Search and Rescue: The term conjures images of dangerous work under stressful conditions with high stakes at hand. In the future, drones will likely be a tool for SAR professionals, perhaps something like a crevasse-penetrating concept. Flyability, an industrial drone manufacturer, released the video below, showing a UAV probing a crevasse in a SAR scenario.
Hermes 450 Escorted by Manned Plane on Crop Inspection
Imagine a 1,200 pound Hermes 450 UAV zipping through the skies with its camera lens taking photos of the crops below – while a manned plane flies along next to it.
FAA Registers 300,000 Unmanned Aircraft Owners During First 30 Days
Nearly 300,000 owners have registered their small unmanned aircraft in the first 30 days after the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) online registration system went live. Owners who registered in the first month received a refund for the $5 application fee. Continue reading
Autonomous Landing on a Moving Car
An unmanned, electric, autonomous aircraft travelling at 75 kilometres per hour lands gently on the roof of a moving car. For the first time, researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) have successfully demonstrated a technique developed for this purpose.
French Army Selects Sagem Patroller
The French Army and the procurement office have selected the Sagem Patroller for the tactical unmanned aerial vehicle over the Thales Watchkeeper, with the pick due to be formally approved at a ministerial investment committee meeting next month, French media reported.
Two LA Drone Pilots Face Fines and Prison
Two men charged with flying drones near an airport and hospital heliports in Los Angeles could be looking at fines and jail time. City Attorney Mike Feuer announced on January 20th that his office has filed two criminal cases against drone operators, the first under the City’s new ordinance restricting drone operation.
Blackjack Ready for Fleet Operation
The US Navy and Marine Corps’ RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft system received the official green light for operation Jan. 13, marking a major milestone for the program.
Coyote Flies into Hurricanes for NOAA
Coyote
Raytheon Company is providing its enhanced Coyote Unmanned Air System to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for hurricane tracking and modelling, giving researchers an unprecedented perspective from inside storms that build in the Atlantic Ocean. The Coyote is a small, expendable UAS that can be tube-launched from a host vehicle on the ground or in the air. Continue reading