Designed by the Dutch company Clear Flight Solutions, Robirds flap their wings and fly just like live avian predators. The “robirds” work like airborne, remote-controlled scarecrows, deterring live birds from venturing close to decidedly hazardous sites. Robirds indicate a definite shift from some of the more common methods of control—like culling wild birds near airports, placing chemicals on crops, or using loud noises to frighten flocks away. Continue reading
Tailwinds Caused K-Max Crash in Afghanistan
It was a routine evening in Afghanistan when Marines and contractors with Lockheed Martin launched an unmanned K-Max helicopter from a major base in Helmand province to carry food rations to a smaller outpost. The aircraft had made hundreds of similar trips for the Marines since first being deployed in 2011, and it looked like this would be like any other. Continue reading
Matternet Tests Medecine Delivery by UAS In Bhutan
It’s one of the world’s first drone-based delivery networks, but it’s not in the Silicon Valley. It’s in Shangri-la. A Silicon Valley startup is piloting a low-cost drone-based delivery project in the remote Himalayan nation of Bhutan that could save lives in far-flung rural communities—and perhaps pioneer the system globally.
UAS Could Help Bluefin Tuna Industry
A UAS-mounted camera has been used to create a promotional video for Sekol, sparking discussions about different possible uses for UAS in the tuna industry. Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association chief executive Brian Jeffriess said the use of UAS had been suggested for aerial tuna spotting and identifying poachers.
UAS Searches for Rare Mistletoe in Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE) recently collaborated on a project with longtime partner Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (RGB Kew), UK, to locate a mysterious Mistletoe species Dendropemon caymanensis known to be located only on Little Cayman. Continue reading
UAS Antenna Expands Wi-Fi Range for Disaster-Struck Areas
Researchers from the University of North Texas (UNT) have demonstrated an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of supplying Wi-Fi to disaster-struck areas with a range of up to 5 km (3.1 miles). The team says these figures represent a marked improvement on existing solutions and could lead to new forms of wireless communication. Continue reading
Commercial UAS Use Approved in Cayman Islands
The first approval for the commercial use of UAS in Cayman’s air space has been granted. AirVu, which will initially specialize in aerial photography and videography, was given permission by the Civil Aviation Authority on Aug. 1 to operate small, unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes.
Five Hobby Drones Tested
Drones are the highly evolved descendants of the RC helicopters and model planes that hobbyists have been flying for decades. What changed? Basically, the rise of smartphones meant a lot of important components — magnetometers, gyros, batteries, cameras, accelerometers, radios, GPS modules, and processors — got a lot smaller and cheaper. Continue reading