Commercial
Illinois Tests Drones to Help with Inspections
The Illinois Department of Transportation thinks that two new, 7 1/2-pound, 2 1/2-foot-wide devices will help the agency rise to new heights of safety and cost efficiency.
Commercial
Commercial
First Ever Cargo Drone Deliveries in Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon is home to thousands of local indigenous communities spread across very remote areas. As a result, these sparsely populated communities rarely have reliable access to essential medicines and public health services. For example, local doctors in the region report an average of 45 snakebites per month and no
Commercial
Sweden Set to Reverse Controversial 'Drone Ban'
Sweden's controversial drone ban could soon be reversed as the country's government seeks to change the introduction of a new rule that was heavily criticized by media companies and trade associations. In October, Sweden’s Supreme Administrative Court (Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen) ruled that drones with a mounted
Business
Intel Acquires MAVinci from European Space Agency
There are thousands of drone companies out there, but Intel has chosen to acquire MAVinci, a start-up from one of the European Space Agency’s business incubators in Germany that has developed an easy-to-use system for land surveillance. “They focus on precision payloads for construction and inspections,
Commercial
Czech Republic's Primoco Announces New UAV
Primoco UAV SE, which this year started mass production of the One 100 with a maximum take-off weight of 100 kg, is coming out with a new model: One 150. The main difference from the One 100 is a completely new 50 HP engine, which allows the aircraft to
Commercial
How Law Enforcement Can Harness the Benefits of a UAS Program
The Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has released Considerations and Recommendations for Implementing an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program. In Alameda County, California, an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program has supported law enforcement in successfully monitoring crime scenes and capturing suspects on the run. While
Commercial
AirMap Launches Christmas Eve Tracker for Santa's New Delivery Drone
On December 24th-25th, AirMap will be tracking Santa's first-ever Christmas Eve drone deliveries at a dedicated website. This holiday season, Santa is launching his new delivery drone, powered by AirMap's airspace data and services platform. He's packed the SleighMaster3000 with presents, and
Commercial
Kansas State Polytechnic and Westar Energy Partner on Drone Technology for Electric Utility Inspection
Kansas State University's Polytechnic Campus and Kansas-based power company Westar Energy are propelling the electric utility industry forward by innovating inspection and maintenance methodologies with drone technology. With a focus on increasing reliability for customers, improving employee safety and reducing costs, Kansas State Polytechnic's unmanned
Business
Norwegian Railways Hires Drones for Maintenance Monitoring and Risk Assessment
The Norwegian Governments’ Agency for Railroad Services – Jernbaneverket - has signed nationwide framework agreements for drone services with the Iris Group on 8 December 2016. The mapping and observation of avalanches, landslides or flooding is the most important of several areas where this new technology can be used effectively. Climate change
Accidents
Too Much Wind Caused Facebook's Aquila Crash
Following an official investigation into the crash landing, America's National Transportation Safety Board found that wind and turbulence caused part of the wing to snap during flight. "On June 28, 2016, at 0743 mountain standard time, the Facebook Aquila unmanned aircraft, N565AQ, experienced an in-flight structural
Commercial
EASA and Vodafone Discuss Drone Traffic Control
Vodafone is considering a move into the business of managing drone traffic, after meeting European aviation safety authorities about adapting its network to track and identify unmanned aircraft.Vodafone’s proposal was made in response to the publication of prototype regulations this summer by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
Commercial
French Postal Service Begins Drone Deliveries
The French General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) has authorized DPDgroup, an international express subsidiary of Groupe La Poste, to deliver parcels by drone on a regular commercial line in the Var. After the testing phase, we now undertake the experimental phase on this 15 km line in the Var.