Testing
The first full-size model of the Chirok (Teal) reconnaissance and strike drone is preparing for test flights. It was introduced last year at the Innoprom Expo on a 1:5 scale in Yekaterinburg. Now the full-size model is ready, sporting a wingspan of 10 meters. The Chirok is getting ready
Testing
PrecisionHawk, of Raleigh, North Carolina, is testing a water sampling drone with some clients in the oil industry. It takes the form of a seaplane and has a pump mounted on its pontoons that can handle even viscous swampwater thick with bugs, mud, or algae. The water is sucked into
Testing
It began life as a hydrogen-fuelled, high-altitude unmanned aircraft but evolved into a diesel-powered platform designed to fly at medium altitude for five days and promising dramatically reduced operating costs compared with today’s Predator-class UAVs. Now that Aurora Flight Sciences’ Orion has shown its ultra-long-endurance potential, the company has
Testing
DJI has issued a firmware update to owners of the brand new Inspire 1, a drone that caught the industry’s attention last year for its filming abilities and futuristic form.Some of the drones’ first users experienced fly aways and crashes, turning what might be an innocuous bug in
Inspections
Finnish Energy Industries and Sharper Shape demonstrated drones with advanced sensors in public test flights as part of a research project conducted with the Electricity Research Pool. The robotic copter is equipped with a laser scanner, cameras and aviation safety systems and has the capability for long distance BVLOS (Beyond
Transport
GeoPost, the express delivery arm of French mail service La Poste, has now released a video of drone delivery testing at the Centre d'Etudes et d'Essais pour Modèles Autonomes (CEEMA) in September. As part of its ongoing GeoDrone project, GeoPost partnered with Atechsys to develop an
Testing
Propulsion
The internal combustion engine (ICE) has had a remarkably successful century and a half. Unfortunately, it’s notoriously inefficient, wasting anywhere from 30 to 99 percent of the energy it produces and spewing unburned fuel into the air. Last week, Gizmag interviewed Dr. Alexander Shkolnik, President and CEO of LiquidPiston,
Testing
Lockheed Martin successfully tested its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) dual-mode seeker in high-speed captive flight tests, demonstrating its ability to track ground targets while flying at tactical speeds. The company-funded tests were conducted on a Sabreliner jet at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. The data collected from the tests validated the
Testing
Raytheon has successfully demonstrated the enhanced capabilities of its new CSP HD turret, a high definition electro-optical and infrared version of its Common Sensor Payload (CSP). The initial CSP HD system flight test occurred on a U.S. Army Gray Eagle UAS platform in September. Built upon the existing CSP
Testing
Israel Aerospace Industries’ Heron has marked a new achievement last month when crossing the Andes during an operational flight demonstration held in a South American country. The system successfully demonstrated its advanced abilities for long range missions using Satellite communication for control and activation. The UAS was carrying a Synthetic
Testing
[youtube FFGfq0pRczY nolink] In this video, the Pet-Proto, a predecessor to DARPA's Atlas robot, is confronted with obstacles similar to those robots might face in the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC). To maneuver over and around the obstacles, the robot exercises capabilities including autonomous decision-making, dismounted mobility and dexterity.