The Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections last week launched a $170,000 aerostat to monitor security at the Lebanon and Warren Correctional Institutions. The aerostat will have the capability to capture video of the prisons’ grounds during the day and night as well as use infrared sensors to detect unwelcome visitors staked near the facility’s fences.
Category Archives: Non-Military & Commercial UAS
Google, Amazon, DJI and GoPro Lead Small UAV Lobby Group
Leading technology companies have formally announced the formation of the Small UAV Coalition to help pave the way for commercial, philanthropic, and civil use of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in the United States and abroad. Chief among the organization’s goals is to advance a regulatory environment that will support safe, reliable, and timely operation of small UAVs. Continue reading
Insurance Company Requests FAA Approval to Test UAS
USAA , the United Services Automobile Association, has asked the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to research how unmanned aircraft systems could be used to help improve how quickly it settles insurance claims for its members during natural disasters. Continue reading
FAA Sees Surge in Applications for UAS Use Exemptions
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has received nearly a dozen new applications to allow commercial use of unmanned aircraft over the past week, and it plans to publish draft rules to allow broader use by the end of the year, the top agency official for the programme said on Wednesday. Continue reading
New Jersey Man Shoots Down Neighbour’s QuadCopter
A New Jersey man was arrested after police say he shot down a neighbor’s remote control helicopter. According to investigators, officers with the Lower Township Police Department were called to a home in the 1000 block of Seashore Road on September 26th to investigate the report by a resident that his remote control helicopter was shot down.
Manned UAVs Cost Half of UAS with No Restrictions
SkyIMD is a one-stop source for deploying an aerial surveillance system which usually involves multiple technologies and providers. The company is now promoting a new service using manned UAVs equipped with gyro stabilized gimbals and geomatic cameras pre-programmed to automatically follow GIS (Geographic Information System). The camera systems can be live controlled and viewed from the ground over an unlicensed microwave link. A 6 hour/500 mile duration is more than most drones, yet operational costs are less, and there are no flight restrictions (day/night, IFR/VFR, urban areas, altitudes).
Plexi Drone Aims to Simplify Aerial Filming
A Toronto startup is launching a campaign to send swarms of lightweight cameras into the skies. The PlexiDrone is a small quadcopter with a snap-in socket for lifting a variety of prosumer devices skyward, from point-and-shoots to GoPros. DreamQii, the company behind the PlexiDrone, boasts that the aircraft’s design lets users capture 360 degrees of footage without propellers or landing gear getting in the way. Continue reading
senseFly Joins AgGateway – a Non-Profit Consortium for the Agriculture Industry
senseFly has joined AgGateway, becoming the first UAV manufacturer to join this non-profit consortium of businesses that serve the agriculture industry. As an official AgGateway member, senseFly has already joined AgGateway’s Precision Ag Council. This will allow the company to collaborate closely with other council members to help define appropriate standards, guidelines and implementation protocols, which will, in turn, improve the integration of UAV data into the precision agriculture workflow. Continue reading