Commercial
A new method of monitoring for changes in rangeland conditions is being developed by USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists that will allow better management of those areas. In its early stages the Very Large Scale Aerial (VLSA) imagery programme has been very helpful in finding changing conditions, such as
VTOL
Microdrone md4-200 - Photo: Marijn Hendrickx A miniature unmanned aircraft has helped archaeologists capture images for creating a 3-D model of an ancient burial mound in Russia. Archaeological sites are often in remote and rugged areas. As such, it can be hard to reach and map them with the
Military
BlueBear Systems in the UK has launched the iSTART - a small, lightweight UAS that can be operated by a single user and is designed for use in military, law enforcement and civilian applications. With an endurance of 40 minutes the iSTART feeds real-time electro-optical or infrared video footage
Commercial
Japan's Defence Ministry plans to acquire unmanned aircraft and robots in a bid to step up the Self- Defense Forces' capabilities to cope with nuclear disasters.Unmanned aircraft and robots played a key role in responding to the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant,
Commercial
Insitu Pacific, the Australia-based subsidiary of Insitu Inc., announced yesterday that it has concluded the second phase of a landmark trial conducted in partnership with Murdoch University that aims to determine if unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are a cost-effective, capable alternative to manned assets for surveying marine mammals.
Commercial
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, has developed GALE, its own unmanned aircraft. Measuring 3 feet long and weighing 8 pounds, the $30,000 unmanned aircraft is made of hard composites and powered by an electronic motor. It cruises at about 55 mph
Commercial
Australia's V-TOL Aerospace (V-TOL), a relative new comer to the aviation industry, and the Royal Queensland Aero Club (RQAC), with roots stemming back to 1910, are developing and preparing to teach the first certified Australian unmanned aircraft (UA) training courses through their specialist training organisations. The
Commercial
Moller International, Inc. announced the postponement of the first manned untethered flight of its M400X Skycar that had been scheduled for October 11, 2011. "As Moller International moves forward with our new marketing and public relations campaigns, we find ourselves up against compounding deadlines, "said Jah Mackey, Director
Commercial
The International Micro Air Vehicle Conference (IMAV 2011) which was held in the Netherlands last week, also featured a series of indoor and outdoor competitions. Winner of the KLPD user trophy (Best operational MAV) was the Akaflieg Team from the Academic flight club Bremen, Germany. Full results are available here.
Commercial
The US Geological Survey has just released this video of its Raven flights to monitor river bank erosion on the Lower Brule reservation on the bank of the Missouri River that we reported in August.The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe (LBST) Environmental Protection Office asked the USGS for assistance in
Commercial
A massive fire at White Hall in downtown Grand Junction, Colorado burned for more than three hours this morning. Firefighters tackled it by truck and by hand, but they also got some help from the skies. After a firefighter fell through the floor of the building, crews looked for a
Commercial
In mid-June, as the largest wildfire in Arizona history raged, US Customs and Border Protection Officer David Gasho sent one of the Predator Bs over residential neighbourhoods in search of rogue brush fires. Working from an air-conditioned trailer, his crew aimed an airborne infrared camera through thick smoke