Amazon has received a patent that covers the systems required to build a pocket-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that responds to voice commands.The patent application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office says Amazon’s technologies are supposed to enable miniature drones that are “smaller, lighter, and less expensive than conventional UAVs.”
Drone World Expo Announces Keynote Presentation – The Realities of Drone Delivery
The concept of drone delivery may have originally seemed like a marketing gimmick, but it has become a serious program for many companies. Consequently, Drone World Expo has announced that this year the keynote presentation, “The Realities of Drone Delivery”.
ATI Project Update: New Hybrid Power for UAVs
Progress is being made with AIE’s collaborative Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Project as a new breakthrough is made for next generation unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hybrid power systems. Continue reading
Low-Level Fly-Bys – Mach Loop
The Mach Loop is a set of valleys, situated between Dolgellau in the north, and Machynlleth in the south (and from which the Mach Loop gets its name), which are regularly used for low level flight training, with flying as low as 250 feet (76 metres) from the nearest terrain. Continue reading
US DHS Fields New Automatic Takeoff & Landing Capability for Predator B Fleet
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), has announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released its newest flight software which fields GA-ASI’s proprietary Automatic Takeoff and Landing Capability (ATLC) system. The ATLC system is designed to increase safety and efficiency of air crews. Continue reading
Kratos Gets $12.6 M Contract for Sensor Integration
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has announced that it has been awarded a $12.6 million contract with Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), in coordination with STRATCOM and the Strategic Capabilities Office, to explore the use of high speed drones in either fully autonomous or semi-autonomous roles to support fourth and fifth generation fighter aircraft. Continue reading
Gliding Algorithm Keeps Drones Aloft for Hours
Launch an unmanned SBXC sailplane into the air with a catapult and it glides lazily down again in about three minutes. But when the sailplane is equipped with software to find plumes of warm air rising from the ground, known as thermals, it can ride them upward and extend its flight to a record-breaking five hours. Continue reading
Prototype Miniaturized Radar for sUAS
While manned aircraft have used onboard radar for decades, the size and cost of the equipment has limited its use primarily to large, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Continue reading