Amazon.com Inc. has been awarded an experimental airworthiness certificate to use drones, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Under the contract, Amazon’s logistics unit will be allowed to use drones for research, development and crew training. Continue reading
Category Archives: Applications & Testing & Experience
Lifeguard Drones Tested in Chile
A company in Chile is hoping to use drones to save lives. Drones fitted with a float, camera, microphone and speaker are being tested on the beaches of Algarrobo to help lifeguards rescue distressed swimmers. Continue reading
Unhackable Boeing Little Bird in Development
An unhackable Boeing Little Bird unmanned aircraft should be in flight around the end of 2017. Defence industry programmers are rewriting software on the helicopter drone to encapsulate its communications computer. Continue reading
nEUROn Test Campaign Completed
With the completion of its 100th flight in February, the nEUROn UCAV technology demonstrator has completed its test campaign in France. Continue reading
Secret Service Tests Security at White House
The Secret Service is conducting middle-of-the-night drone flights near the White House in secret tests to devise a defence against the unmanned aircraft. The government-controlled drones will be flown between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. during the next several weeks over parts of Washington —airspace that’s usually off limits as a no-fly zone, according to a U.S. official briefed on the plans. Continue reading
US Soldiers Give Black Hornet Thumbs Up
U.S. Army manoeuvre officials here just finished testing miniature drones and other high-tech soldier kit at Fort Benning, much of which is designed to help infantry squads and platoons spot the enemy first.
Quadcopters Train Falcons
Throughout the Middle East, falcons have been flown for hunting and sport for thousands of years. But devotees of this ancient tradition have brought falconry into the technological age with falconers using quadcopters to train their birds. Continue reading
Turkey’s Karayel Passes Flight Test with Payload
Officials with privately-owned Turkish firm Vestel Savunma said its Karayel UAV has passed a critical flight test, flying with an electro-optical camera and a total payload of 51 kilograms, and is ready to enter the Turkish military’s inventory.