Business
Two Perth-based specialist firms in remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) recently joined forces. C4D Intel, who also specialises in geospatial analysis, has formally announced the acquisition of Airbotix. Tech-startup Airbotix established itself using autonomous systems for applications such as inspection and testing, geospatial survey, scientific research and situational awareness. Through
Regulations
British startup Altitude Angel has, in conjunction with air traffic control service NATS, launched an air-traffic-as-a-service app for drone operators. Drone Assist "presents drone pilots with an interactive map of areas of airspace used by commercial air traffic", according to Altitude Angel. The theory is that the large
Testing
One of the main hurdles to drones’ ability to zip around the country delivering packages is a requirement that they stay within their operator’s line of sight during daylight hours. Qualcomm Inc. is working on a solution that’s been right before our eyes: cellphone networks. The rules from
News
Engineers at BAE Systems have already launched a series of test flights in which the high-tech prototype flies by itself using computers while being monitored by operators sitting 15,000ft below it. BAE, which hopes it can open the door to unmanned flights in commercial travel, has transformed a small
Events
Two Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division teams, Urban Reconnaissance and Situational Awareness (URSA) at Point Mugu, Calif., and Swarm View at China Lake, Calif., have wrapped up their projects for the Naval Air Systems Command’s second annual Innovation Challenge. With six months to work and a budget of
Business
Novadem will supply France’s National Gendarmerie with the NX70 UAS under a contract announced on 30 November. The company will deliver 19 UAS which will be used by the force for reconnaissance missions. The NX70 is Novadem’s newest generation UAS. Weighing in at less than 1kg it is
News
Apple Inc. plans to use drones and new indoor navigation features to improve its Maps service and catch longtime leader Google, according to people familiar with the matter. The Cupertino, California-based company is assembling a team of robotics and data-collection experts that will use drones to capture and update map
First Responders
Boeing is planning to make fighting forest fires a lot safer for firefighters by using the latest technologies. Developed by their Insitu division, their system use large UAVs controlled via their INEXA Control system aided by Microsoft’s HoloLens.The system converts INEXA Control’s 2D maps into an accurate
Research
MIT researchers recently debuted a modern way for consumers to save energy. Now they've found a new test subject: the U.S. military. With support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), engineering professor Steven Leeb and his graduate student John Donnal designed a portable measurement system. Comprised
Regulations
Transport Canada is expected to issue new regulations for visual line-of-sight operations of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the late spring of 2017. The regulations would replace the current system of Special Flight Operations Certificates (SFOCs) for which commercial operators of small aircraft must apply on a case-by-case basis.The
Military
Global Hawks will be allowed to fly over Czech territory as of 2017, the Czech government approved in late October, according to the daily Pravo. The government gave consent to the crossings and overflights of armed forces of NATO members, including overflights of unmanned aerial vehicles provided that their surveillance
News
Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington will lead a collaborative effort to use unmanned aerial vehicles to inspect highways and railroads remotely and develop guidelines for how to safely complete the task. Civil Engineering Professor Anand Puppala is the primary investigator on the two-year, $770,909 Texas Department