Nice UAS-filmed video of Falcon 9 Reusable (F9R) taking its first test flight at the Spacex rocket development facility. F9R lifts off from a launch mount to a height of approximately 250m, hovers and then returns for landing just next to the launch stand. Continue reading
Category Archives: Applications & Testing & Experience
UAS Inspect Energy Sites in California
Skycatch, a year-old start-up based in San Francisco that has raised $3.2 million from Google and other investors, builds UAS for the energy industry. The company has already signed deals to test its technology with the construction giants Bechtel and DPR; First Solar, a developer of photovoltaic power plants; and SolarCity, a solar panel installer. Continue reading
A Symphony for Flying Robots
KMel Robotics presents a team of flying robots that have taken up new instruments to play a fresh take on familiar themes. Continue reading
FAA Announces First UAS Test Site Operational
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Monday that the first of six test sites chosen to perform unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research is operational more than two-and-a-half months ahead of the deadline specified for the programme by Congress. Continue reading
UAS Can Help Parched California Farms Save Water
Farmers represent a growing share of the market for UAS, and in California, some farmers are looking at the technology as a way to save water during the drought. Continue reading
DARPA Tests Retired UAS as WiFi Hot Spots
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is a step closer to perfecting the repurposing of aging surveillance UAS into high-bandwidth mobile hotspots designed to ensure warfighters have aerial Wi-Fi access in the most remote places on Earth. Continue reading
Sikorsky Prepares Fully Autonomous Flight of Sara S-76
Sikorsky is proceeding with the second phase of flight-testing for its Sara demonstrator, an S-76 fitted with special equipment to expand operational automation. Continue reading
Black Knight Transformer Completes First Flights
Advanced Tactics Inc. announced that it has successfully completed the first flight test of the Black Knight Transformer, a modular and roadable vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Continue reading