Xcel Energy and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are launching a new program to research the safe operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to inspect 20,000 miles of electrical transmission lines in 10 states. Continue reading
Category Archives: Non-Military & Commercial UAS
1,000 Drones at Annual Lantern Festival in Guangzhou
People in a city in southern China celebrated the traditional Lantern Festival with a modern twist as 1,000 illuminated drones were launched into the night sky in a record-breaking display. The event was jointly organised by the Tianhe district government in Guangzhou, Guangdong province and the drone maker Ehang, according to a report on Visitgz.com, a tour information website run by the city’s tourism bureau. Continue reading
Drone Technology on Display at 50th World AG EXPO
The 50th Anniversary of the World Ag Expo kicked off with the usual tradition of opening ceremonies. The bleachers were filled, but meanwhile, hundreds of exhibitors were getting down to business, introducing their new products to the thousands of visitors streaming in. Continue reading
Amazon Gets Patent to Drop Packages from the Sky
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday granted Amazon a patent for a method to guide packages released from drones safely to the ground. Continue reading
Precision Ag Drones in Cambodia
After the technician’s countdown, “moi, pi, bai”, an AS-III fixed-wing drone launches off a catapult into the air, ascending rapidly at 25 metres per second until it is high above the Cambodian countryside. The drone, equipped with a special camera capable of detecting what the human eye cannot see, surveys the crops below, assessing the health of vegetation while charting the precise layout of the terrain. Continue reading
Using Drones to Monitor Songbirds
A new study from The Auk: Ornithological Advances tests this new approach to wildlife monitoring and concludes that despite some drawbacks, the method has the potential to become an important tool for ecologists and land managers.
Using UAVs in Australia to Study Grape Pests
Leading scientists from Australia and the US have formed a partnership to research the role remote sensing and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) could play in improving surveillance capabilities for plant pests.
The multi-million dollar project is funded by the Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre (PBCRC) – of which the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) is a core partner. Continue reading
Energy Producer Improves Worker Safety with Drones
Major power producer AES Corp. is ramping up the use of drones with an eye toward shielding workers from industry hazards. Rather than buy all their own unmanned aerial systems, they’ve engaged D.C.-based drone services provider Measure to get access to a more extensive fleet. Measure recently raised $15 million in venture funding. Continue reading