Mo Rastgaar, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the Human-Interactive Robotics Lab (HIRoLab) at the Michigan Technological University, has been working on a drone catcher, which could pursue and capture rogue drones that might threaten military installations, air traffic, sporting events—even the White House. Continue reading
Romanian Army Gets Four Phoenix 30 UAVs
Romania’s army has a new quadrotor capability following the arrival of four UAV Solutions Phoenix 30 unmanned air vehicles.
Australian Insurer Drones Inspect Bushfire Damage
Australasian insurer IAG announced Friday it had used drones — in what it said was an Australian first — to inspect the catastrophic damage caused by bushfires along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.
100 Megapixel Medium Format Metric Cameras for Aerial Data Acquisition
Phase One Industrial announced two 100 MP CMOS-based medium format metric cameras for aerial mapping and other demanding applications. The development of the Phase One iXU 1000 and the iXU-R 1000 camera systems marks a shift toward higher value for the aerial data acquisition market. Continue reading
Solar Impulse may Become Stratospheric Drone
What next for Solar Impulse if the plane completes its round-the-world flight this year? One idea is to develop solar drones to replace satellites, joining Facebook and Google in this experimental field.
Guinness World Record: Intel and Ars Electronica Futurelab Send 100 Drones Aloft at Night
“One rarely experiences moments in which it becomes crystal clear how important and rewarding it can be to defy all the naysayers, to steadfastly pursue a vision and to work unwaveringly for years to bring it to fruition.” That’s how Horst Hörtner, director of the Ars Electronica Futurelab, summarized what was going through his head when 100 drones took off in pursuit of a world record in November 2015.
Disney Applies to use Drones at Disneyland
The Walt Disney Co. is seeking an exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration so it can possibly use drones for its nightly fireworks show at Disneyland and at Walt Disney World. Continue reading
Predator Crashes in Central Iraq
An MQ-1B Predator remotely piloted aircraft crashed during an Operation Inherent Resolve sortie supporting operations over central Iraq last week, Air Force Central Command officials announced.