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
Hawker Hurricane Mk XIIa
The Hurricane was the RAF’s first monoplane fighter, going into service before its famous partner in RAF service the Spitfire. The Hurricane was available in greater numbers for its finest hour in the Battle of Britain, where it played a crucial role in the defence of this country, shooting down more enemy aircraft than the Spitfire. Continue reading
New Kamov Rotary UAV
Kamov has revealed details of its new Ka-175 vertical takeoff and landing reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which could make its maiden flight within a year. Continue reading