As a serial entrepreneur and veteran technology leader, Chasen brings more than 20 years of software experience to accelerate PrecisionHawk’s rapid growth in the commercial drone market. Michael Chasen was previously […]

Bosch Sensortec launches the BMP380, the company’s smallest and best performing barometric pressure sensor, with a compact size of only 2.0 x 2.0 x 0.75 mm³. The BMP380 is aimed at the growing markets of gaming, sports and health management, as well as indoor and outdoor navigation. By measuring barometric pressure, the sensor enables drones, […]

Vehicle traffic congestion and monitoring have become today the most critical issues in road transport and haulage. The second largest metropolitan area in France, Lyon suburb area represents a serious case to deploy vehicle traffic monitoring with tethered drone technology. Elistair tethered solutions offer continuous and real-time aerial video stream, allowing persistent data collection and technical analysis […]