Using quadrocopters and some rope, researchers have woven together a bridge strong enough to walk across. Made at the ETH Zurich Flying Machine Arena in Switzerland, the bridge joins two scaffolds, and is the first full-scale load-bearing structure autonomously built by flying machines. The feat represents one more step in the field of robotic aerial construction. Continue reading
NASA Grant Supports Wildfire Research
Two Northwest Nazarene University assistant professors have been awarded a NASA grant to support their research on wildfire monitoring and assessment technology. Continue reading MQ-9 Guardian Gets New Maritime Capability
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. has introduced a new sonobuoy capability for its MQ-9 Guardian maritime unmanned air vehicle which, alongside a number of other developing technologies, could make it a contender to help fill the UK’s maritime patrol gap. Continue reading
Sagem and AOI to Sell Patroller to Egypt
Sagem (Safran) and Egyptian manufacturer AOI-Aircraft Factory have signed an exclusive commercial and industrial collaboration agreement concerning the Patroller surveillance drone system, to address the requirements of the Egyptian Ministry of Defence.
FLIR Launches Professional-grade Thermal Imaging Camera for UAVs
Earlier this year, FLIR Systems Inc. introduced the FLIR Vue thermal imaging camera—a compact, affordable thermal imaging solution designed for use on small unmanned aerial vehicles. Now, FLIR has made a new, professional-grade version of the camera available, featuring expanded capabilities. Continue reading
Elbit Systems Gets $70M Contract for Intelligence Integrated Systems in Latin America
Elbit Systems Ltd. announced that it was awarded a contract from a customer in the Latin American region, in an amount of approximately $70 million, for the supply of intelligence integrated systems, for homeland security applications.
NFL Gets FAA Exemption to Fly Over Empty Stadiums
The National Football League can use drones to shoot films, documentaries and television segments, becoming the first major sports league to receive such permission from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Aerial Survey of California Gold Rush Town
Monarch, Inc completed the first stage of a project this week to aerially survey and 3D map the 19th-century ghost mining town of Bodie, California. Part of the California State Parks system, Bodie is an original California Gold Rush town. In its heyday during the 1880s, Bodie was a vibrant and volatile gem of the Wild West, and is now kept in a state of ‘arrested decay’.