BNSF Railway Co. is flying drones as far as 150 miles (240 kilometers) along the New Mexico desert to inspect tracks, helping the Federal Aviation Administration develop rules for operating unmanned aircraft beyond the pilot’s line of sight. That’s an essential step for expanding use to such commercial endeavours as deliveries by Amazon.com Inc. and other companies. Continue reading
Octobot – First Autonomous Entirely Soft Robot
A team of Harvard University researchers with expertise in 3D printing, mechanical engineering, and microfluidics has demonstrated the first autonomous, untethered, entirely soft robot. This small, 3D-printed robot — nicknamed the octobot — could pave the way for a new generation of completely soft, autonomous machines.
US Army’s WASP Tactical Aerostats to get Sensors
Drone Aviation has received a contract from a US Department of Defense (DoD) prime contractor for sensor integration on winch aerostat small platform (WASP) tactical aerostats. Continue reading
Fancy Apartments to Offer Drone Landing Balconies
Drones are coming, and they’re going to change a lot of things about how we shape our lives. So why shouldn’t we change how we shape our buildings to get ready for them?
US Opens Drone Piloting to All Enlisted Airmen
Enlisted airmen from all career fields may now apply to fly the RQ-4 Global Hawk, the Air Force said Monday in a move that potentially opens the opportunity to pilot the unarmed intelligence-gathering drone to tens of thousands of more airmen.
CNN Receives FAA Approval to Fly UAS Over People
CNN announced yesterday that it has become the first organization to be granted a waiver by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly unmanned aerial systems (UAS) over people in the United States.
Sharper Shape’s New Sharper A6 BVLOS Drone
Sharper Shape has announced its new Sharper A6 drone and Sharperscope 5.0 payload. The Sharper A6 drone is the world’s first drone optimized for BVLOS asset inspections. Notably, the Sharper A6 uses four redundant cellular networks to make it virtually impossible for the drone to lose communication with ground control operators.
Bell’s V-247 Armed Tilt-rotor Drone For Marines
A sleek little model sits on the desk of Lt. Gen. Jon “Dog” Davis, Marine deputy commandant for aviation. What is that, we asked? The next tilt-rotor Bell Helicopter Textron hopes the Marine Corps will buy. But it’s not the V-280 Valor, the new manned tilt-rotor Bell plans to fly next year. It’s an unmanned tilt-rotor designed to give the Marines a drone that can do everything the Air Force’s armed MQ-9 Reaper does – and more. Especially taking off and landing from ships or from land where there’s no runway.