Table of Contents

Drone News for Week of October 15th 2018

Drone NewsBytes "Your Unfiltered Drone News Source"

Lodi Police Say Drone Helped Them Catch Robbery Suspects

Police say they used a high-tech tool to help nab two suspected robbers – a drone.

New DJI drone store lands in Troy

A new drone store has opened in a tech-savvy retail corridor of Oakland County with potential to propel growth in the local unmanned aerial vehicle market.

Drones swamp US-Mexico border but federal agents powerless to stop them

On the U.S.-Mexico border, drones are already being used to spy on federal law enforcement operations and smuggle contraband through the sky. The first drug smuggling incident via drone was documented in Nov. 2015. Now, it's a daily occurrence in some regions of the southern border, but it's rarely reported because CBP is unable to seize the devices. Arrests are rare.

Bell Helicopters to build drone that can carry 1,000 pounds of cargo

Bell Helicopters intends to market a drone that can carry 1,000 pounds of cargo. Their plan is to make multiple models with various capacities, from 50 up to 1,000 pounds. The company does not call it a drone, of course. It will be an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle

Drone-Based Aircraft Inspections To Go Mainstream By 2020

Companies like UK LCC easyJet were early adopters of drone-based inspections, which can be used to view difficult-to-reach areas of the aircraft, minimizing downtime and cutting costs.

DRONE IN A JIFFY

The Xenon Adventure Drone is an ultra-portable alternative that aims to make the setup process a cinch so you can do more playing and less assembling. Better yet, it’s simple to store and transport so it will be ready when you are.

DJI’s New Drone For Mapping and Surveying, Phantom 4 RTK, Launches Globally

There’s a new drone on the market for the surveying and mapping vertical of the drone industry—meet the Phantom 4 RTK. DJI announced the drone on Monday, October 15, at the European Drone Summit in Frankfurt, Germany.

Drone Technology Improves Inspection of U.S. Offshore Wind Platforms

Deepwater Wind, ULC Robotics and Keystone Engineering Collaborate on Usage of Remote Piloted Aerial Systems

Women Who Drone Launch Funding Campaign to Inspire and Train New Women Pilots

Women Who Drone is launching a crowdfunding campaign to support their efforts to inspire and train new women drone pilots.

GE Venture OK’d for Beyond Line of Sight Drone Use with Radar

Avitas Systems, a GE venture, has received Federal Aviation Administration approval to fly a large unmanned aircraft system beyond the visual line of sight of the operator in Loving County, Texas.

3D Modeling with SimActive: Leveling Up Commercial Drone Data

SimActive‘s Correlator3D is one of the tools that enables commercial drone operators to level up and play at the enterprise level. SimActive has been a major player in the creation of photogrammetry solutions from aerial data since 2003.

Dezeen’s drone documentary ‘Elevation’ receives two accolades at Lovie Awards 2018

The short drone documentary ‘Elevation‘ from Dezeen about how drones may transform cities in the future has received two accolades at the Lovie Awards 2018.

Industrial drone training course backed by engineering body

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board is backing a new drone training course that will train drone pilots for inspection of infrastructure.

USU Researchers Evaluate Drones for Bridge Inspections

Researchers at Utah State University are evaluating the effectiveness of using drones to inspect cracks of concern underneath bridges.

New Pa. legistlation to restrict drone use

The legislation, Act 78, was signed into law last week by Gov. Tom Wolf. It makes using an unmanned aircraft to “intentionally or knowingly conduct surveillance of another person in a private place or to place another person in reasonable fear of bodily injury” a summary offense.

New Zealand drone company helps in fight against South Africa rhino poachers

The Raglan-based company has developed an anti-poaching 'eye in the sky' drone. It's a heavy duty drone, with an 8km range, and a built-in heat sensing camera.

The U.S. military creates tech to control drones with thoughts

The legendary DARPA tests technology that lets soldiers control drones with their minds.

Drone mail among council’s plans to rejuvenate towns

A mail delivery drone on Tuesday last week assisted in the delivery of a package containing coffee beans and tea leaves from Tainan’s Zuojhen District to National Development Council Minister Chen Mei-ling’s office in Taipei.

Man pleads ignorance four times for flying Phantom 4 illegally in Yellowknife airspace

A man who flew his DJI Phantom 4 in restricted airspace close Yellowknife Airport, Canada, pleaded ignorance of drone rules for the fourth time. The judge reportedly had difficulty accepting the plea bargain that was proposed by both the prosecution and the defense.

Why the Drone Startup Market Holds Real Economic Potential

Unmanned aerial vehicles or drones have already developed use cases in the consumer and commercial markets globally including hobby flying, mining & agriculture

Hundreds of Drone Pilots Violate FAA Restricted Airspace to Get the Perfect Shot of Hot Air Balloons

The 47th annual Balloon Fiesta kicked off earlier this month and has a new obstacle to contend with. The flagship event held in Albuquerque, NM has had logistical problems in the past, but a new problem has arisen in the form of drone enthusiasts looking for the perfect shot.

Mitsubishi Considers Vehicle-Deployed Drones

Back in 2017, Mitsubishi teased the public with its e-Evolution concept, a car with the ability to launch a drone. Although the wild prototype never saw production, the idea of a vehicle-deployed aircraft may still be incubating, according to an article by SAE.

Future Drone to Map Underground Megacities Under Fire

The drones under development will map out underground facilities, even under fire, before troops venture inside.The ultimate goal, therefore, to one day field drones that can invade underground facilities and provide U.S. forces a map of the space.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s NIHSAP’s new drone program!

The North Idaho High School Aerospace Program has been introducing local students to careers in piloting and building planes for five years.

Drones and 3D tech working to bring back destroyed Syrian heritage sites

A French start-up is using drones and 3D technology to create digital reconstructions of cultural heritage sites destroyed by conflict in the Middle East.

"Game Of Thrones" Producers Used Drone Killing Tech To Eliminate Season 8 Leaks

As reported by Entertainment Weekly, Game of Thrones' producers used drone killers to prevent leaks for the final season. The device shuts down drones flying above attempting to grab videos or photos of the show's set.

Drones Increasingly Get Ahead of Disaster Damage

As hurricanes and other catastrophes become more expensive, drones have become the go-to technology for assessing and mitigating destruction.

THE WORLD CLASS TRACK FOR THE 1ST FAI WORLD DRONE RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS HAS BEEN UNVEILED

A 3D digital animation of the drone racing track in Shenzhen, China gives a first person view of a drone as it races through the twists, turns and obstacles of this incredible track.

Amazon Patents Drone Chute For Quiet Deliveries

Amazon patents a new drone delivery feature to drop packages safely at a location from above, without making too much noise.

The drones are coming

Unmanned aircraft can help with package deliveries, yard and depot surveillance, traffic management, and more. How are drones being used and tested today, and what does it mean for delivery drivers?

Skydio's R1 Drone Expands to Apple Stores, Can Now Be Controlled via Apple Watch

As of today, the R1 can be directed through a newly introduced Apple Watch app that provides one-tap controls and directives right on your wrist.

Colonie’s relatively new drone program is getting put to good use

The Police Department’s drone program is still in its infancy, but in 10 months has been called upon 78 times. And yet, its full potential is not yet realized.

th.jpg

Australia Drone News

BHP Deploys Drones to Speed Port Operations

Mining and energy giant BHP Billiton is trialing the use of drones to speed up its port operations. The firm intends to deploy small unmanned aerial vehicles to take draft readings and inspect holds on giant bulkers as they wait to load rather than dispatching human inspectors for the purpose.

Ken Videos