an independent online news service for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems world
A Chinese engineer obsessed with the idea of reinventing the airship has unveiled an ‘indestructible’ inflatable plane that can be folded up and put in a suitcase when not needed. He says his plane could be used for a variety of missions and, what’s more, it won’t break if it falls out of the sky. Continue reading
Two Project ResQu helicopters developed by CSIRO completed trial flights near Cairns, locating weeds like the dreaded ‘purple plague’, or Miconia calvescens, faster and more reliably than ever. Developed by robotics researchers at CSIRO, in partnership with Biosecurity Queensland, the unmanned helicopters found weeds using sophisticated imaging technology. The helicopters are safer and a more convenient way of mapping weeds in remote and difficult terrain.
NATO is acquiring an Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system that will give commanders a comprehensive picture of the situation on the ground. NATO’s operation to protect civilians in Libya and recent global security crises show the importance of such a capability. Continue reading
Jeff Taylor, a 27-year old rocket scientist with a passion for unmanned aircraft, is offering farmers a new, bird’s eye view. His Akron startup, Event 38 Unmanned Systems, is bringing drone technology to the farm belt –and maybe giving Ohio an edge in a blossoming industry.
If like most of us, you don’t have the $27,475 it costs to stay on Virgin Group CEO Richard Branson’s famous Necker Island for a week, don’t fret: you can now see the beauty of one of the world’s most opulent private islands from a bird’s-eye view. Actually, it’s a drone’s-eye view. On Friday, Branson posted a two-plus minute video, shot with a series of 3D Robotics drones, that practically taunts you with imagery of the place where the founder of the Virgin empire can often be found frolicking with models and celebrities. Continue reading
Sentinel Air is planning to co-develop an airborne wireless sensor that can detect mobile phone signals belonging to disaster victims. The company has teamed up with European disaster relief firm Disaster Tech Lab to develop and test the sensor, which will be mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) made by Sentinel Air.
“Up until recently, people might have thought that drones were just for military use and had nothing to do with their daily lives,” but it’s likely that will change in the next decade, said Kenzo Nonami, a renowned drone engineer who is president of Chiba-based Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory Ltd.
Boeing and the U.S. Army have proven the capabilities of the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) in maritime conditions, successfully targeting a variety of aerial targets at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Continue reading