For several days this month, scientists are gathering in the largest gray seal pupping area in U.S. waters to study weaned gray seal pups, aided by images from an airplane and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly called drones. The researchers hope to gather data from these sites and other breeding sites in Maine to move a step closer to answering a nagging question – how many gray seals are there in Northeastern waters? – and expand their studies on the health of the animals.
Category Archives: Research
UAS Project to Increase Snowpack in Nevada Mountains
A new industry-academic research partnership will bring together Nevada’s top atmospheric scientists and leading unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) engineers, designers, and data experts to develop and test innovative applications focused on increasing snowpack depths in the Lake Tahoe region.
360 Video of NASA Greased Lightning GL-10 in Flight
NASA has just released this 360 degree video of the battery powered, 10-propeller GL-10 Greased Lightning in flight. This is the same video that they show on virtual reality headsets at some conferences. It can be viewed in 360 on many devices. Continue reading
NASA/NOAA Partner to Collect Data on El Niño Storms
Meteorologist Mike Boyce ventured out to Edwards Air Force base to attend a news conference that explores the NASA/NOAA partnership in studying El Nino weather patterns in the Eastern Pacific. Mission scientists and staff were present to tour the flight mission control center and the unmanned Global Hawk Aircraft. Continue reading
Solid Hydrogen Powered UAV Completes First Flight
Cella Energy’s hydrogen-fuelled battery replacement system has successfully powered an unmanned aerial vehicle, replacing lithium-ion batteries with a safer and higher performance technology based on hydrogen storage.
US Military Tests Robo-Parachute Delivery without GPS
Recent tests of the U.S. Army’s Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) have been trying new navigational software—developed by the Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, Mass., and other companies—to achieve GPS-style accuracy with images alone.
Amphibious LoonCopter in Drones for Good Competition
A team of Engineering students at Oakland University has created an amphibious multi-rotor drone prototype and they’re headed to Dubai for an international competition and a chance at a $1 million prize. Continue reading
Skybender: Google’s Secret 5G Internet Drone Tests
Google is testing solar-powered drones at Spaceport America in New Mexico to explore ways to deliver high-speed internet from the air. In a secretive project codenamed SkyBender, the technology giant built several prototype transceivers at the isolated spaceport last summer, and is testing them with multiple drones, according to documents obtained under public records laws. Continue reading