UAS VISION
an independent online news service for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems world
The New York City Police Department is testing new drones that are designed to transmit audio messages to the public, such as announcements warning of dangerous weather or nearby emergencies. On Sunday, NYC’s emergency notification system announced on Twitter that the NYPD would be “conducting a test of remote-piloted public messaging capabilities” that day, following several weeks of heavy rain and rare flash flood warnings impacting the city.
The Transportation Security Administration’s new drone security program might collect pictures of private individuals by accident but shouldn’t have major privacy implications, according to a new privacy document released by the Department of Homeland Security. Continue reading
French Police are allowed from Friday April 21 to use drones equipped with cameras for a wide range of tasks including crowd monitoring and border control, following the publication of a decree in the Official Journal on Thursday April 20. Continue reading
EMSA has started the deployment of its remotely piloted aircraft services in support of the Italian Coast Guard to gain increased maritime awareness over the Gulf of Genova until the summer. Continue reading
Devon and Cornwall Police are using drones in a bid to crackdown on speeding drivers in the region. The devices, which were first launched on Monday 3 April, will be targeting motorcyclists in particular after a spate of serious collisions last year saw around 200 riders either killed or badly injured. Continue reading
Through a contract worth as much as £1 billion ($1.2 billion), Tekever’s drones provide live-streamed video footage that helps law enforcement distinguish between passengers and traffickers. This has, according to the Home Office, led to “dozens of” convictions of smugglers. Continue reading
South Korea’s Coast Guard reports it will expand its use of drones for monitoring activities including targeting Chinese boats engaged in illegal fishing activities. The expansion of the program comes as there have been increasing reports of Chinese incursions into neighboring countries’ water and after North Korea deployed a squadron of drones over the South at the beginning of this year. Continue reading