Category Archives: Non-Military & Commercial UAS

First Responder Network Opportunity for UAS

By R. Michael Senkowski, Anna M. Gomez, and Katy M. Ross 

The First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet, is charged with deploying the first high-speed, nationwide wireless broadband network for public safety. This network provides an excellent platform for public safety to deploy and use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). UAS are an important tool for public safety, whether for law enforcement, fire response, or emergency services response. UAS providers and manufacturers should therefore be engaged with FirstNet’s efforts to plan and deploy its network. Continue reading

UAS Deliver Coke to Workers Building Singapore Skyscrapers

A few weeks back, drones buzzed up to high-rises under construction in Singapore and dropped off cans of Coke to the migrant workers building the towers. Tucked into the care packages were 2,734 messages from Singaporeans thanking the tradesmen for their hard work. The idea was to link two communities that don’t often come into contact – Singaporean nationals and the migrant workers who travel far from their countries to build the city-state’s apartment buildings, offices and schools. Continue reading

Aerial Mapping with UAS

gatewing-3-WSurveying an open-pit mine can be a hazardous undertaking. To obtain accurate volume measurements, it is necessary to pick up edges, known in the industry as “toes and crests,” as well as heaps. These are important features, since they provide a way to verify the current shape of a mine; but in light of increasingly stringent safety regulations and penalties, some companies refuse to let the surveyor get too close to such areas. Surveying the site from the air is an effective solution to this challenge.

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