Sharper Shape and SkySkopes, in cooperation with an investor owned utility, have developed an innovative and unique way to use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for powerline construction. The mission used the Sharper A6 UAS to string sock lines for a 675 kV line construction project. Continue reading
Category Archives: News
Small Consumer Drones Unlikely to Cause Head Injury
Researchers at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, the site of an FAA-sanctioned drone testing facility, concluded that the risks of a catastrophic head injury were less than 5 percent in an impact with a 2.6-pound unmanned vehicle, according to results published in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering. Continue reading
General Atomics Gets $30M MDA Reaper Contract
General Atomics has received a one-year, $30.3 million contract from the Missile Defense Agency to demonstrate passive configured MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles. Continue reading
The Drone World Expo 2017 Interviews – Adi Singh
In the fifth of a series of interviews with key figures involved in the success of Drone World Expo, we talked to Adi Singh, Principal Scientist, UAV Systems, Research & Advanced Engineering, Ford Motor Company. Adi leads strategic innovations in drone technology and established Ford’s research program on drones, developing a roadmap for product development initiatives.
He established the company research center in Palo Alto as an FAA designated UAV Operating Area (UAO) and is a Member of the FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Identification and Tracking Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). He is also FAA licensed sUAS Pilot-in-Command. Continue reading
US Border Patrol to Test the Operational Use of sUAS
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) will begin evaluating Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) in the operational environment this month as part of a pilot program. Testing will take place in three USBP sectors beginning with Tucson followed by Rio Grande Valley and Swanton later this year. Continue reading
FAA Helps Florida Drone Operators to Speed Hurricane Recovery
After the widespread devastation Hurricane Irma wreaked on Florida last weekend, unmanned aircraft – more popularly, drones – have been invaluable in supporting response and recovery efforts in the battered Sunshine State. Continue reading
Rolls Royce Autonomous Naval Vessel Could Become Robot Drone Aircraft Carrier
Rolls-Royce has revealed plans for an autonomous, single role naval vessel. Capable of operating beyond the horizon for more than 100 days, with a range of 3,500 nautical miles, the 60m vessel will displace 700 tonnes and reach speeds above 25 knots. Continue reading
sUAVs Linked with Mesh Network for Aerial Surveillance
Rajant, a provider of private wireless networks, successfully conducted tests that show police forces can use sUAVs (drones) linked with a mesh network on the licensed 4.9 GHz public safety band for aerial surveillance and pop-up connectivity. Continue reading