an independent online news service for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems world
The US Army aviation chief, Maj. Gen. Michael Lundy, wants to spend the service’s shrunken aircraft acquisition budget — down about 40 percent over the past three years — on manned rather than unmanned aircraft. After all, this is the Army. Continue reading
Saab will deliver three UAV systems to the Swedish Police. Each system comprises air vehicles equipped with day/night sensors and a ground station, plus spare parts, consumables, documentation, training and technical support. The contract will be in effect from 2016 to 2018. Continue reading
Two California lawmakers have introduced two separate bills this week that would further regulate drones in America’s most populous state. If passed, one of the new state laws would require “tiny physical or electronic license plates” and inexpensive insurance, among other requirements. A second bill would compel drone pilots who are involved in incidents that damage property or injure people to leave their contact information—similar to what drivers must do following auto accidents. Continue reading
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a $57,401,850 undefinitized contract action for MQ-9 contractor logistics support. Continue reading
Sentera LLC and the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering have developed a high-precision autopilot toolkit for use with unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The toolkit’s hardware and software are now available under a broad open-source license.
EnergyOr Technologies Inc., a supplier of advanced PEM fuel cell systems for aerospace applications, has demonstrated the world’s longest multi-rotor drone flight in real-world operating conditions. On December 16th , 2015, EnergyOr’s H2Quad 400 flew for over two hours while recording 4K video, using a 3-axis stabilizing gimbal to control the camera. Continue reading
Preparing for Autonomous Vehicles in Canada. Recommendations for enabling the introduction of autonomous vehicles in Canada have been put forward to the federal government by the Canadian Automated Vehicles Center of Excellence (CAVCOE).
KDE Direct, a provider of motors and electronics for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), has announced the release of its new flagship technology product, the 8218XF-120 (HE) Multi-Rotor Brushless Motor. Specifically designed for commercial and industrial applications, the 8218XF-120 has the strength and technology necessary for heavy lift operations. Continue reading