Weapons Systems / Lasers
Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejon, South Korea, analyzed the effects of resonance on a crucial component of a drone, its gyroscope.Their paper will be presented next week at the 24th USENIX Security Symposium in Washington, D.C. A gyroscope keeps a
Military
Taiwan unveiled the prototype of its largest ever military drone on Wednesday as it seeks to boost its defence forces in the face of a perceived threat from China. The sleek, grey unmanned aircraft is designed for intelligence gathering and surveillance missions, according to the National Chung Shan Institute of
Commercial
Washington State University is partnering with Digital Harvest Corp. to test an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that could provide a safer, less expensive means to blow rainwater off cherry orchards to avoid fruit losses. Rain can cause splits in the skin of cherries and similar fruits, rendering them susceptible to
Military
Last week the joint U.S. military services held their invitation only "Black Dart" exercises aimed at demonstrating and testing the latest countermeasure technologies for defence against unmanned aerial vehicles flown by the enemy. The exercises ran from July 26th through August 7th at the Naval Air Station
Officials say Google will repay New Mexico nearly $1 million in economic assistance funds after announcing it was pulling a subsidiarity out of the state. The Albuquerque Journal reports New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela said Monday that Google has agreed to repay that amount under clawback provisions. Mountain
Control Stations
Northrop Grumman Corporation  successfully demonstrated mission management control features that create more unmanned aircraft system (UAS) versatility and efficiencies. During a series of high-altitude, long-endurance RQ-4 Global Hawk demonstrations, the UAS seamlessly responded to external requests to dynamically alter its route of flight and sensor functionality, thereby
The Israeli defence forces (IDF) have drawn up the main design features of a "personal" unmanned air vehicle that will be carried by a large number of infantry soldiers in any formation of a battalion-level unit. The required micro-UAV would weigh approximately 2kg (4.4lb) and
Commercial
The National Science Foundation has awarded Oklahoma State University and three partner universities $6 million to collaboratively develop an integrated unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to improve weather forecasting through the study of atmospheric physics. The four-year grant will support the collaboration led by OSU and including the universities of
Regulations
UK-headquartered trade body the European Regions Airlines Association (ERA) claims that air passengers are being put at risk by the growing use of unmanned air vehicles, and has called for more regulation and control over their use. The increase in the reports of near misses between remotely piloted air
Security researchers have created a flying drone capable of sniffing out devices connecting to the internet. Researchers at security firm Praetorian created the drone using a custom-made tracking tool. Praetorian vice president Paul West Jauregui told Business Insider the tool can collect data on devices within 100 metres by
NASA engineers are developing a Martian quadcopter designed to fly in the Red Planet’s thin atmosphere and gather samples from sites inaccessible to rovers. The Martian drone, under development under the Extreme Access Flyers programme, would use a lander as a base to refuel and re-charge its batteries
A 700-mile-long airspace that stretches north from Oliktok Point -- the northernmost point of Alaska's Prudhoe Bay -- to about 400 miles short of the North Pole has been put under the stewardship of Sandia National Laboratories by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal