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US Air Force security forces, as well as other military personnel and federal law enforcement agencies, may soon be getting a new tool to take down small commercial drones: shotgun shells with a net. The special cartridge is just one system the Pentagon has been looking at to manage the growing threat from small and readily available quad-and hex-copter-type unmanned aircraft. Continue reading
Over recent years the explosion in popularity of drones, both professionally and for amateur use, has inspired researchers to consider how to make flying robots as safe and robust as possible. Previous design methods have included producing bulky protective cages or making them as unlikely to crash as possible. Continue reading
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. announced that its Unmanned Systems Division (USD) recently received a $5.6 million contract award from a U.S. Government Agency for High Performance Unmanned Aerial Target Drone Systems.
A diagram shows how an Amazon drone could land on a sloping surface while keeping its main frame level, thanks to telescoping landing legs. (Amazon Illustration via USPTO)
Amazon’s inventors are taking a page from Inspector Gadget’s playbook to design drones with adjustable landing legs and reconfigurable propellers. Those two design tricks are the focus of patents issued today. It’s hard to say whether they’ll become features on Amazon’s delivery drones, still in development. Continue reading
Germany’s defence ministry has decided to buy high-altitude MQ-4C Triton unmanned surveillance planes built by Northrop Grumman Corp for deliveries after 2025, according to ministry sources.
The ALPHA 800 is the evolution of the SNIPER and includes all the developments and improvements of the last year and a half of extensive work of research, development and innovation. Improvements apply to all the systems in the helicopter from the mechanics to the electronics on board or available payloads. Continue reading
Lockheed Martin announced the call for participants in its year-long Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Payload Design Challenge. Launched in partnership with Mubadala Aerospace and Engineering Services, the program will challenge teams from across UAE universities to design, develop, and integrate payloads onto a Lockheed Martin INDAGO, an UAS with leading endurance, payload options and advanced ground control software. Continue reading