Following the devastation of Cyclone Pam, the Government of the South Pacific island of Vanuatu and the World Bank contacted Australian operator Heliwest, who deployed Lockheed Martin’s Indago small unmanned aerial system (UAS) to conduct a rapid damage assessment. The Indago collected imagery of the damage over a two week mission and provided the data to operators, without risking a life.
Category Archives: Non-Military & Commercial UAS
Tokio Marine Launches UAS Coverage at Lloyd’s
Tokio Marine Kiln Group Ltd. will now offer coverage for unmanned aerial systems, or drones, in the Lloyd’s of London market. Continue reading
CyPhy Works Unveils $500 Consumer HexaCopter
CyPhy Works, a Danvers-based startup, is launching a crowdfunding campaign aiming to raise $250,000 to green-light the production of a $500 drone called the LVL 1.
Netherlands to Relax Rules on sUAS
The Dutch infrastructure ministry is working on new rules which will enable what it calls ‘commercial companies’ to use mini drones without having to apply for permits.
Fastest Quadcopter in the World ?
The mysterious French enthusiast Quadmovr (motto: Move It Like You Stole it) just posted this video which has already over 1M views since April 25th. Continue reading
Skycatch is Hiring Pilots
While federal regulators are scrambling to safely accommodate drones into the airspace above us, photographer Tom Walco says he’s already taking home a decent chunk of money flying small unmanned aircraft for pay. That makes him a small sliver of a drone economy that could grow to a multi-million dollar business over the next few years. Continue reading
Drone Images Aid Rescue Workers in Nepal
Relief workers in quake-stricken Nepal say they are using drones and crowdsourced maps offered by volunteer groups as they seek to get emergency supplies to stranded survivors. Continue reading
FAA Considers Beyond-Line-of-Sight Operations
U.S. aviation regulators are talking to drone makers and service providers about testing commercial drones that can fly beyond an operator’s visual line of sight, currently banned for safety reasons, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. Continue reading