Payload

March 25, 2020

1-ton drone delivery glider could provide COVID relief

BY Yates Electrospace Corp. Yates Electrospace Corp. has announced the launch of a civilian subsidiary, AVIUS Air Delivery, to provide immediate air response for humanitarian relief efforts, natural disasters and pandemics to areas in need of critical supplies. READ MORE

February 12, 2020

New payload will make stratosphere drone flights possible

BY Loon Alphabet's Loon LLC and HAPSMobile Inc. have announced the development of a communications payload for HAWK30, a solar-powered unmanned aircraft system designed to fly in the stratosphere. READ MORE

January 02, 2020

New hydrogen gas, tank supply service formed by drone firm

BY ReadyH2 ReadyH2, a newly formed subsidiary of Fortress Solutions and Fortress UAV, has announced a new compressed hydrogen gas distribution service that will enable hydrogen-powered drone flights. READ MORE

December 04, 2019

With drones, Sony continues expansion into ag

BY Sony Electronics Inc. With the launch of Sony’s Version 2.0 Software update, the enhanced agriculture solution consisting of a drone-mounted multispectral sensing unit and Fast Field Analyzer image analytics software will help the company expand in ag. READ MORE

November 19, 2019

Fixed-wing drone maker senseFly partners with Microsoft, Trimble

BY SenseFly SenseFly, the global manufacturer of fixed-wing drones, has announced new strategic partnerships. The organizations include Trimble and Microsoft and demonstrate the capability and suitability of senseFly's precision ag abilities. READ MORE

November 19, 2019

Lidar maker brings affordable option to drone industry

BY Ouster Inc. With a range of 120 meters, the OS1-32 maintains the smallest form factor and lowest weight of any commercially available high-resolution lidar sensor on the market. READ MORE

October 23, 2019

Drone delivery partnerships expand in US, Canada

BY Luke GeiverDrone delivery announcements continue to land this month. Drone Delivery Canada Corp. said this week the Toronto-based firm has signed a commercial agreement with DSV Air & Sea Inc. UPS Flight Forward will work with CVS Pharmacy. READ MORE

September 11, 2019

Vineyard management proves worth of drones in precision ag

BY Luke GeiverPollen Systems Corp. is revealing the true value of drones to agricultural growers. The Bellevue, Washington-based ag data and analytics firm is using drones to find and help mitigate specific pests across large acreage blocks at vineyards. READ MORE

August 14, 2019

Success for several drone service firms continues in the oilfield

BY Luke GeiverDrone service firms are finding success in the oilfields. This month, two entities have announced major partnerships or contract awards to perform unmanned aircraft systems-based missions for oil and gas assets. READ MORE

August 12, 2019

Defense Logistics Agency proves drone delivery concept

BY Luke GeiverThe Defense Logistics Agency has proven how to use drones to provide food and water to troops or personnel operating in disaster relief scenarios. In July, the DLA worked with two unmanned aircraft systems and the U.S. Coast Guard. READ MORE

July 31, 2019

UAS pioneer Grand Sky makes bold move into MALE UAV service

BY Luke GeiverThe team at Grand Sky Development Co. LLC, has tapped into its pioneering roots to start a new unmanned aircraft systems venture that will be the first-of-its-kind in the U.S. READ MORE

July 31, 2019

Aerospace engineer explains multirotor UAV for glacier research

BY University of Kansas A University of Kansas aerospace engineer has earned the National Science Foundation's most prestigious award for young faculty to design, build and fly a radar suite and integrate it on a helicopter-based UAV. READ MORE

April 22, 2019

Black Swift UAS chosen for arctic research project in Greenland

BY Black Swift Technologies To discover how atmospheric conditions interplay with ice shelf mass reduction, the company's S2 drone will operate at subzero temperatures and fly at altitudes up to 14,000 feet, right on the edge of commercial airspace. READ MORE

April 19, 2019

Parrot launches professional thermography drone package

BY Tom BryanThe system will allow operators to view live thermal and high-definition images of surfaces, structures and at-risk areas as the drone flies over or under them. Arriving in May, the drone is targeted at industrial and commercial end-users. READ MORE

April 18, 2019

Swiss drone designed for search and rescue missions

BY Staff Report With the ability to autonomously scan large geographical search areas, The helicopter-like Rega drone will be deployed on missions to search for missing, injured or ill persons in advance of manned helicopter or ground rescue operations. READ MORE

April 10, 2019

FLIR makes strategic investment in DroneBase UAS pilot network

BY Patrick C. MillerA strategic investment by FLIR Systems Inc. makes it the exclusive provider of thermal product solutions and thermal imaging training for DroneBase's global UAS pilot network. Training will occur through the FLIR Infrared Training Center. READ MORE

April 08, 2019

Drone-mounted streaming system provides real-time video

BY Patrick C. MillerTriangle UAS has developed a drone-mounted real-time video streaming system to improve situational awareness for emergency response, search and rescue operations and law enforcement activities. The video stream is transmitted by either 4G or Wi-Fi. READ MORE

April 05, 2019

Patented drone delivery mailbox offers standardized landing zone

BY Patrick C. MillerChicago-based Valquari says its patented Drone Delivery Mailbox gives it a lead on global competition in the UAS delivery space. The company's solution provides a safe, secure and standardized landing zone for a range of delivery applications. READ MORE

April 05, 2019

India approves uAvionix system for UAS in controlled airspace

BY Patrick C. MillerDetect-and-avoid technology developed by uAvionix has been approved for use in India by the country's Director General of Civil Aviation. The system equips the Trinity+ drone made by Quantum Systems of Germany and used by Survey of India. READ MORE

April 04, 2019

UPS, Matternet test medical drone deliveries in North Carolina

BY Patrick C. MillerUPS and Matternet are teaming up to test the delivery of medical samples by drone at the WakeMed hospital and campus in Raleigh, North Carolina. Project results will be used to evaluate how drones can improve transport services at U.S. hospitals. READ MORE

March 26, 2019

Report: UAS industry shows exponential growth since 2016

BY Patrick C. MillerA recently released report from AUVSI and the Danish Technological Institute reveals that growth in the UAS industry has been exponential since 2016. About 80 percent of UAS technology patents have been published over the past two years. READ MORE

March 25, 2019

Consumer DBUS2 drone features new autonomous flight technology

BY Patrick C. MillerVisual inertial odometry—or VIO—is a new technology that enables drones to navigate on their own without human input. The DBUS2 is the first consumer drone equipped with the system. DbUS calls VIO the first step on the road to autonomous flight. READ MORE

March 25, 2019

Sabrewing, Alaska tribe to develop Bering Sea UAS test site

BY Patrick C. MillerSabrewing Aircraft Co. and a native Alaskan tribe have signed an agreement with an estimated value of $43 million to test 10 aircraft—both manned and unmanned—at a site centered on Saint Paul Island in the Bering Sea 770 miles west of Anchorage. READ MORE

March 13, 2019

Flirtey and Reno receive FAA approval for BVLOS drone delivery

BY Patrick C. MillerThe FAA has approved BVLOS flights for the city of Reno, Nevada, and Flirtey, its partner in the UAS Integration Pilot Program. Flirtey will use its latest drone to deliver emergency defibrillators to heart attack victims. READ MORE

March 12, 2019

Kaman developing next generation of optionally-manned K-MAX

BY Patrick C. MillerWork is underway at Kaman Aerospace Group in Connecticut on the next generation of the optionally-manned K-MAX helicopter. Updated unmanned systems kits will be available for new and existing K-MAX helicopters beginning next year. READ MORE

February 28, 2019

Former Insitu CEO picked to lead Arizona-based World View

BY Patrick C. MillerRyan Hartman, former Insitu CEO, has been selected to lead World View, a company based in Arizona that specializes in advanced stratospheric balloons controlled by UAS technology. He is expected to lead the company into commercial operations. READ MORE

February 27, 2019

Innovation program explores UAS satellite communications

BY Patrick C. MillerLondon-based Inmarsat is partnering with Cobham and Starburst to launch a grassroots innovation program studying the role of satellite communications in the commercial UAS market. The goal is to integrate satellite connectivity into drone operations. READ MORE

February 26, 2019

Demonstration shows value of drones at crime scene investigations

BY Patrick C. MillerThe use of drones for crime scene investigation was demonstrated in Nevada last month by Sundance Media Group and five other companies. After two drones surveyed the mock murder scene, images and maps were produced within minutes. READ MORE

February 21, 2019

Insitu begins commercial UAS operations in Papua New Guinea

BY Insitu Inc. Insitu Commercial Solutions has conducted a series of aerial data collection operations in Papua New Guinea after obtaining its first approval for commercial UAS operations in the country. Insitu conducted remote sensing operations using LiDAR. READ MORE

February 21, 2019

Drone Delivery Canada unveils Condor large delivery UAS

BY Patrick C. MillerToronto-based Drone Delivery Canada has unveiled a new cargo delivery drone it says pushes the limits of payload capacity and flight range. The 22-foot-long Condor has a 400 pound payload capacity and a range of up to 120 miles. READ MORE