A series of system malfunctions led to the crash of an MQ-9 Reaper into Lake Ontario, New York, Nov. 12, 2013. The crash occurred approximately 35 miles southwest of Fort Drum, New York according to an Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report just released. Continue reading
‘Sense-and-Avoid’ System for Hobby Quadcopters
Panoptes UAV, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based start-up, has created a system that uses echolocation to help small quadcopters avoid collisions. The product, the eBumper, contains acoustic sensors that work outdoors, indoors and in all weather conditions, said Terrence McKenna, chief executive officer. Continue reading
All-Composite ROTORwing Prototype UAV
Established in 2012, Dzyne Technologies (Reston, Va.) has achieved considerable success in engineering innovations, including a patented “roadable” submarine and several long-range, vertical take-off-and-landing (VTOL) flying machines. When the company launches its carbon fiber composite ROTORwing prototype unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in July 2014, it won’t be just another UAV. Continue reading
FAA Will Miss UAS/NAS Integration Deadline
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in danger of missing a Congressionally mandated deadline for expanding the use of non military UAS in the U.S., according to a report that was conducted by the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General. Continue reading
KAI Gears up to Develop Weaponized Stealth UAS
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) makes FA-50 fighter jets, supersonic trainer T-50s, which the light attacker was based on, and the Surion utility helicopter at a facility as big as three soccer fields on the country’s southern coastal. Now it seeks to expand its portfolio to accommodate the defence needs of Korea’s armed forces, as well as those of its allies.
Ukrainians Crowdfund ‘People’s Drone’ to Patrol Russian Border
Combine a cash-strapped army and a supportive, tech-savvy population, and something like this was bound to happen: Ukrainians have turned to online crowdfunding to raise money for a “people’s drone” to help the military patrol their country’s borders. Continue reading
Commercial UAS Market – Some Statisics
We received this interesting piece of research from reader Miles Grimshaw that we thought was well worth publishing. Miles is an investor at Thrive Capital (backing OpenGov, Warby Parker, Spotify and more). He has a professional and personal interest in the UAV and related markets e.g., mapping, computer vision. Continue reading
Drone Hobbyists Taking Off in China
Jin Xing is part of a new class of aerial photographers in China who are using civilian drones to snap pictures from the sky. Once seen as just high-tech toys, unmanned aerial vehicles are now part of a budding industry that is as futuristic to Chinese people as Google Glass.