sUAS News

by Phil Favorite Ben Berry will tell you it’s a lucky man whose interests, training, experience and vision all converge to create the opportunity of a lifetime. For Berry, that time is now. After a long career in information technology and communications systems, Berry is on the verge of impacting the world in a way…The post Watching his legacy take flight appeared first on sUAS News.

ENAC UAV Lab team and Meteo-France (CNRS-GAME and ENM) teams have spent several days at the Atmospheric Research Center of Lannemezan (in the south of France) in order to perform experiments for simultaneous meteorological measurements through multi-UAV flight. This was part of a research project called VOLTIGE aimed at studying the formation of cloud and fog…The post Multi UAV flights for simultaneous meterological measurements appeared first on sUAS News.

BEIJING (REUTERS) – China’s aviation regulator published on Friday (Dec 4) draft operating guidelines for the fledgling drone industry after several security breaches involving the unmanned aircraft. The guidelines by the Civil Aviation Administration of China cover unmanned aerial vehicles weighing no more than 116kgs and include maintaining up-to-date records on remote pilots and providing…The post China issues draft rules to regulate fledgling drone industry appeared first on sUAS News.

Spy Owl is now finding customers in the Middle East, who are looking to strengthen borders patrol capability. The small hand launched system offers flexibility and persistence controlled from front line units. DroneWorks is pleased to be supporting UAS Europe in developing new customers for this proven surveillance tool. Markets in the region show strong…The post UAS Europe working with DroneWorks.ae to grow new ME markets appeared first on sUAS News.

UAV-Air, a leading provider of drone training solutions, has announced an exciting new joint venture with Rigg-Access, in which training solutions will be provided to the survey industry. UAV-Air is a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Nationally Qualified Entity (NQE), while Rigg-Access is the world’s number one website for Industrial Rope Access within the Inspection, Repair…The post UAV-Air and Rigg-Access Announce Joint Venture To Provide Bespoke Drone Training Solutions to IRM Industry appeared first on sUAS News.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) demonstrated its ability to integrate unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations into the National Airspace System (NAS) using its prototype UAS Traffic Management (UTM) capabilities. During the demonstration on Nov. 18, the Stalker XE UAS provided data and a precise geolocation to the unmanned K-MAX cargo helicopter, which conducted water drops…The post Lockheed Martin Conducts Collaborative Unmanned Systems Demonstration appeared first on sUAS News.

By Prince Osuagwu For composite online and offline retail chain, Yudala, there is no better way to launch into the season of wonders than with a wonder of their own. The company achieved another first with the drone delivery of the first order placed for its Black Friday sales which ran from Thursday November 26th …The post Yudala achieves first drone delivery in Nigeria appeared first on sUAS News.

Federal Aviation Regulations, COA, & Section 333 Exemption Compliant. This logbook has been specifically designed to be compliant with 14 CFR 61.51, Section 333 exemptions, and COA logbook requirements. Easy COA Reporting. The FAA requires that commercial operators who have 333 exemptions and “blanket” COAs to file monthly reports. It is EXTREMELY annoying to log…The post Drone Operators Logbook appeared first on sUAS News.

One of the issues a number of our commercial UAS clients have is flying within 5 nautical miles of an airport. The blanket Certificate of Authorization (COA) issued with each Section 333 grant of exemption prohibits flights in this airspace without new, special permission being obtained. We recently found a change in the FAA mandated…The post Flying UAS Near Airports – How FAA Changed the Rules For One Operator appeared first on sUAS News.

Joanna Pachner Most young companies struggle to get noticed. That has never been a problem for drone manufacturer Aeryon Labs. The media love drone heroics, and Aeryon’s flying robots have starred in a number of high-profile nail-biters: guiding a rescue mission to frozen Alaska; assisting in a drug bust in Central America; helping natural disaster…The post How Aeryon Labs intends to keep its industrial drone business aloft appeared first on sUAS News.

Hogan Lovells In a quiet move last week, the FAA made an important revision to the requirements for commercial unmanned aircraft system (UAS), or drone operations, that may signal a significant policy change. Every day, industry is finding new and exciting commercial uses for drones. Here in the U.S., private commercial UAS operations are, for…The post Moving UAS Policy Boundaries Forward: Flights Near People appeared first on sUAS News.

Aerialtronics are taking drone autonomy to the next level by developing a smart dual camera that packs massive onboard processing power with both digital daylight and thermal camera sensors. Using NVIDIA embedded SOC platform, the project, led by Michele Moscaritolo, Head of Vision at Aerialtronics, is a giant step forward in onboard data analysis and…The post Aerialtronics creates smart dual camera powered by NVIDIA Tegra K1 appeared first on sUAS News.

city Kelly Yamanouchi A Georgia House of Representatives study committee on the use of drones has recommended prohibiting the weaponization of drones, prohibiting the use of drones for hunting or fishing, and restricting the use of drones near public roads. With the recommendation to prohibit the use of drones near public roads without permission, “the…The post Study recommends restricting drones from public roads, prohibiting weaponization and more appeared first on sUAS News.

– What would a drone from the future look like? At Fleye, we dream of small, autonomous, flying machines floating around us and helping us in our daily lives. The kind of flying robot we were dreaming about as children when reading Sci-Fi comic books. Not satisfied with current drone design, we went back to…The post Kickstarter – Fleye – Your Personal Flying Robot appeared first on sUAS News.

The Joby S2 is a game-changing aircraft that promises to improve the way society works, lives, plays, and travels. A 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft, the S2 provides a quiet and reliable means of airborne transport. This environmentally-friendly personal airplane requires 5 times less energy than conventional auto transportation at 5 times the door-to-door speed. The S2…The post Joby S2 appeared first on sUAS News.

STM32F303 processor, 72MHz with FPU and 256KB of flash 400mW 40ch video transmitter Change channels/bands with stick commands from your radio Motor outputs in correct corners of board 128Mbit/16MB flash for Blackbox logging 5V BEC with 2S-4S Lipo input 5V power output for camera 5V or 3.3V power output for receiver MPU6050 gyro/accelerometer Micro USB…The post Singularity Flight Controller + Video Transmitter + BEC appeared first on sUAS News.

Getting Down and Dirty with UAS4RS: Searching for Solutions to Environmental Challenges We invite all doers, dabblers, and would-be dabblers to join us for the inaugural UAS4RS 2016 (Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Remote Sensing) Conference to be held at the University of Queensland, Brisbane 17-18 February 2016. The aim of UAS4RS 2016 is to bring…The post Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Remote Sensing (UAS4RS) Conference 2016 appeared first on sUAS News.

Cunningham Lindsey, a leading global loss adjusting and risk management services company, announced today its partnership with VDOS Global (VDOS), a leader in unmanned inspection services, to incorporate drone technology solutions into the insurance market. As the first FAA authorized UAS-inspection company in the US, VDOS is a well established provider of unmanned aerial vehicle…The post Cunningham Lindsey Partners with VDOS Global for Drone Technology Services appeared first on sUAS News.

Initial focus on GNSS technology development Thalwil, Switzerland and Tampere, Finland – December 2, 2015 – u-blox (SIX:UBXN), a global leader in wireless and positioning modules and chips, officially inaugurated its new R&D center in Tampere, Finland yesterday. It is the company’s thirteenth R&D site worldwide. The facility, already staffed and operational, will initially focus…The post u-blox inaugurates new R&D center in Tampere, Finland appeared first on sUAS News.

Future Aerial launches world’s first Drone Operations Network DON™. Future Aerial today announces the launch of its DON™ model, the world’s first Drone Operations Network. The operations model coupled with Future Drone Cloud™, its cloud based technology, enables any commercial business in any sector to commission multiple fleets of drones at any one time. The…The post Future Aerial: World’s first Drone Operation Network DON appeared first on sUAS News.

The use of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), known also as drones, within the United States is growing quickly as costs drop and interest rises. Government, industry, and hobbyists are finding many ways to use these small aircraft. However, we’re also seeing unauthorized uses—resulting in drones that potentially threaten the safety of aircraft in the…The post $100k prize…The MITRE Challenge: Countering Unauthorized Unmanned Aircraft Systems appeared first on sUAS News.

Jason Snead For millions of American families, Christmas morning is a time for children to marvel at the magic of Santa, for families to come together around the spirit of giving, and for adults to admit they are not too old for toys. But if you are one of the hundreds of thousands of Americans…The post The Government’s Rushed Drone Registry Will Be Ineffective and Unenforceable appeared first on sUAS News.

Sara Shepherd Kansas University is in the process of creating a policy to clamp down on drone use on campus, and at least one aerospace engineering professor has big concerns about it. For one, said Ron Barrett-Gonzalez, a professor of aerospace engineering who has patented multiple drones, none of KU’s aerospace faculty — KU’s experts…The post KU’s proposed drone policy ruffles campus drone ‘experts’ appeared first on sUAS News.

Rick Robinson As a team of unmanned quadrotor aircraft hovers above, six small ground robots roll into an unfamiliar two-story structure. Soon, the rotorcraft are darting about mapping the upper floor, while the ground vehicles chart the lower floor, process both teams’ data, and produce a full building plan for computers outside. Notably absent are…The post On their own appeared first on sUAS News.

I look forward to catching up with a few readers this afternoon in Durban where I will be speaking about RPAS regulations in South Africa. With speakers from 27 countries, hear from the world’s leading advocates of climate-smart agriculture and see presentations on some of the most exciting sustainable agriculture innovations boosting productivity in AfricaThe post GFIA Africa appeared first on sUAS News.

I’m not going to cover the legal issues with drone registration that I made in the previous blog post. I will only briefly discuss (1) the recommendations, (2) a few potential problems with the recommendations, and (3) what happens next in the rulemaking process. The aviation rule making committee’s recommendations on drone registration can be…The post The Drone Registration Committee Turned in Their Recommendations to the FAA. Now What? appeared first on sUAS News.

First non-cellular and non- GPS enabled drone tracking device that works worldwide without monthly fees and has a range of up to 2 miles. With over 100,000 consumer and prosumer drones sold globally every month, there will be quite a few “fly-aways”. To lose a $1500 drone due to a malfunction or pilot error is…The post UAVfind Offers 900 Mhz drone tracking solution appeared first on sUAS News.

Northwest UAV is currently seeking individuals with testing experience to fill our Propulsion Test Cell Technician opening. The work requires a strong mechanical aptitude and attention to detail. Successful candidates will be tasked with the testing and tuning of small, high performance engines used to power unmanned aircraft. Knowledge – Skills & Abilities Required: Experience…The post NWUAV Job Opportunities :- Propulsion Test Cell Technician appeared first on sUAS News.

Aviation insurance companies routinely request certain information from applicants for all types of operational risk exposures. This information is needed to help in evaluating the risks to be covered by the insurer and to determine appropriate rates, limits and breadth of coverage. However, when a claim is made for a loss under the policy, the…The post Insurance Applications – Representations appeared first on sUAS News.

BUMP is an exclusive new Revolectrix concept for Battery Management. The BUMP Controller utilizes Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology to communicate with any battery equipped with a BUMP Compliant Tag, or “BumpTag”. The BumpTags will be pre-installed and pre-configured on most Revolectrix batteries in the near future. BumpTags will also be available for sale separately,…The post What is BUMP? appeared first on sUAS News.

Building on its strengths of innovation, collaboration and safety, Unmanned Experts partners with Aeryon Labs Inc., the NASA Ames Research Center and other industry stakeholders in the development and testing of an Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) System. The UTM System, being developed under a NASA partnership program, would enable safe and efficient low-altitude…The post Unmanned Experts Partners with Aeryon Labs in Select NASA UTM Test Flights appeared first on sUAS News.

Key concepts related to unmanned aerospace systems (UAS) / recreational drones will be covered during a free online course being offered by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide in January. The massive open online course (MOOC), “Unmanned Aerospace Systems (UAS) – Key Concepts for New Users,” runs from Jan. 11 to 24. Registration opens Dec. 8.…The post Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide to offer free online UAS course for new users appeared first on sUAS News.

The next time drivers see the massive wind turbines on the side of the highway used to generate electrical power, they may want to picture drones flying around them. That will be happening soon, according to a new report from market research firm Navigant Research, a Colorado-based consultancy studying emerging technologies that predicts turbine maintenance…The post Drone Maintenance On Wind Turbines Will Be A $6 Billion Industry Within 9 Years: Report appeared first on sUAS News.

By Gabriella Cruz gcruz@eagletribune.com ANDOVER — As nearly 10,000 runners took to the streets of Andover for the 28th annual Feaster Five Thanksgiving Day Race, the competition’s only airborne spectator didn’t quite make it to the finish line. For the last two years, aerial footage of the Feaster Five has been captured by a drone…The post Feaster Five drone crash under investigation appeared first on sUAS News.

By Bridget Fitzgerald A new study has found drones still have a way to go before they replace traditional pasture monitoring methods. University of Western Australia honours graduate Matthew Rowbottom found that the common rising plate meter (RPM) method of measuring pasture was significantly more accurate than using drones. The Western Dairy-funded research project looked…The post Drone technology still second best to traditional pasture monitoring methods appeared first on sUAS News.

New Zealand’s screen and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industries stand to benefit from technology developed by VorTech, the winner of Callaghan Innovation’s inaugural C-PRIZE competition, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce said today. Launched in April, the first C-PRIZE competition aimed to boost New Zealand’s position as world-leader in the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle…The post Auckland team wins NZ drone competition appeared first on sUAS News.

MAVinci SIRIUS pro is a fully integrated orthofoto UAS, which delivers orthofotos and three-dimensional elevation models with a high absolute accuracy of 5 cm (depending on the GSD down to 2 cm) without using ground control points. The GSD of the single images ranges from 1.5 to 20 cm. Combining MAVinci‘s precision timing technology with…The post SIRIUS PRO Surveying UAS appeared first on sUAS News.

Team UAV have completed a series of trials working hand in hand with Hanson Heidelberg and Midland Quarry Products developing a safe system of work to accurately quantify stockpiles using dedicated drones. We’re not talking about small stockpiles either – were talking about stockpiles in the 100,000 cubic metre range. The video at the bottom of this blog…The post Team UAV Saving The Mining Industry Thousands in GBP appeared first on sUAS News.

Washington, DC – SmartC2 has released this first of its kind whitepaper to support corporations that are adding drone capabilities into their existing business. Intended to frame the issues and multiple decision points involved, this guide, entitled “7 Key Considerations Before Taking your Drone Operation to the Sky,” helps executives define the questions that their…The post SmartC2 Releases CIO Guide for Building Drone Operations appeared first on sUAS News.

Today I submitted the following Letter to the Editor of the Chicago Tribune regarding the newly passed Chicago Drone Ordinance: Dear Editor: I have a number of concerns regarding the Chicago Drone Ordinance recently passed by the Chicago City Council. By way of background, I have flown RC (“radio-controlled”) aircraft for a number of years…The post You are under arrest! Chicago’s drone ordinance – A letter to the editor appeared first on sUAS News.

Captura, an energy infrastructure inspection company has signed an exciting agreement to work with IRIS Group, a robotics Managed Services company to deliver advanced and innovative Intelligent inspection solutions to the UK energy market. The two companies will combine traditional inspection and roping techniques with state of the art sensors such as LIDAR and hyperspectral…The post CAPTURA and IRIS Group sign agreement for utilising robotics in the UK Energy market appeared first on sUAS News.

Melanie BurgessCareerOne Photographers, surveyors, the TV and advertising industry and building inspectors are all embracing the relatively new technology to make their work easier, safer or more innovative, Total RPA chief executive and chief instructor Andrew Campbell says. “Most pilots are starting their own businesses with photography or adding aerial photography to their business,” he…The post Drones are changing jobs and creating new ones appeared first on sUAS News.

COMPLIANCE AND AUTHORITY • Compliant to all SGS QOH&S and HR policies and procedure • Overall responsibility for safety and health for all people in the business line on behalf of SGS upper management, and for informing appropriate parties on OH&S issues raised • Ensure safety and health support, materials and resources are provided based…The post Canada:- Regional RPAS Safety Advisor appeared first on sUAS News.

By granting PINC Solutions’ PINC Air a Section 333 exemption, the FAA clears the product to initiate commercial operations in US Airspace. PINC Air is an aerial sensor platform that operates outdoors and indoors to efficiently inventory hard-to-reach assets using an array of sensors that include GPS, RFID, OCR and Barcode readers. “This is a…The post PINC Air Cleared for Take Off by the FAA appeared first on sUAS News.

Stefan de Villiers Flying of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for game viewing, filming, photography or any other purposes during their visit to the park this festive season or any other time is illegal. SATARA – Yet another tourist has been caught in the act of flying a drone in the Kruger National Park (KNP). This…The post South Africa :- Caught in the act appeared first on sUAS News.

UAS experts pushing forward the “green” helicopter Volocopter VC200. Ascending Technologies has been part of the development network and key technology partner from e-volo since 2013, when they significantly contributed to the maiden flight of the Volocopter VC200. Now Ascending Technologies officially becomes shareholder of e-volo to sustainably lead the development of the world’s first purely electric,…The post Ascending Technologies Becomes Shareholder of e-volo appeared first on sUAS News.

Want to create a 3D model of your property and publish it online? Map your adventure and create a 3D video animation? Need to inspect roofs, house extensions or solar installations? Produce a 3D model of architectural or landscaping project to share with clients? Create digital art and 3D content for gaming? Pix4Dmapper Mesh automatically…The post PIX4D Mapper Mesh appeared first on sUAS News.

Is there ever a time when cool trumps science? It’s a question that becomes relevant when you consider NASA’s plans to put a helicopter drone on an upcoming rover mission to Mars. Think about it. If you tell a friend that NASA’s Mars 2020 mission will have an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer on board for determining…The post Someday A Helicopter Drone May Fly Over Mars And Help A Rover appeared first on sUAS News.

DJI, the world leader in unmanned aerial vehicle technology, Friday announced the launch of a smart, crop-spraying agricultural drone. The DJI Agras MG-1 is dustproof, water-resistant and made of anti-corrosive materials. It can be rinsed clean and folded up for easy transport and storage after use. The eight-rotor Agras can load more than 10 kilograms…The post DJI Introduces Company’s First Agriculture Drone appeared first on sUAS News.

BY MARY ESCH Associated Press BLENHEIM, N.Y. U.S. utilities see great potential in the use of remote-controlled drones to do the often-dangerous work of inspecting power lines and transmission towers but strict regulations have so far slowed adoption of the technology. The remote-controlled devices make the work of linemen safer, more efficient and less expensive, according…The post Utilities see potential in drones to inspect lines, towers appeared first on sUAS News.