Category Archives: Non-Military & Commercial UAS

Bastille Day Security Enhanced by MQ-9 Reaper

The French Air Force operated two of its MQ-9 Reapers simultaneously in support of France’s Bastille Day events, one over Paris and the second over Cognac, on July 14th. The “French Reapers,” Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), assisted French authorities by providing airborne surveillance over the national celebration. Continue reading →

Drones Spray Inaccessible Cliff Areas in Australia

A Yamaha RMAX Type II G drone with a weed-spraying applicator before takeoff at Caves Beach.

Lake Macquarie Council has begun using drones along isolated cliffs at Swansea Heads and Caves Beach to spray tracts of Bitou bush, an invasive South African weed.  It is understood to be the first time drones have been used for weed spraying in the Hunter.

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US National Transport Safety Board Using Drones In Investigations

The US National Transport Safety Board is increasingly using drones as part of its accident investigation toolkit, including for terrain mapping of air crashes, according to NTSB investigator Michael Bauer. Notable drone applications by the Board since 2016 include rail and highway crashes and general aviation accidents. Continue reading →

Next Generation of Humanitarian Airdrops

To reach the more than 800 million people who are hungry worldwide, logistics are often a key issue. Assisting 80 million people in 80 countries each year, even WFP –  the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives – cannot reach everybody to deliver life- saving humanitarian aid. Continue reading →

Komatsu and Propeller Aero Partner for Aerial 3D Mapping of Construction Projects

With drones becoming an increasingly common worksite tool, Komatsu has identified aerial mapping and analytics as a key component of their Smart Construction initiative—a range of integrated hardware and software products designed to offer an end-to-end workflow for each phase of construction. Continue reading →