This June saw the launch of the European LABYRINTH project. The aim of LABYRINTH is to build on the high optimisation potential for the management and supervision processes of unmanned aerial systems to optimise drone traffic, and thus enhance and encourage its use in high-density areas. Continue reading
Category Archives: Research
Flight Paths Help Pinpoint Malicious Drone Operators
Academics from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have demonstrated a potential means of being able to pinpoint the location of operators. In a research paper , “Can the operator of a drone be located by following the drone’s path?,” published this month, the research team explored how analysis of flight paths may be useful in tracking malicious operators down. Continue reading
Safer Unmanned Aircraft with the SAMA – SHM Project

The set-up of the demonstrator at Politecnico lab: a CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer) full-scale component representative of an unmanned aircraft stabilizer, that has been tested both for load monitoring and impact monitoring
Politecnico di Milano, the leading institution of the European project SAMAS – SHM (Application to Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems– Structural Health Monitoring), has designed, implemented and tested a real-time structural monitoring system that allows to estimate aerodynamic loads and real-time identification of impact on the aircraft in order to instantly estimate any damages. Continue reading
Smart Blade Repair Drones Move Step Closer to Reality
A UK collaborative project developing an autonomous inspection and repair concept for offshore wind turbine blades has addressed several technological challenges in its first year. The two-year Multi-Platform Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (MIMRee) project aims to provide a demonstration of an autonomous system capable of planning its own operational missions to offshore wind farms. Continue reading
Aurora Flight Sciences Gets $7M DARPA CRANE Contract
Aurora Flight Sciences Corp., Manassas, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,115,128 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program. Continue reading
Drones to Release Sterile Mosquitoes to Control Zika
A new study from the International Atomic Energy (IAEA) uses drones to increase the effectiveness and reduce costs related to using the nuclear technique that aims to suppress disease-carrying mosquitoes. This is a significant step in deploying this method on a large-scale basis to control the mosquitoes causing dengue, yellow fever, and Zika. Continue reading
US Army Drones Could Change Shape Mid-Flight
Soon, the U.S. Army will be able to deploy autonomous air vehicles that can change shape during flight, according to new research presented at the AIAA Aviation Forum and Exposition’s virtual event June 16. Continue reading
Deep Drone Acrobatics
Performing acrobatic manoeuvres with quadrotors is extremely challenging. Acrobatic flight requires high thrust and extreme angular accelerations that push the platform to its physical limits. Professional drone pilots often measure their level of mastery by flying such manoeuvres in competitions.




