Soldiers have put the MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system, or UAS, through its paces this month using advanced ground controls. Continue reading
Author Archives: The Editor
Drone to Fly Autonomously Inside Fukushima Reactor
A drone is being developed to survey the interior of reactor buildings at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 plant. The unmanned aircraft will use lasers to detect and avoid obstacles in flight and will be able to land to replace its batteries in the absence of an operator. Continue reading
Microsoft to use Drones to Predict Disease Outbreaks
Microsoft, founded by a man who is not a fan of mosquitoes, wants to develop drones to detect and catch mosquitoes. Researchers on the ominously named Project Premonition will then take blood samples from the mosquitoes to determine if they are carrying diseases from animals they’ve bitten, or any diseases they’re carrying themselves. Continue reading
Alaska Researchers Use Drones to Study Otters
Scientists wanting to know what sea otters eat while floating far from shore have turned to the sky. During an April mission in Kachemak Bay, researchers tested unmanned drones to see if they could be used for future sea otter surveys. The project also used drones to study the prevalence of sea grass in intertidal flats.
Using drones for the intertidal flats mission was mostly to streamline the process, allowing a larger area to be surveyed in a shorter amount of time.
When it comes to otters, scientists want to know what the predators regularly eat to better understand how it may affect fisheries management. Current observation techniques are restricted to watching sea otters with high-powered spotting scopes. The practice is only viable on land, as swells and turbulent boats make scopes unfeasible.
Underground Drone Racing Takes off in Australia
Aviation enthusiasts across Australia are gathering in derelict warehouses to race custom-built drones in a new sport that is flying under the strict laws that regulate the aircraft. Continue reading
UAS to Map Compromised Texas Dam
Over the long holiday weekend, officials in Montgomery County Texas were concerned the Lewis Creek dam could break, sending floodwaters from Lewis Creek Reservoir into homes and putting lives in danger.
P-51D Mustang Whistle
“Jumpin Jacques” is a P-51D-20-NA model, built at North American’s Inglewood facility in California. Accepted by the USAAF on December 21 1944 as 44-72035 she was originally earmarked for service with the Eighth Air Force in England but this was quickly changed to Project Number 91037R, indicating service in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations. Continue reading
Malaysia Deploys UAS for Earthquake Disaster Relief
The Communications and Multimedia Ministry is collaborating with the Malaysian Emergency Response System (Mers 999) to do aerial surveys and mapping of the areas affected by last Friday’s 5.9-magnitude earthquake, by using UAVs.