IBM has announced that its inventors have been granted a patent for transferring packages between drones during flight. The invention described in US Patent No. 9,561,852: In flight transfer of packages between aerial drones helps to extend the range of drones that are delivering packages from a warehouse to a customer’s home. Continue reading
Category Archives: Non-Military & Commercial UAS
Aurora Flight Sciences’ Electric VTOL Aircraft
Uber announced that it has selected Aurora Flight Sciences as a partner to develop electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for its Uber Elevate Network. The formal announcement of the initiative partners took place at Uber’s Elevate Summit in Dallas, Texas. Continue reading
Uber to Test On-Demand Flying Cars Network by 2020
Uber has unveiled plans to partner with plane manufacturers to develop and test a network of flying cars by 2020. The ride-sharing company said it will run trials in the US city of Dallas and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Continue reading
FAA Evaluates Drone Detection Systems at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and its partners are conducting detection research on unmanned aircraft (UAS) – popularly called drones – at Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport. Continue reading
Small Drones Safer Near People than Previously Thought
Small drones are safer to operate near people than originally thought, according to research results presented today by the director of the Rotorcraft Systems Engineering and Simulation Center (RSESC) at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) to members of the U.S. Congress and industry representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Drone Advisory Council. Continue reading
World’s First Spherical Drone Display from Japan
NTT DOCOMO, INC., in a continuing quest to create an innovative new business, has developed a spherical drone display – an unmanned aerial vehicle that displays LED images on an omnidirectional spherical screen while in flight – which DOCOMO believes to be a world first. Continue reading
FAA Publishes First UAS Facility Map
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has published more than 200 facility maps to streamline the commercial drone authorization process. The maps depict areas and altitudes near airports where UAS may operate safely. But drone operators still need FAA authorization to fly in those areas. Continue reading
Airport Deploys Drones for Runway Maintenance
Michael Baker International, a Pittsburg-based supplier of engineering, planning and consulting services, recently marked a significant milestone for the aviation industry as it partnered with the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to use Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)—commonly known as drones—to inspect runway conditions. The mission was the first of its kind to use drones on the airfield of an international airport in the United States during daily airport operations. Continue reading