Finmeccanica – Selex ES’s ASIO-B and SPYBALL-B UAVs have passed their factory acceptance tests, leaving them ready for delivery to the Italian Army for its Forza NEC modernisation programme.
Unmanned K-Max to Undergo Further Testing
Lockheed Martin is preparing a series of demonstration flights to prove the capability of its K-Max unmanned air vehicle to transport and deploy an autonomous ground vehicle. In an effort to prove the potential of “robots moving robots”, the VTOL UAV – derived from the manned Kaman helicopter – will next month take part in the US Army-led trials which will see it carry a Lockheed Martin Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) at Fort Benning, Georgia. Continue reading
DJI DropSafe Emergency Parachute System
DJI DropSafe is an parachute system for DJI multirotors s that launches a parachute in the event of a power failure. DJI calls it a “drop speed reduction system,” and does not guarantee that it will protect equipment or prevent injury. Continue reading
Hamas Shows Off Downed UAS
The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ militant wing, released a new video on Monday in which a masked militant holds what appears to be a damaged Israeli reconnaissance drone they claim was shot down in Gaza. Continue reading
Don’t Fly Drones Here Interactive Map
Just got your hands on a drone and can’t wait to use it to shoot aerial photographs? First, make sure you only use it where it can legally fly. If you’re not sure where to look for this info, there’s a new website designed just for you. It’s called Don’t Fly Drones Here (DFDH), and is an interactive map that shows off limit areas of the US by shading them in with red.
SkyWard Secures $1.5 Million to Deliver the First Commercial Drone Management Platform
SkyWard, a pioneer in Drones as a Service (DaaS) software solutions, raised $1.5 Million in Seed round financing to build the first operations management platform for commercial robotic aircraft. Voyager Capital led the round with participation from Draper Associates and Toivo Annus, founder and former head of engineering at Skype.
Philippines Issues UAS Regulations
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) recently issued a memorandum regulating the operation of unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs). Under the CAAP’s Memorandum Circular No. 21 series of 2014 dated June 26, 2014, drone owners or operators are now required to register their equipment with the CAAP, and secure a certification to operate from the agency. Continue reading
ING Robotic Aviation and ASG Mapping use Robotic Aircraft for Advanced Agricultural Data Gathering
ING Robotic Aviation is partnering with ASG Mapping to rigorously assess and develop the application of small robotic aircraft systems for gathering high quality, positionally accurate, and interoperable geospatial data.