UK insurer Direct Line has a clever idea: drone streetlights you summon on your phone and that follow you around when you need them. As the video above shows, this is very much a marketing campaign rather than a real service, but the software behind it is open source and the company’s execution is convincing. Continue reading
Category Archives: Non-Military & Commercial UAS
Colombia’s Cocaine Drones
With all the good things that can come from the use of drones, there is always someone out there who will use them for bad intentions too. Recent reports from Colombia explain how drug barons are now employing the use of drones to deliver their goods and do their dirty work for them. Continue reading
New FAA Video Stresses Holiday Drone Safety
If you’re one of the lucky people who gets a drone as a holiday present, the Federal Aviation Administration wants you to know how to fly it safely. The agency has released this new video reminding everyone of the rules and regulations that safe drone pilots must follow. Continue reading
UNHCR Drones Help Displaced Populations in Africa
For many people drones conjure up images of remotely piloted aircraft bristling with missiles, used for military ends. But in conflict-affected parts of Africa, versions of the technology are being used by humanitarian aid organizations like UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to plan relief responses and save lives. Continue reading
Defibrillator-Equipped Drones in Canada
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada estimates that about 40,000 Canadians suffer cardiac arrest each year. University of Toronto computer science engineer Timothy Chan thinks that drone technology might help a greater proportion of them survive. Continue reading
Disney Applies for Drone Airbag Patent
Sketch from Disney patent application shows airbag engulfing Disney drone. (Disney Enterprises patent application)
Disney is seeking patents for a unique new safety feature for its aerial drone light displays, according to a new patent application filed last Thursday by Disney Enterprises. An airbag has been designed to deploy around the drone, like giant bubble-wrap, if it malfunctions or if sensors detect an imminent collision with another object, the patent says. Continue reading
Agricultural Drone Usage Could be a $32 Billion Market
Agricultural efficiency is poised to take a big leap with drone technology now that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is streamlining regulations for unmanned aerial vehicles. A recent report from PwC pegs the addressable market for agricultural drones to be worth a whopping $32.4 billion, second only to infrastructure. Continue reading
Drones and Insect Biobots to Map Disaster Areas
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a combination of software and hardware that will allow them to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and insect cyborgs, or bio-bots, to map large, unfamiliar areas – such as collapsed buildings after a disaster. Continue reading