Michigan State University officials hope to collaborate with a landscape services company to use unmanned aircraft systems to determine turf health. Researchers are testing if they can determine turf health with an infrared camera mounted on a jogging stroller before buying a UAS to do it from the air. Continue reading
Fin Whale Filmed by Phantom
NOAA whale-watching guidelines suggest that boaters remain 100 yards from whales, but they’re only guidelines. So far, guidelines pertaining to the use of UAS for photography have not been drawn up. But NOAA officials will be discussing this issue in upcoming meetings, an agency spokeswoman said. Continue reading
US Navy Begins RQ-21A Blackjack Testing
The US Navy has begun initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) of the new Insitu-built small unmanned aircraft system, RQ-21A Blackjack, at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California. Continue reading
External Consultation of JARUS Deliverable AMC RPAS.1309
The JARUS deliverable “AMC RPAS.1309” and the associated document “SCOPING PAPER to AMC RPAS.1309” are now available on the JARUS website for external consultation. These documents are the output of more than 3 years of work by a dedicated working group within JARUS. Continue reading
US Customs Unmanned Aircraft Down in Pacific
A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol UAS was purposely crashed into the ocean about 20 miles southwest of San Diego after it developed a mechanical problem, an agency spokesman said Tuesday. The CPB Office of Air and Marine flight crew deliberately crashed the unmanned aircraft about 11:15 p.m. Monday, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol spokesman Michael Friel. Continue reading
AUVSI Encourages FAA to Allow Limited Small UAS Operations
On 27 Jan., AUVSI sent a letter to the FAA encouraging the agency to allow limited unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations before the small UAS rule is finalized. The letter also urged the FAA to stick to its newest deadline for publication of the small UAS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), and to make the NPRM a top priority for 2014. Continue reading
NASA Deploys Global Hawk To Guam to Study Climate Change
NASA is deploying the uncrewed Global Hawk research aircraft to Guam for the Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment (ATTREX). Continue reading
SimActive Sales Success with UAS Photogrammetry Software
SimActive Inc., a developer of photogrammetry software, has announced multiple sales of Correlator3D™ UAV licenses across the world. The new customers are based in North, Central and South America as well as Europe, Asia and Australia. The product is used for aerial triangulation and generation of DSMs, DTMs and orthomosaics from consumer-grade cameras. Continue reading