Drones are already making headlines about how they can dramatically cut costs for one-off inspections. Replacing $2000/hr helicopter surveys, accessing hard to reach areas, inspecting hazardous locations or rapidly surveying large areas have all provided huge time and cost savings through the use of drones. However, the cost of deploying 100 drones each with a trained & certified operator is around a $10M/year excluding logistics costs.
Category Archives: News
Portugal to Buy Mini-UAS
The Portuguese Ministry of National Defence (MND) has authorised the country’s army to launch a procurement programme for tactical mini-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Continue reading
PG&E Testing UAS to Inspect Electric and Gas Infrastructure
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is testing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, to enhance the safety and reliability of its electric and gas service. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has authorized PG&E to use drones to assist with inspections of electric and gas infrastructure. Continue reading
Scientists Test Shark-Detecting UAS
Scientists from Duke University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill have undertaken a research program exploring the potential for drones to detect bonnethead sharks lurking in the shallows. The project is designed to test out exactly how reliable this approach could be when dealing with different water conditions and habitats. Continue reading
Schiebel Celebrates Camcopter S-100 10th Anniversary
Ten years after the first delivery of CAMCOPTER S-100 to the launch customer, the Vienna-based Schiebel company proudly celebrates the anniversary of its world class product. Continue reading
DroneDeploy Releases Integrated iOS and Android App
DroneDeploy, a cloud software platform for commercial drones, is making powerful aerial data accessible and productive for everyone with the new release of its fully integrated, free iOS and Android app, to deliver a more seamless and engaging drone mapping experience.
Wyvern Extends Safety Assessments to UAS
U.S.-based Wyvern has advised business aviation on safety best practices for more than two decades. It also now assesses vendor compliance with quality- and safety-management practices for end users of UAV services. Continue reading
Year-Over-Year US Drone Retail Sales Soar
In the past 12 months (ending April 2016), drone sales in the USA have grown 224 percent year-over-year to nearly $200 million, according to The NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service. Over the past six months (ending April 2016), sales growth has accelerated to more than four times higher than the same time period last year*. The following brands are leading the industry in drone sales according to percent of U.S. dollar share: DJI, Parrot, Protocol, Yuneec and 3D Robotics (12 months ending April 2016). Continue reading