Germany Extends Heron Lease for $41 M

The budget committee of the Bundestag, the German parliament, approved more than EUR36 million to ensure the continued operation of the System für die Abbildende Aufklärung in der Tiefe des EinsatzGebietes (Image Intelligence Deep in the Deployment Area, SAATEG) in Afghanistan using Heron 1 unmanned aerial systems leased from Israel until the end of May 2021. Continue reading →

Aerial Scans of Bulk Storage in a Distribution Center

When it comes to deploying fully autonomous drones to scan inventory in warehouses, there have been several deployments in rack areas to help scan pallet barcodes and locations. However, drones are now being deployed to automatically scan bulk storage – which often takes up a much larger share of warehouse space than rack storage. Continue reading →

Virtual Crow’s Nest – Drones in Commercial Fishing

According to legend, the term “crow’s nest” derives from the practice of Viking sailors, who carried crows or ravens in a cage secured to the top of the mast. In cases of poor visibility, a crow was released, and the navigator plotted a course corresponding to the bird’s flight path, which invariably headed toward the nearest land.

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Skyports Gets £6m ($8m) Investment from Irelandia Aviation

Skyports, the urban air mobility infrastructure (UAM) provider and drone delivery operator, has announced an extension to its Series A funding to now total £6 million ($8 million) with investment from Irelandia Aviation. Irelandia Aviation joins existing Series A investors Deutsche Bahn Digital Ventures, Groupe ADP and Levitate Capital in the investment round. Continue reading →

Phoenix Air Unmanned Issues RFI for VTOL UAS

Phoenix Air Unmanned, LLC (PAU) is seeking information on the availability of Unmanned Aircraft Systems to support linear infrastructure inspections. The UAS will be operated by PAU who has been contracted by Xcel Energy as their unmanned flight service provider and they plan to purchase a minimum of 4 aircraft initially with the possibility of additional aircraft in the future. Continue reading →