drones
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Wireless charging will make drones always ready to fly
Drones are great until you realize running all those propellers, a camera, GPS and other assorted technology bits are a real drain on the battery. If you're just using one for images it's not too big of a deal. But if you're using one for surveying, security or delivering burritos, swapping out batteries all the time can be a huge pain and time suck. Fortunately, there's a new wireless charging landing pad on its way.
Los Angeles police will test drones despite privacy concerns
American police have certainly used drones before, but not on this scale. The Los Angeles Police Commission has voted in favor of letting the LAPD fly drones in a year-long pilot program, making it the largest US police department to ever rely on the robotic aircraft. The force will use the drones for aerial searches, recon in tense situations (think: standoffs) and other tasks where officers would otherwise be at risk. The machines could save lives, according to the LAPD, but there were numerous concessions made to address privacy concerns -- and some people still aren't convinced these limits will prevent abuse.
DJI's 6K drone camera is designed to make movies
You can certainly shoot movies with drones right now, but that doesn't mean drone cameras are ideally suited to movie-making. They seldom have the resolution and image quality of the pro movie cameras you see on the ground, let alone the high-quality lenses. DJI is trying to fix that -- it's introducing the Zenmuse X7, billed as the first Super 35 digital camera tuned for pro drone cinematography. Its large sensor lets you shoot 6K RAW video (in CinemaDNG format) with 14 stops of dynamic range, promising crisp, editing-ready video with plenty of detail in low light. And like any good movie-grade camera, the glass plays a prominent role.
Parrot’s Mambo FPV puts you in the mini-cockpit
With its cannon and claw accessories, last year's Mambo drone from Parrot was more a toy than a photography tool. The latest version of the mini drone looks to be at least more fun, if not more useful, than its predecessor. The Mambo FPV comes with a camera attachment and a headset, so you can stream what the tiny flyer is seeing right into your eyes.
FAA will restrict drones from flying around the Statue of Liberty
On October 5th, hobbyists will no longer be able to fly their drones around ten US landmarks. The Department of the Interior and the FAA have restricted UAV flights within 400 feet of the monuments, which include the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore and the Hoover Dam.
Drone pilots are getting their own weather forecasts
Whether you think drones are super-great or want to shoot them out of the sky, they've become increasingly vital for missions like crop spraying, inspection and filming. Yet, it's impossible for operators to get the kind of detailed weather info that airplane pilots have because UAVs generally fly at much lower altitudes. Now, a company called Earth Networks is unveiling Sferic DroneFlight, "hyperlocal, low-altitude weather weather forecasting for drone operators.
DJI will pay you to find security exploits in its drones
DJI clearly doesn't like that organizations are shying away from its drones over security fears, and it knows it can't solve the problem by itself. The company is launching a bug bounty program that will pay between $100 and $30,000 to anyone who finds flaws in its software, whether they're showstopping security exploits, privacy threats, safety issues or simple app crashes. Bug bounties certainly aren't anything new, but this shows how important drone security has become -- DJI doesn't want to lose business or risk an injury because it didn't catch a glitch in time.
MIT researchers use drone fleets to track warehouse inventory
Imagine a warehouse buzzing with tiny drones that automatically track and monitor inventory from afar, leaving workers free to manage and move material. That's the new system developed by MIT researchers, which could prevent mismatches and help employees find particular items faster on top of looking really cool with a bunch of worker drones zipping around.
DJI drones are getting an offline mode for secret flights
Chinese manufacturer DJI is adding a local data mode to its drones. Once enabled, the new feature will stop the company's apps from collecting user data (such as photos, videos, and flight logs). Although, DJI claims the update is in response to public demand, it's hard to ignore the security concerns recently raised by the US army. Less than two weeks ago, the military ordered staff to halt use of all DJI hardware and applications, citing "operational risks."
US Army reportedly ceasing use of all DJI drone products
According to a memo obtained by sUAS News, the US Army will stop using DJI drones, effective immediately. "Due to increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities associated with DJI products, it is directed that the US Army halt use of all DJI products," said the memo, which listed flight computers, cameras, radios, batteries, speed controllers, GPS units, handheld control stations and any device with DJI software applications installed on it as products that must cease being used. According to the document, the Army Aviation Engineering Directorate has issued over 300 Airworthiness Releases for DJI products. "Cease all use, uninstall all DJI applications, remove all batteries/storage media from devices, and secure equipment for follow on direction," the memo continued.
UK drone rules will require you to take safety tests
US officials might be easing up on drone regulations, but their UK counterparts are pushing forward. The British government has instituted rules that require you to not only register any robotic aircraft weighing over 250g (0.55lbs), but to take a "safety awareness" test to prove you understand the drone code. Regulators hope that this will lead to fewer drones flying over airports and otherwise causing havoc in British skies. Not that they're taking any chances -- the UK is also planning wider use of geofencing to prevent drones from flying into dangerous airspace.
FAA offers registration refunds for casual drone pilots
Remember when you had to register your drone, regardless of whether it was hulking thousand-dollar pro model, or some cheap toy off Amazon? Then, remember when the FAA then realised it violated its own rules? Well, that decision in the US Court of Appeals means that the ever-growing drone pilots of America can now apply for a refund if they had previously registered their flying 'bot.
FAA considers remote identification system for drones in the US
The FAA is still trying to figure out the best way to regulate drones to ensure safety. Last week, a committee tasked with tackling the issue met for the first time, including representatives from Amazon, Ford and NYPD. One of the items discussed was a better way to identify registered drones from the ground since any ID numbers are pretty much invisible while the UAV is airborne.
MIT already has your flying car in miniature form
Some drones fly, others drive. Those that can do both, however, can reach places other machines can't, making them ideal for search and rescue -- or package delivery. That's why a team from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed a fleet of autonomous drones that have rotors and wheels, giving them the capability avoid obstacles on the ground and to go underneath overhead obstructions. Just imagine a machine that can fly to a disaster zone and then drive in the gaps of collapsed buildings to search for survivors.
Amazon dreams of putting a giant drone beehive in your city
Patents don't mean anything right up until the moment that they mean everything, so take it as read that none of this could happen. Amazon has, however, registered a patent for a concept that it's calling a "Multi-Level Fulfillment Center for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles." Which is a fancy way of saying that it wants to build enormous cylindrical warehouses at the heart of towns and cities. Rather than delivery folks driving parcels to your home, the building will be jam-packed with drones, which fill fly in and out of the location's many windows.
Intel puts VR to work for more immersive coverage of the Olympics
Intel is teaming up with the International Olympic Committee on "future experiences" for the Olympics, the chip maker announced today at an event in New York City. The new partnership, which will run through the 2024 games, is set to focus on tech like virtual reality, 5G connectivity and drones. According to Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, the idea is to use these technologies to help athletes, coaches and, of course, fans, including those who will be watching the summer or winter Olympics from home. For example, Krzanich says that Intel is going to set up a 5G network at the 2018 games, while its True VR platform will let fans watch events in 360-degree video.
Researchers map a building in 3D using WiFi-enabled drones
Turns out WiFi is good for more than just sharing cat GIFs with your friends. Researchers at the Mostofi Lab at UC Santa Barbara have created a system that "sees" inside buildings using two drones and WiFi.
EU wants clear drone regulations in place by 2019
For years, countries have been coming up with ways to regulate the use of drones. The US recently flip-flopped on whether people have to register their non-commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with the FAA at all, while China made it mandatory to register drones heavier than 0.55 pounds. Those are just small steps on the journey towards a full-fledged set of regulations for drone use, but Europe has just taken a major step in that direction. The European Commission has released a blueprint of standards that it proposed in November, which will unify laws across the EU and be up and running by 2019.
Google tests air traffic control system that manages lots of drones
If you've been scratching your head at the FAA's extensive efforts to regulate your personal (or company) drone use, consider the chaos when they start filling the skies. That's why the agency partnered with NASA for a series of nationwide tests to explore potential systems that could track and manage a wide range of drones simultaneously. Google parent company Alphabet's Project Wing tried out its own UAV air traffic control platform yesterday, a system that might one day guide a massive volume of airborne drones to keep them from crashing into buildings, people or each other.
Texas bill could mean jail time for flying a drone over oil facilities
The ebb and flow of legal rules when it comes to flying a drone, whether it's a cheap mainstream model or something a little more intense, is confusing. It also differs depending on country, and even state. When it comes to Texas, both the House and the Senate are pushing a bill that could attach jail sentences to any pilot found guilty of flying something over oil and gas drilling facilities, as well as telecomms infrastructure and concentrated animal feeding operations -- factory farms. Politicians want these structures added to a "critical infrastructure" list, where flying a drone lower than 400 feet aboveit would be a Class B misdemeanor and could even mean up to 180 days in jail.
