On April 3rd, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. flew its SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft in the skies above Southern California as part of a joint flight demonstration with NASA. Continue reading
Coaxial Tilt-Rotor Drone Hovers Smoothly in Any Orientation
Autonomous Systems researchers at ETH Zurich have demonstrated another drone capable of flying and hovering in any orientation, this time with higher efficiency. It’s extraordinary to watch its 12 coaxial rotors twisting and turning in flight. Continue reading
Iris Automation Casia 360-Degree Onboard Detect-and-Avoid System for Drones
Iris Automation has announced the launch of Casia 360 – the first onboard detect-and-avoid (DAA) solution with a 360-degree radial field of view to enable commercial Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Continue reading
Drones on Cables Expand the Scope of Wind Energy
By harnessing the power of strong winds at higher altitude than turbines reach, airborne wind energy could be another key source of renewable energy, but it will need a combination of successful designs, more robust software and good storytelling to really take off.
Ukrainian Forces Down Russian Drone in Donetsk Area
On Sunday, April 5, Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle, which was identified as the Russian Zastava aircraft Bird Eye 400, near Svetlodarsk, in the area of Operation United Forces. Continue reading
Rakuten Mobile and Rakuten AirMap to Perform Drone Mobile Base Station Inspections
Rakuten Mobile, Inc. announced that it will collaborate with Rakuten Group company Rakuten AirMap, Inc., which provides solutions supporting safe and compliant drone operations to enterprises, airspace authorities and drone operators in Japan, in using drones to conduct completion inspections of base stations for its mobile network. Continue reading
Korea’s LIG Nex1 Invests in Drone Sensor Company
LIG Nex1 drone
South Korean aerospace and defense firm LIG Nex1 has acquired a 20 percent stake in Microinfinity, a domestic firm that makes navigation sensor chips for unmanned aerial vehicles. Continue reading
AFRL and Associates Improve Processes for Fabricating Engine Inlet Ducts
An 11-foot long unmanned aircraft system inlet duct preform is shown prior to resin infusion
Aircraft engine inlet ducts provide the engine compressor with a constant supply of air to prevent the compressor from stalling. Since the inlet is directly exposed to the impacting airflow, it must create as little drag as possible. The smallest gap in airflow supply can cause major engine problems as well as significant efficiency losses. Continue reading