Table of Contents

News for Week of June 25th 2018

Drone NewsBytes

Smugglers now using camera drones to search for weak spots in the U.S. Border

Smugglers are using video cameras and small drones to spot vulnerabilities along the U.S.-Mexico border, and the Department of Homeland Security is struggling to stop them.

China's robotic spy birds take surveillance to new heights

If you’ve ever looked up to the sky and enjoyed the sight of a bird gliding above, be warned: it could be a Chinese drone monitoring your every move.

Drones are flying themselves - but how far should Washington let them go

After making it through their list of everything that might possibly go wrong, the team from Virginia Tech sent a birdlike drone on an assignment designed to fail. They wanted to know how far it could fly before it lost contact with its human minders on the ground. So they clicked a destination that was out of range to see what would happen.

Next time after a major disaster your cell service might be supplied by a drone

Verizon has been testing a 200-pound gas-powered drone in Cape May County, New Jersey. The drone acts as a flying cell site and provides a 4G LTE signal throughout a one mile range.

Queensland Festival lightshow disrupted by a drone

Police have not yet confirmed the incident but the team in charge of the fireworks delayed the start of the show due to reports of a rogue drone within the area of the show. Concerns that conflicting radio frequencies could potentially affect the remote controls used to operate the fireworks.

Umbrella drone makes its debut flight and its terrifying

In a recent video the Umbrella Drone we shared previously has made a debut flight and honestly after seeing it in action I think I will stick with a traditional umbrella.

County proposal to ban drones gets pushback from area drone pilots

The growing popularity of drone ownership and a steadily increasing number of requests to fly and even race drones in the parks prompted officials to seek a prohibition for the safety of other park users. Local Drone businesses are fighting the measure.

English researchers develop a pothole reparing drone

The six-rotor hybrid aerial-ground UAV whirs above roads while aerially scanning for potential repair opportunities using its onboard camera. If a pothole is detected, the drone lands above, making sure the mounted asphalt extruder is directly atop the crevice in need of filling, and releases material such as asphalt with one-millimeter accuracy. On top of that, the prototype not only repairs roads and leaves potholes smoothed over, but improves on the surrounding asphalt, as well.

Experimental flying Dragon drone...need I say more?

Anyone interested in drones will love see this drone inspired by a dragon, a flexible and agile flying machine created by researchers from the University of Tokyo. Composed of several modules, each with their own direction-changing thrusters, the dragon is able to fold itself in and stretch itself out and contort itself through tight obstacles as it soars around like Falkor from The Neverending Story.

Journalists resort to using drones to film detention camps they are not allowed into by the government

Avoiding the political side to this completely as this is a drone channel, the use of drones by Journalists to get past restrictions is a bit concerning.

Life Flight pilot recalls close call with a drone

Pilot recalls a near miss with a drone while transporting a patient.

Verifly Insurance adds support for Idaho, New Jersey, and Delaware to their app

Verifly - General Liability App is now available in 14 states...Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia and Utah. New states coming online everyday. Purchase bite-sized Commercial General Liability policies from an hour to a full month.

Drone displays start to become more common

This past week, drone light shows have taken off in two high profile events in the US and the UK. The potential for drones to take traditional firework displays to the next level is clear. It’s a winning combination of promotional material and entertainment. And one that’s engaging, unique and quickly soaring into the public consciousness.

Kansas State Polytechnic receives FAA’s first waiver to a university to fly UAS beyond line of sight

Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus has received a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly unmanned aircraft systems beyond the line of sight. It’s the first such waiver granted to a university by the FAA.

Drone developed for predicting fights

The “Eye in the Sky” real-time drone surveillance system could be deployed at events like music festivals, marathons or other large gatherings, where it would be utilized to identify violent individuals — based on their aggressive posture — using the latest pattern recognition technology. It then promises to alert the authorities.

Hundreds of Drones Displayed at 2018 World Drone Congress and Shenzhen International UAV Expo

2.9 million hobby drones were manufactured in China last year, a national year over year increase of 67 percent. There are now more than 1,200 drone companies in the country, either developing unmanned aerial vehicles or the components required for drones. DJI is responsible for more than 70 percent of the world’s drone market, making Shenzhen the inarguable hub of drones and their production.

Drone Deliveries Advance With $16M Boeing-Led Investment

Matternet has launched drone deliveries in the healthcare sector, with a successful program in Lugano, Switzerland, in partnership with Swiss Post and Mercedes-Benz Vans. It has conducted more than 1,700 flights for the Ticino EOC Hospital Group and delivered over 850 patient samples over densely populated areas without incident.

Facebook abandons its plans to build giant drones and lays off 16 employees

Facebook is scrapping its efforts to build its passenger jet-sized drones that provide wireless internet to the developing world, and laying off staff, it announced on Tuesday— a major retreat from what had been an ambitious and high-profile initiative at the company.

South Korea's KT Telecom Reveals Airship Drone for Search and Rescue Missions

SK Telecom just partnered with the world’s leading drone manufacturer DJI to develop Skyship: A helium gas airship serving as a 5G emergency network, which can scan hazardous areas on the ground and deploy smaller drones to search for survivors of natural disasters.

Korea Post Completes South Korea's First Successful Drone Delivery

If you can remember the failed Russian Postal Delivery you may appreciate this. South Korea completed its first official drone delivery this week, when Korea Post successfully aerially transported a package to a southern island. The unmanned aerial vehicle flew a payload of 17.6 pounds (8 kilograms) from a Korea Post post office in Geoheung county to Deukryang Island, a route spanning 2.49 miles (4 kilometers).

IAI tests new capabilities of latest ROTEM 'Suicide Drone'

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has tested its latest kamikaze Rotem L drone system which is designed to crash into and destroy soft enemy targets. It honestly looks like a Parrot Bebop

Now that the Autel drone is released will we see something new from DJI

Autel Robotics first debuted their foldable EVO drone at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January of 2018. Today, the company has officially launched their latest product on their website for sale, starting at $999. Due to high demand, it has already gone out of stock and third party dealers have been said to only receive five units from Autel themselves due to production issues.

US Navy funds underwater drone swarms

The U.S. Navy has awarded a grant to an underwater drone producer to help the service locate “unexploded ordnance.”

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