A California weather-technology company says seven cloud-seeding missions flown over the Kenai Peninsula recently produced an estimated 19 million gallons of additional precipitation in roughly three hours. Continue reading
Category Archives: Research
Swarm Aero Gets $10M Air Force Research Lab Mass Production Contract
Swarm Aero, a developer of large unmanned aerial vehicle swarms, recently announced over $10 million in contracts with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to perform research and development on the company’s novel, high-rate composite manufacturing approach and produce aircraft parts for the U.S. Air Force.
Drones with Claws Perch on Arctic Icebergs
Microspines are one of many ways to enable robots to latch onto surfaces like walls and ceilings. Now roboticists in Canada are using the mini spikes to get drones to land on a more challenging, remote surface: icebergs.
Swiss Researchers Invent Sound Powered Micro-Drones
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) have invented small drones that use sound waves as fuel to power through air and on water. Continue reading
West Point Cadet Collaborates with Army Engineers to Advance UAS Defeat Algorithms
As the threat of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) continues to evolve on the modern battlefield, the U.S. Army is looking to its future leaders for innovative solutions. In a unique collaborative effort, a cadet from the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point has partnered with Army engineers to develop alternative engagement algorithms designed to optimize UAS defeat.
DARPA Lift Challenge Results
The DARPA Lift Challenge has set a new benchmark in vertical lift aviation. Taking place at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, the national competition concluded on Aug. 9 after teams demonstrated novel drone designs with the potential to transform vertical heavy-lift aircraft into a more accessible option for both the U.S. military and commercial industry. Continue reading
Wireless Power Beaming for Perched Drones
Reach Power and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln NIMBUS Lab, have announced that they have been selected by AFWERX for a STTR Phase I contract focused on wireless power-enabled perched drones for persistent communications and ISR to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). Continue reading
Embry‑Riddle Students Take on Hydrogen-Powered Drone Tech with Honeywell Aerospace
Mechanical Engineering students at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University teamed up to retrofit a fixed-wing drone with a hydrogen fuel cell system — a technically complex and ambitious undertaking.