UAS VISION
an independent online news service for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems world
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 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
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
To support its research on airborne multi-sensor technologies, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has acquired two TigerShark unmanned aerial vehicles. The UAVs have been flown and tested with a four-channel multimode radar that can be operated in both monostatic and bistatic configurations. Continue reading
An email chain shows that Amazon has been testing drones in the UK for longer than initially thought. Correspondence between Amazon and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which regulates drone flying in the UK, shows that Amazon has been testing drones in UK airspace since summer 2015. It was previously believed that Amazon only began testing drones in UK airspace in the summer of 2016. Continue reading
Global maritime technology innovator Martek Marine said it has been included on a framework contract by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) for remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) services in the maritime environment. Continue reading
Nokia and the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) have entered into a strategic collaboration to drive the development of an end-to-end UAS ecosystem that will make the UAE the first country in the world to allow the operation of drones by both businesses and government agencies in a safe, secure and managed environment. Continue reading
Facebook tested a solar-powered drone designed to beam internet access to remote areas of the world in June for the first time, but the mission didn’t exactly go off without a hitch. Now a national safety agency is investigating an accident that happened during that test flight. Continue reading