Commercial
Armed with a remote-controlled helicopter nicknamed the "scientific predator", Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) scientists are circumnavigating Australia, documenting the tons of litter left or washed up on the nation's beaches and calculating the impact on marine life. Ecologist Dr Denise Hardesty said
Commercial
Gearing up to tackle possible chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) emergencies, premier Indian research organisation DRDO is developing an array of ground-based and unmanned aircraft systems to detect and map contamination zones in all geographical conditions. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing such systems and
Commercial
It was in December 2010 when Netra, the Unmanned Aircraft System, was demonstrated for the first time by its makers before various paramilitary forces such as NSG, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Delhi Police, Maharashtra Police and the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force. The UAS, which
Commercial
Australian surf life-savers may soon add a small unmanned aircraft to their rescue equipment if a pilot project off the Queensland coast can demonstrate the new technology is efficient and effective. Surf Life Saving Australia has signed an agreement with Brisbane firm, V-TOL Aerospace, to collaboratively test this
Accidents
A remote-controlled aircraft owned by an animal rights group was reportedly shot down near Broxton Bridge Plantation on Sunday, February 12. Steve Hindi, president of SHARK (SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness), said his group was preparing to launch its Mikrokopter to video what he called a live pigeon shoot
Commercial
Innocon has received an order for its MiniFalcon II tactical unmanned air system from Northland Community and Technical College in Minnesota, with the equipment to be used as part of a new UAS training and maintenance programme. Innocon's contract includes one ground station and two air vehicles, with
Commercial
When the Gaston County Police Department purchased a “CyberBug” in 2006 for $30,000 from Cyber Defense Systems, Inc., with the help of a grant from the Department of Homeland Security, it had hoped to use the 14-pound unmanned aircraft to assist with police work in the small North
Commercial
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute and Korean Air have signed an agreement to develop the world’s first small-scale unmanned tilt-rotor aircraft by 2013. The envisioned aircraft, called “TR-6X,” will be about 60 percent the size of the first unmanned aircraft unveiled in November by the state-
Business
Chinese airframe manufacturer AVIC is investing yuan (CNY) 20 million ($3.2 million) in the U8 unmanned helicopter programme, which is being designed for civilian use. The investment is being made through Jingdezhen Helicopter, said AVIC in a Hong Kong stock exchange statement. AVIC owns almost 54.7% of the
Testing
Israel Aerospace Industries' Heron was recently demonstrated successfully and according to the plan, this time in Greece, as part of a demonstration held by the European Union agency, Frontex. During the demonstration a number of IAI payloads were employed successfully to detect potential targets, for monitoring anti-smuggling and
Commercial
Unmanned aircraft are currently being tried out in vineyards in the south of France, to check that "grubbing up" of vines is done legally and ecologically. Wine-growers get as much as 10,000 euros ($13,000; £8,300) per hectare in subsidies for digging up uncompetitive vines
Commercial
Aerial video captivated an audience of farmers last week in Grand Island, watching a cheap camera attached to a small aircraft gets a bird's eye view. "You can see a lot from the air you can't see from the ground," Dr. Richard Ferguson said.