Table of Contents

News for Week of July 2nd 2018

Drone NewsBytes

The US has an anti-drone gun that shoots drones at other drones

U.S has developed a drone that is fired at rogue drones to crash into them and disable them

Drones over Wildfires May Soon Be Felony

People caught flying a drone over a wildfire could face federal felony charges if three Colorado lawmakers convince Congress to pass their bill. The bill would fine people convicted of flying unauthorized drones and possibly send them to jail for a year.

Too close for comfort:Dangerous drones invade protected airspace daily

The I-TEAM discovered dangerous drone operators break that law an average of six times a day.Records reviewed by the I-TEAM show just last year, pilots reported more than 2,100 unregistered drones in protected airspace.

Drone captures pontoon wedding on Lake Darling

While out flying his drone Craig Mische caught this great photo of a wedding being held on pontoon boats on the lake.

Will Promise Of Cost-Saving Inspections Fly?

Measure, an aerial intelligence company, wanted to know how well its drone could conduct a solar plant’s routine inspection compared to a ground-based crew. Measure found that the inspection results were 99% identical. So, a tie. But the drone took two hours to complete the inspection compared to two days for ground-based crews so the Drone wins.

Disney releases aerial drone footage of Toy Story Land

Disney took to the skies to show aerial drone footage of Toy Story Land set to open at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The 10-acre park-within-a-park is set to open to the public on Saturday featuring larger-than-life statues from the Pixar series of films, a roller coaster and other attractions.

4 New Drones Aid Chula Vista Police in Investigations

As regulations are expanded, the idea of a police dispatcher sending out drones to a crime scene before an officer arrives could become a reality in the near future

Watch largest ship to ever cruise through Ballard Locks

Get a unique view from KING 5 drone Dexter of one of the largest ships to ever squeeze through Seattle's Ballard Locks.

Drones just learned to fly solo, which means Pro Racers may soon meet their match

Researchers have developed a system that allows drones to autonomously navigate an obstacle course of gates with 100 percent accuracy. That is, the robots won't crash into something and explode. Not only that, because of the clever way the researchers trained the drones, the machines can adapt if a wily human moves a gate mid-run, completing a course that looks different than when they started. They run a bit slow at the moment compared with human piloting, sure, but they'll only get faster from here.

NYC Management Firm Uses Drone to Improve Services

The drone assists the superintendent and building manager in viewing the side of buildings for issues difficult to see with the naked eye from street level such as inspecting exterior conditions, monitoring contractors work and examining other building installations. One co-op used the drone to see if the contractor's work had been completed as contracted.

DJI and Leica Geosystems team up to develop the new Leica Aibot drone for aerial surveys

The new Leica Aibot drone promises more accurate and safer aerial surveys. The Drone is based on the Matrice 600 Pro and has been developed together with DJI and Leica Geosystems to provide rapid and autonomous mobile 3D mapping data.

Lego and Volvo CE's futuristic autonomous loader has a tiny drone friend

Lego, known for faithfully re-creating some of the world's most famous vehicles in bricks, is modeling the Zeux, an autonomous concept wheel loader dreamed up by design teams from Lego and Volvo CE. Lego has previously replicated a real wheel loader and wheeled excavator manufactured by Volvo CE. This bit of heavy equipment is unlike anything you can see at a real-life building site today, but it's also the digital prototype that will fuel the designs for future Volvo CE concepts. They even have a drone concept to go with the model

Drones keeping Spokane firefighters safe

SFD owns a total of four drones - three Mavic Pros, and one M210 drone which also has an infrared camera. The M210 can see through smoke, and shows crews hotspots and where to aim fire lines. The drone's video feed can be shared to tablets used by incident commanders.

MIT Research will make Micro-Drones even smaller

A team led by professors Vivienne Sze and Sertac Karaman created a customized micro-chip that will empower tiny drones to fly longer with less energy consumption.Dubbed Navion, the chip is only about .031 square inches (described as “about the size of a LEGO minifigure’s footprint”) and consumes only 24 milliwatts – “about 1 one-thousandth the energy required to power a lightbulb.”

AUSTRALIA - This Key U.S. Spy Ally Buys Northrop Drones To Keep Tabs On China

Australia is buying six advanced Northrop Grumman (NOC) Triton drones in a deal worth $5.1 billion as it increases its ability to keep tabs on regional powerhouse China.

AUSTRALIA - Drone control 'too hard' for aviation watchdog

Only a handful of West Australians are being fined for illegally flying drones every year because the country’s aviation watchdog finds it hard to prove their guilt.Just three fines were handed out by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in WA last year — of 45 nationally — and nine in the previous year. Part of the reason for the low number of fines at a time when there are estimated to be more than 100,000 drones in Australia is that even when CASA has a witness to an offence, they often have no proof of who was flying it.

AUSTRALIA - AirTree backs US drone software start-up DroneDeploy in $US25 million round

Local venture capital fund AirTree Ventures has become a significant investor in US software start-up DroneDeploy as part of a $US25 million round that will enable the company to expand to Australia.

AUSTRALIA - 1.4bn drone deal to target people-smugglers

Australia will spend $1.4 billion on six remotely piloted aircraft through a “co-operative program” with the US Navy, to ­bolster border security and target people-smugglers and illegal ­fishing.

AUSTRALIA - Nothing decent about letting peeping drones invade our space

Drone restrictions are easy to violate. Last November, several women from a small town in South Australia reported a drone peering into their windows

AUSTRALIA - 60 minutes and China go to war over Drone

China claims misconduct by 60 minutes for flying a drone over the Chinese Embassy in Camberra

Pitbull - wearable drone jammer

Users can manually activate the device, causing its internal directional antennas to emit radio signals in the 2.4GHz, 5.8GHz and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) frequency bands up to a range of 1 km (0.6 miles).

Drone school created to teach young US Army soldiers

With drones inevitably becoming more common on the battlefield, instructors at Fort Benning, Georgia have started a new school to give soldiers the knowledge on unmanned vehicles.

Drone-cam catches the moment cops corner 'menace' bikers

This is the moment a large group of 'menace' off-road bikers were caught on camera using a police drone.Police have been inundated with calls from the public complaining about the louts running amok in a Coventry industrial estate. This video footage captures the riders pulling wheelies and driving at speed along public roads at the Seven Stars business park. What they don't realize is that a West Midlands Police drone is watching them from high above.

Drone comes dangerously close to Turkey-bound jet

According to the preliminary report published by the Swiss Transport Safety Investigation Board (STSB) on Wednesday, a Bombardier BD 700 business aircraft was en route on June 2 from Berne-Belp airport to the Turkish city of Antalya. Shortly after take-off, the pilots noticed that a drone was approaching their aircraft. The risky scenario occurred at an altitude of 1200 meters. The report does not specify how close the remotely operated vehicle approached the aircraft.

Russian tourist cited for loitering, using drone

The state Thursday issued a citation to a man for loitering and flying a drone in a closed disaster area in Puna, bringing the number to 83 since the Kilauea eruption began. State Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers found Roman V. Andryushkin, 43, of Russia in a closed disaster area near the Nanawale Forest Reserve and Lava Tree State Park. Some informants with permission to be in the area reported seeing Andryushkin operating a red drone while in the closed area. DOCARE officers cited Andryushkin for loitering in a disaster area and confiscated his drone as evidence. More charges involving the use of the drone are pending, state officials said, after further investigation.

USGS Drone Saves Hawaii Resident from Lava Flow

In a live-streamed video by the U.S. Geological Survey, an unmanned drone spotted a resident in distress very close to the hot lava flow. USGS then used the drone to direct emergency responders to the resident’s location and to chart a safe path away from the danger zone.

Dallas college, aviation company team up for drone industry training for veterans

The new program will offer first-of-its-kind training to drone pilots in the civilian world. Dallas County Community College will facilitate the training, and the program will be geared toward veterans, many of which never imagined their experience could transition into the civilian world.

Drone fishermen are catching massive sharks by getting the bait as far as 1,000 feet away from the beach

These guys are catching massive sharks by dropping their bait as far as 1,000 feet, well beyond the distance you’d be able to get to from the beach otherwise using a drone

Fire department deploys drones for illegal fireworks

This is the second year BFD is using drone surveillance on the Fourth of July. Last year they issued approximately 50 citations for illegal fireworks.

Amazon files patent to protect their delivery drones from hijackers

To combat this, the patent would implement a “heartbeat” signal into Amazon’s drone fleet. This would be transmitted from the controller every few seconds to the drone; if the aircraft stopped receiving this signal then it would initiate “safety” mode designed to reestablish communication with the controller, regain control over the UAV in the event of a hostile takeover, and/or land the UAV at a safe location.

Fireworks Swapped For Drones In Aspen

The City of Aspen announced it is swapping fireworks for drones in its Fourth of July celebration. Fifty drones will light up the sky in downtown Aspen.

Drone users filming moorland fire are told to stop flying their devices over the inferno due to fears they could crash into helicopters dropping water on the blaze

A spokesman said the fire service was worried about the risk of collisions with a police helicopter and with a helicopter owned by water firm United Utilities, which is dropping water on the blaze. Posting a warning on social media, it wrote: 'Would all amateur drone users please steer clear of this area, it does hamper our extremely important work.'

Railway Protection force to use drones for safety

To enhance passenger safety, the Railway Protection Force of the South Western Railway (SWR) Zone has purchased a drone which will be deployed to conduct aerial surveillance of railway tracks. It has become the second among 17 railway zones in India to launch this facility.

Plane with 230 passengers on board came within 10ft of hitting a drone after take-off at Luton Airport

The report concluded that 'providence had played a major part' in a collision having been avoided. Investigators said the drone, which was being flown illegally, had endangered other aircraft as it was travelling too high and too close to an airport during the drama on May 6 this year.

FAA launches drone pilot survey

The questionnaire, which takes about 10 minutes to complete, is designed to help the FAA understand the flight activity of non-model aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS) and improve overall FAA services delivered to that community.

Illinois Declines to Adopt Proposed Arbitrary Drone Surveillance of Protests

The proposal, promoted by the City of Chicago, was embodied in SB 2562 and its companion bill, HB 4405. Theywould have authorized police to use surveillance drones to monitor peaceful protests without first securing a judicial warrant. Had the measure been adopted, it would have permitted police to use facial recognition technology to identify individual demonstrators photographed by drones even absent any suspicion of wrongdoing.

Zephyr Drone Simulator Trains First Responder Drone Pilots

Little Arms Studios, a leading developer of professional-grade simulators for drone pilots, created its Zephyr Drone Simulator to provide a comprehensive platform for sUAS pilots to develop their skills safely and efficiently. While Zephyr’s step-by-step curriculum is ideal for individual pilots of any skill level looking to confidently and safely develop their skills, the platform’s integrated Learning Management System also makes it an ideal solution for colleges and universities, public safety and disaster relief agencies, as well as professional flight schools training commercial drone pilots.

AUSTRALIA - World of Drones to land in Brisbane

The World of Drones Congress touches down at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from August 8-10, with the Asia-Pacific’s biggest UAV event promising a packed program.

DJI partners with TripAdvisor for an ‘epic’ push of the Mavic Air ahead of their new product launch

The campaign is titled ‘Everyday Epic‘ and suggests a list of breathtaking locations just outside major cities in Australia, the USA, Germany, France and the UK that are both easily accessible but also provide the perfect setting for your next travel memory… captured with the DJI Mavic Air for instance.

AUSTRALIA - Video shows shark yanking woman into water by her finger in Australia

The horrifying moment, all caught on video, shows Brunning screaming as she was dragged overboard before the boat’s crew and friends quickly pulled her back up. Miraculously, she escaped relatively unscathed with all 10 fingers intact, but suffered a minor fracture and a torn ligament.

Upper Hunter Shire Council issues warning to users of drones and other remote-controlled aircraft

UPPER Hunter Shire Council is warning users of drones and other remote-controlled aircraft that there are many areas in the shire where drone use is restricted or not permitted. Areas under flight paths around Scone Regional Airport, including the Scone Golf Course and a number of sports fields, are no-fly zones for drones weighing 100g or more.

Hero neighbor relives dog rescue from burning house as drone reveals devastating aftermath

A hero neighbor rushed into a burning house to save a dog as flames and smoke poured out of the windows. Drone footage is of the aftermath of the blaze.

Police haul in Egyptian launching drone in central Moscow

Police officers hauled in an Egyptian national who propelled a quadrotor into the air in the heart of Moscow. He said the 32-year-old Egyptian was taken to a police station. He was later released, while the quadrotor was confiscated. Drone flights over Moscow are banned by the Russian Transport Ministry. Permission for their flights over the capital city is issued in exceptional cases. Besides, signs prohibiting quadrotor flights are installed on Moscow’s Red Square.

Greenpeace drone dressed like Superman, and a toy plane crash into French nuclear plant

Greenpeace activists say they have crashed two remote-controlled aircraft — a drone and a tiny radio-controlled plane — into a French nuclear plant to highlight the lack of security around the facility. The drone, which was decorated like a miniature Superman, slammed into the tower in Bugey, 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the eastern city of Lyon, according to a Greenpeace video Tuesday. A short time later, the group released a video showing a small remote-controlled plane heading to a crash at the same wall.

Drone 6 video of water main break in Center City

Drone 6 was over the scene of the major water main break in Center City Philadelphia on July 3, 2018.

Drones replace July 4th fireworks in western towns worried about wildfires. But where's the 'boom'?

Towns in California, Colorado and Arizona – facing another season of drought and wildfire – are turning to drone shows as a less dangerous alternative to organized fireworks, encouraged by the development of jaw-dropping, choreographed shows such as the one Intel prepared for the Winter Olympics broadcast. Travis Air Force Base outside San Francisco, just an hour south of the Yolo and Napa county fires forcing evacuations, is trying an Intel drone show this year. Aspen, Colorado, and towns in Arizona – which had shelved fireworks shows because of fire risk – are also experimenting with drone shows.

Did a drone help a notorious French gangster escape from prison?

Nicole Belloubet, France’s justice minister, revealed on Monday that investigators suspect camera-equipped hobby drones may have been used by Faïd’s gang for reconnaissance missions in the lead up to the audacious jailbreak.

Naperville parks designating park field for drone flight

The district plans to create a drone practice field marked with corner posts to alert pilots to the boundaries for their flight. The field will include a concrete pad where pilots can launch their drones, as well as a bench, a sign specifying rules and a 50-foot buffer on all sides between the flight zone and neighboring properties.

AUSTRALIA - Australia’s Big W to stock DJI drones

Despite harsh operating conditions imposed by the Australian Civil Aviation and Safety Authority, drone ownership in Australia is about to get massive boost. Woolworths’ Australian homeware store, Big W, will be stocking the DJI Tello drone (or RPA- remotely piloted aircraft). The store isn’t unfamiliar with the drones, stocking quite a few budget mini-quadcopters, but the Tello is there first foray into the world of “proper” RPAs.

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