UAV

Brussels will host the EU Drone Days, an event being held November 29-30 to inform interested business, governmental, and public parties about the European Commission’s Drone Strategy 2.0 for introducing UAV activity as an integrated part of daily life and work.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a nightmarish reminder since the beginning to be very careful what one wishes for, but new evidence suggests the outlook for Moscow may be getting darker yet. As previously reported by DroneDJ, mass buying of consumer drones in Russia for the Ukraine war that had diminished supplies has reportedly now gotten even worse – and is even being matched by a penury of craft and replacement parts for military-grade UAVs.

So close, but in the end, no superlative cigar. After 64 straight days of solar-powered flight, the US Army’s Airbus-built Zephyr UAV reportedly plunged from the skies over Arizona, just hours shy of breaking the all-time record for continuous navigation by an aircraft.

Rebounding off its participation in the August 3 White House summit on advanced air mobility (AAM), sector lobbying organization Commercial Drone Alliance has gone on the offensive with praise of the Biden administration’s initiative in support of next-generation aerial activities, but with criticism of regulatory constrictions it says stifles increased UAV services in the US.

There’s no longer any question about whether the US Army’s experimental flight of the solar-powered Zephyr UAV will break the aerial endurance record, only by how much the craft will shatter that mark with each additional day it remains aloft.

Retailing giant Walmart is shifting its aerial partnership with DroneUp into higher gear with its announcement today of expanded drone delivery services to a potential of 4 million households across six US states.

Everyone loves aerial light performances, but few people ever get a backstage peek at what goes into staging the spectacles. To remedy that, UK- and Singapore-based drone show specialist SKYMAGIC sat down with DroneDJ to offer an idea on how those work ­– and how the company differs from rivals in bringing the skies to life.

There’s already reason for hope that this year may well be better 2021. Almost impossibly, it seems, aerial arts specialist SKYMAGIC managed to put on an even more spectacular drone show for London’s 2022 New Year’s celebration than the gem it staged last year.

Ever dream of piloting a drone that can stay aloft longer than the usual 30- to 35-minute battery charge? Meet the K1000ULE, an electric-, solar-, and thermal-powered UAV that flew for 26 straight hours this summer.

Researchers in Japan are testing whether the deployment of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) for research can be significantly enhanced by pairing them with communication-linked UAVs hovering overhead to relay data to human monitors on the ground.

Work for businesses on the move in their UAV inspection, surveying, or mapping activities may get a little bit easier with the unveiling of HexTruck – a pickup-mounted automated drone hangar platform compatible with any off-the-shelf craft.

Remember the tragic story of an entire generation of elegant terns being wiped out in California when over 1,500 eggs were abandoned by terrified parents fleeing invasive drones? Lesson learned: Officials in Oregon are now working hard to prevent something similar from occurring in their wildlife reserves.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said it will begin deploying a gamma ray-reading drone to monitor former uranium mining and processing sites in Central Asia. The airborne surveys will permit accurate analysis of the radioactive zones that human researchers have had to wade through until now.

Since the start of 2020, large ships around the world have had to comply with lower maximum carbon and nitrogen emission levels permitted by international authorities. So what does that have to do with drones? Because they’re catching violating vessels out as they chug dirtily around Europe’s waters.

The Australian state of Queensland has said it’s again turning to drones to ensure the safety of its beaches. But in addition to its use of craft to identify and rescue swimmers in danger of drowning, Queensland is also deploying them to protect sharks that may happen to be passing through.

History has its rubbish heap, elephants their graveyards, and aircraft have a last resting place known as “boneyards.” In many countries, those final parking spots are located in deserts. Lacking those large, arid expanses, however, most Eastern European nations must dump permanently grounded craft wherever (and as discreetly as) they can. Now a Russian drone pilot has captured astonishing shots of mothballed Soviet era craft – some of which much of the world has never seen before.

Score this as Walmart getting serious – make that really serious – about drone deliveries in its future business success. The retailing giant has just upgraded its relationship with uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) service company DroneUp from client to investor/partner.

Tech innovator and startup founder Patrick Maletz thinks he has found a way to dramatically extend drone flights. Rather than trying to withstand winds with that craft often battle, his drones use the power of those gusts to stay aloft.

Multi-tasking drones are great, but how about multi-modal craft? Meet Robotic Research’s Pegasus uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV), which can buzz around the heavens, then zip across the ground – tank style – after landing.

French drone manufacturer Parrot has partnered with digital security specialist WISeKey to reinforce protection of data collected and transmitted by Parrot craft. As part of that, the pair will also work toward a more ambitious goal of hardware and communication system protection of data that may serve as the basis for global security standards for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Anticipating a dramatic surge in demand for drones that established manufacturers will struggle to meet, a Connecticut-based company is offering a turnkey package allowing anyone to build and sell the craft on their own. All you need is space to set up a mini-factory.