sUAS News

Mavic reconnaissance, shallow graves, farm drone fails, model aircraft or drone, airspace maps, patent laws and drones, Part 107 waivers and drone data aggregators. Just some of the topics discussed on the weeks #dronestuffthisweek. Gene Robinson reveals early on that whilst testing RP Flight Services brand new Mavic he received a call out. By chance, […]

KoptR Image has formed a partnership with UAV Factory in order to offer the Canadian market a one stop shop for UAV Factory and Octopus systems. KoptR’s team has more than four years experience with UAV factory’s flagship: The penguin B and C. With this new partnership we will be able to offer great support […]

Not the first time we have seen this sort of thing, I am imagining the conversation with my wife when I suggest we should install one! What could possibly go wrong and how jolly elegant! Thank goodness we all live in power line free wide open spaces. Here’s my bet drone deliveries will be in […]

There is simply nothing sexy about buying a stack of papers that promise to pay for a future loss that statistically has a low probability of ever happening. For this reason, many UAV owners make the critical mistake of focusing a minimum amount of attention on this vital component of their financial protection system. But […]

Kittyhawk, the drone fleet management company, is proud to announce the 5.0 release of their industry-leading iOS drone management software. Today, after working closely with Santa Monica’s AirMap, Kittyhawk is the first app developer using the AirMap platform to see and receive alerts about live air traffic without leaving the app. In addition, Kittyhawk and […]

GDU, the leading consumer drone manufacturer focusing on power and portability, today announced the company is shipping the much-anticipated Premium Byrd model featuring a 2.8 4K camera and 3-axis gimbal. The Premium model offers users the most capable consumer drone on the market with the ability to quickly and easily switch out gimbals for different […]

Parrot, a leading manufacturer of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Worldwide Campus have announced a new academic partnership that will promote curriculum development, the dissemination of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) research and real-world applications. Parrot will work with Embry-Riddle Worldwide faculty to support advanced UAV research, platform development, education and recruitment, […]

DJI are putting clear water between themselves and their nearest competition. In fact, scratch that they don’t have competition. The bar has been raised. Standing out for me with the Phantom 4 Professional was the 5 axis collision sensing. This will make life much better for beginners. An uprated camera is equipped with a 1-inch 20-megapixel […]

Hangar, the Austin, TX based technology company developing an autonomous data capture ecosystem for drones, today announced it acquired Autoflight Logic, the maker of the most popular 3rd party flight automation software for DJI drones. Autoflight Logic boasts over 150k autonomous flights in over 190 countries flown using its ground control software. The software supports […]

Humm, a tailsitter. That’s not the way most of the world is going and the reason is quite simple. The Wind, tail sitters are really hard to land in any wind. I hope that they system is clever enough to at very least turn itself to align with the wind when autolanding. Thus presenting less […]

I spy with my little eye a Raptor, from Raptor UAS. Always good to see a company moving forward. Last year Raptor UAS worked with Horizon Energy Systems on a long distance flight. HES is part of H3. Well done the Raptor UAS team! H3 Dynamics unveils HYWINGS, a hand-launchable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capable […]

I have been waiting for the weather to play ball. I want to see if some of the drone agriculture products out there really do what they say they will do. Speaking with a farmer friend of mine a couple of weeks ago he told me his recently planted seeds would be out of the […]

A compelling piece of marketing! What I like about it the most is that it contains all the memes that we see in real attempts at manned quads. Built in a shed, cup of coffee, GoPro on the helmet. All very nicely observed. Grandma’s hammock and a dream to make it fly, great back story. […]

BirdsEyeView Aerobotics is a startup company that designs and manufactures small unmanned aircraft systems (www.birdseyeview.aero). Our goal is to make flying robots accessible to everyday people in everyday environments. We are looking for a full-time associate with a strong work ethic and a passion for developing cutting edge technology to join our team in the […]

As the number of choices for drone based photogrammetry continue to grow it becomes increasingly difficult to determine which platform to select. A recent CH2M Hill sponsored fly-off provided a unique opportunity to compare between available platforms, and the resulting analysis reveals significant differences between leading systems. The fly-off provided one of the first glimpses […]

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems solutions, announced today that it can provide a company-owned aircraft to support humanitarian relief efforts. “Angel One,” an aircraft based on the jet-propelled Predator® RPA system owned and operated by GA-ASI, is capable […]

Portland, Oregon-based Radio Hill Technologies (RHT) is launching the Block 3 Dronebuster hand-held counter-drone detection and jamming system. This is the third generation of the Dronebuster line of hand-held jammers. This model, released on 1 November, includes improved range and reliability over previous models. It has the ability to detect incoming RF signals to […]

A discount for the Xiaomi MiDrone, but remember it did not get off to a great start. Nothing has really changed. GearBest has offered up a discount code if you are still after one. – midrone This code will take the price below $500 to $485. One thing I do like that Xiaomi have built into the system with […]

This week Autodesk will be hosting Autodesk University in Las Vegas where 3D Robotics will be presenting it’s integrated Autodesk BIMS (Building Information Modeling) solution Site Scan. sUAS News was invited to preview the presentation which included a demo of the functioning system last week which I attended via web. The new commercial Solo has […]

Ultra hands-on emerging technology hardware accelerator Brinc today announced the launch of Reimagine Drone, the first drone services incubator program based in Barcelona. In partnership with Incubio, a leading big data startup accelerator, the program will serve as a global platform for leveraging the use of commercial drones to unveil a new generation of services and applications disrupting categories […]

It’s all about the data. That’s why you bought a drone or robotic platform in the first place – for the data it produces. You want a simple solution that lets you do your job and not have to drag an army of engineers and support staff in the field. Our first really cool product […]

AgPixel® is offering agronomists the ability to seamlessly integrate high-resolution imagery via the agX Platform®. “AgPixel is excited to release high-resolution imagery through the agX Store,” said Kirk Demuth, Chief Operating Officer for AgPixel. “We understand the pressure agronomists are under to increase yields and reduce inputs. Delivering imagery through agX will help us efficiently […]

As DJI is growing rapidly in the US market, we are looking for an experienced HR Generalist in our Carson, CA offices to support our ongoing expansion. We plan to double our headcount in the US market in the next 12-18 months. Responsibilities: -Communicates intensively with the global HR team in DJI headquarters in Shenzhen, […]

The Ungulate Disease and Damage research project of the National Wildlife Research Center acquires the Aeromapper Talon to test for mapping and precision agriculture Ungulate Disease and Damage research project (USDA APHIS division) has selected the Aeromapper Talon for their research on surveying and mapping agricultural areas that have been damaged by wildlife. Among the […]

San Francisco-based drone deliveries firm Zipline has raised US$25 million in Series B funding to expand its operations across Africa. The company will soon be making 50-150 emergency flights a day that deliver lifesaving blood to 21 transfusion clinics across the country and has now raised funding to expand its work in Rwanda to other […]

Andrew Tridgell We have just implemented a major upgrade to the ArduPilot sensor drivers for STM32 based boards (PX4v1, Pixhawk, Pixhawk2, PH2Slim, PixRacer and PixhawkMini). The new sensor drivers are a major departure from the previous drivers which used the PX4/Firmware drivers. The new drivers are all “in-tree” drivers, bringing a common driver layer for […]

Aurora Flight Sciences continues to break ground on the development of advanced autonomous capabilities for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) systems. Aurora’s work on the Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System (AACUS) program will be leveraged to integrate the company’s Tactical Autonomous Aerial Logistics System (TALOS) on a UH-1H helicopter. The primary goal of the AACUS […]

Aerotenna, the leader in radar sensing and SoC flight control technologies for UAVs, has won first prize at the Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) Preliminary Drone Sense & Avoid technology competition held on November 9 in Syracuse, NY. The competition was launched by a partnership between UTM Convention and HiddenGenius.com to demonstrate drone sense and avoid […]

SkyPixel, the world’s largest community dedicated to aerial photography, today released its pick of top 10 aerial photos taken by aerial photographers from around the world. These photos were submitted to the SkyPixel 2016 Photo Contest, and were considered to be some of the best work in 2016 thus far. The contest, which started in […]

CMV50000 features low noise, high frame rate, and high dynamic range; easy-to-design-with sensor excels in automated optical inspection systems, machine vision users and prosumer video applications Premstaetten, Austria — CMOSIS a member of the ams AG (SIX: AMS) group, a leading provider of high-performance sensors and analog ICs, today launched the CMV50000, an industry first […]

Plans to update EU civil aviation safety rules to address emerging risks were amended and approved by Transport and Tourism Committee MEPs on Thursday. The updated EU regulation will also introduce the EU-level requirements for drones, to ensure safety and privacy. “EU aviation safety standards are already high. Even so, the growing use of drones […]

Humm smacks of The World Series, you know that thing that the world does not compete in. A tie in with alcohol means that the world champion Luke Bannister is not able to compete on two counts, first his age and then his Britishness. I’m not quite sure why overseas competitors are excluded as the […]

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems solutions, today announced the successful first flight of its new Avenger® Extended Range (ER) aircraft, an extended range version of its multi-mission jet-powered Predator® C Avenger which has accumulated over 13,000 flight hours […]

Don Shaw, CEO of Advanced Tactics Inc. (AT), a research and rapid development company in Southern California, today announced that AT has begun production of a new type of autonomous drone system for surveillance and package delivery that can drive like a car and fly like a helicopter – the Autonomous AT Panther Air/Ground Robot […]

Is GearBest getting out ahead of any announcements next Tuesday? Phantom 4 for the magical 1 cent less than a thousand anybody? Adam from Gear best just sent me offer codes for Phantom 3 Advanced at $580.99 GBDJ3A Phantom 3 Professional at $725.99 GBDJ3P Phantom 4 for $999.99 GBDJ4 We expected to see the price […]

UAS operators concerned by growing calls for increased regulation can now hold the key to successful self-regulation thanks to operational management system Centrik. Already used by airlines, operators, airports and regulators worldwide, Centrik is now available for UAS operators who seek a robust, high-quality management system built on a firm aviation foundation. David Hunkin, Head […]

Aeryon sUAS have always been easy to use and control, but in certain applications finer positioning control is a requirement. Now, with the Aeryon Joystick Controller, pilots who need it, can have more precise control. Designed to be all-weather and rugged, the Joystick Controller matches the weather-resistant capabilities of the Aeryon sUAS platform and can be […]

Dedrone is pleased to announce that from a pool of more than 5,700 company applications, it was chosen as one of three award winners of Cisco’s 2016 Innovation Grand Challenge. The judging panel announced their decision today during Lisbon’s Web Summit conference, Europe’s largest technology conference with over 50,000 participants. Dedrone, based in [nbsp]San Francisco, […]

Time is ticking down to the Kickstarter release for OBS. We have been getting a lot of questions as to how OBS stacks up against other forms of ground control. Specifically, Propeller Aero Points and a traditional survey system. We think the chart speaks for itself! Stop carrying around ground control targets, expensive survey equipment […]

Sky-Drones is introducing SmartAP RTK, this is a perfect addition to the flight controller when positioning precision really matters, it provides centimeter level accuracy. The system is based on the latest UBlox Neo-M8P chipset and is fully integrated across all SmartAP flight controllers and software. Standard telemetry is used to send RTCM corrections via SmartAP […]

Aurora recently partnered with OCEARCH, a world-leading marine conservation organization, to provide aerial support locating and tracking great white sharks off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The Centaur optionally piloted DA-42 aircraft (OPA) flew above the expedition area in a predetermined flight pattern to help scientists onboard the OCEARCH ship target, identify and track the […]

Fruity Chutes is pleased to announce the availability of the new Hawk CO2 Release valve. The valve is for use with the Peregrine UAV Ballistic Parachute Launcher for Drone and UAV parachute recovery. Gene Engelgau, CEO of Fruity Chutes, says “We have been selling the Peregrine UAV system for some time with the Raptor CO2 […]

The Awards Ceremony was the high point of the closing day at the 14th annual Unmanned Systems Conference held in Edmonton AB late last week. The occasion honoured outstanding contributions made by individuals, organisations and students who display vision, hard work and dedication to the unmanned systems sector. Many deserving members were nominated. The votes […]

You feel safe as you follow the instructions. You never had an issue with your batteries so far. But even a large brand like Samsung can supply faulty batteries that catch on fire. The batteries you use are for sure larger in size and lithium content, than in a Note 7 and can set a […]

Honestly, I figured theyd be in by now. AOPA has been talking about unmanned pilots becoming part of their ranks since 2008. HAIs President Matt Zuccaro made waves within his organisation when writing an op-ed about how helicopter pilots would make great UAS pilots. Aviation has been around for a few years and just as […]

The DartGun is the latest product developed by HAEVIC, a drone developer in South Africa. This robust platform has already proved its resilience in daunting working conditions. Flying for the past two years in DRC agricultural operations. Now HAEVIC crossed the boundary combining the SuperDrone with a unique pneumatic, all aluminium, lightweight gun attached to […]

Fifteen finalists in North East England will pitch for the If We Can You Can Challenge 2016. They will be exhibiting their businesses at The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art Gateshead on November the 16th, 2016. Meet the finalists, network, be inspired and establish new connections at the event. Drone Ops are a North East based […]

Oulu, Finland- November 8, 2016 – SPECIM Spectral Imaging Ltd. today introduced Specim FX17, the smallest and fastest InGaAs based Near Infrared (900 – 1700 nm) hyperspectral camera designed directly for industrial machine vision market. The new Specim FX17 is an affordable technological enabler for industrial on-line quality control, inspection and process monitoring. It provides […]

Just sixteen days, that is all it took to undo Nick Woodman’s grand claims. It’s more than a drone, no its not! We learnt quite a bit about the launch, only 2500 units shipped. That’s not many at all in the run up to Christmas. It’s this sort of incident that prompted the recall. Interesting that […]