MA-based robotics company, CyPhy Works has announced that its tethered drone, PARC, will be part of the safety and security measures used by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) at the 2017 Boston Marathon.
Category Archives: Non-Military & Commercial UAS
Sweden Changes Law to Make Drones Legal Again
As reported before, in the autumn of 2016, the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court ruled that a camera mounted on a drone is considered a CCTV camera for purposes of the Swedish Camera Monitoring Act. The judgment meant that using a drone equipped with a camera, where the camera will be directed at a place to which the public has access, requires a licence from the County Administrative Board. Continue reading
Marsupial Robot for Explosive Situations
It’s a shame that drones don’t work so hot indoors. After all, they’d be immensely useful for, say, decommissioning chemical and energy plants by providing a view of overhead pipes and such that terrestrial rovers can’t reach. Rescue roboticist Robin Murphy of Texas A&M may have solved this problem—with marsupials. Continue reading
Ars Electronica SPAXELS Flying at Rock in Rio
Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the superstars who’ve been booked for Rock in Rio 2017, one of the world’s largest annual rock music events. And this year, in addition to the class acts on stage, the entertainment lineup also includes a Rock in Rio premiere: a drone show in a class of its own. Continue reading
3D Printing Improves Battery Life of Crop Dusting UAV
Italian drone company Soleon has been using 3D printing to reduce the weight of drone components, improving the efficiency of its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). One of its latest products, SoleonAgro, is an agricultural pest control drone with a laser sintered polyamide body. Continue reading
UAS Find 50 km of Undocumented Lines on Romanian Power Grid
Laserpas, an international Remotely Piloted Airborne System (RPAS) operator, has announced the completion of its first project in Romania. The company’s unmanned system was used to survey 308 kilometers of power lines. The project team discovered 50 kilometers of undocumented lines and other inaccuracies in data, as well as various security threats. Continue reading
In-Flight Rechargeable Drones for Pipeline Inspection
SkyX is an Ontario, Canada-based company that is looking to improve the way those in the oil and gas sector use vehicles to detect any damage or threat to their operations. Currently, most companies use manned aircraft such as helicopters or ground vehicles to do the job. SkyX is looking to lower the cost of these operations and make them more efficient by using drones. Continue reading
Swiss Post Flies Lab Samples for Hospitals by Drone
Since mid-March, Swiss Post, the Ticino EOC hospital group and drone manufacturer Matternet have been successfully conducting initial drone flights in Lugano. In the future, modern delivery drones will transport laboratory samples between two EOC hospitals. Continue reading