Author Archives: The Editor

First Customer for Leonardo’s Mirach 100/5 V2 Target Drone

A contract for 10 drones is the first for the Mirach 100/5 V2, which features new engines, advanced new avionics and enhanced reliability. The Mirach 100/5 V2 will accurately simulate hostile aircraft and incoming missiles during training exercises, allowing Armed Forces to train with radars and weapon systems in realistic scenarios. Continue reading →

Amphibious Drones can Help Fight Wildfires

In the plains of central Spain, just about 90 minutes south of Madrid, a firefighting robot is taking flight. With two engines, a smooth underbelly, and a construction straight out of World War II’s Atlantic theater, the Singular Aircraft Flyox is a drone designed as an aerial workhorse on land and water. It is one of a growing number of drones that may be called to fight forest fires as aerial tankers, augmenting or replacing crewed aircraft in the process. Continue reading →

Soft actuators help MIT power nano drones

MIT researchers have demonstrated diminutive drones that can zip around with bug-like agility and resilience, which could eventually perform these tasks. The soft actuators that propel these microrobots are very durable, but they require much higher voltages than similarly-sized rigid actuators. The featherweight robots can’t carry the necessary power electronics that would allow them fly on their own. Continue reading →