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Parrot and DroneSense partner to ‘better equip’ public safety drone programs

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Drone manufacturer Parrot is partnering with DroneSense, a software company whose comprehensive drone management platform enables public safety organizations to build, manage, and scale their unmanned aircraft programs.

The companies say that, through this partnership, public safety UAS teams are able to use the full suite of DroneSense capabilities tailor-made for the needs of first responders with their Anafi aircraft.

Parrot’s Anafi and Anafi Thermal drones offer an ultra-compact tool for professionals, helping them gain new vantage points on a situation using the drone’s aerial insights. [Read more…] about Parrot and DroneSense partner to ‘better equip’ public safety drone programs

DJI launches its ‘most advanced’ commercial drone platform and first hybrid camera series

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DJI, the world’s largest manufacturer of civilian drones, has launched what it says is its “most advanced” commercial drone platform, the Matrice 300 RTK, and the Zenmuse H20 Series – a hybrid, multi-sensor camera.

DJI engineered this all-in-one, high-tech solution to expand possibilities and exploit areas of work never explored before, for precise aerial inspections and data collection missions.

Christina Zhang, senior director, corporate strategy at DJI, says: “With the M300 RTK flying platform and the Zenmuse H20 camera series, we are providing a safer and smarter solution to our enterprise customers. [Read more…] about DJI launches its ‘most advanced’ commercial drone platform and first hybrid camera series

Math experts use drones to show it’s possible to ‘see’ perfectly using sound

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The discovery’s potential applications include self-driving cars, smartphones that can guide the visually impaired and drones that can help firefighters at night

As the industry for self-driving cars, robots and other unmanned vehicles quickly evolves – and engineers work to overcome the limitations of sensors that use visual, infrared or thermal information – math experts at Purdue University and the Technical University of Munich have proven there’s another, equally viable solution: using sound. 

Mireille “Mimi” Boutin, associate professor of mathematics at Purdue University, and Gregor Kemper, professor of algorithmic algebra at Technical University, found that a drone equipped with four microphones and a loudspeaker can precisely reconstruct the wall configuration of a room by listening to echoes, similar to how bats use echolocation to orient themselves.

Their work is significant because it demonstrates the feasibility of using sound for navigation in unmanned systems, leading to many potential applications such as cars, drones, underwater vehicles or even devices that people can carry, such as a smartphone.  [Read more…] about Math experts use drones to show it’s possible to ‘see’ perfectly using sound

Parrot and Survae partner to develop drone imagery with interactive mapping

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Parrot, a drone manufacturer, and Survae, a software platform for managing aerial and ground-based imagery, have agreed a partnership through Parrot’s SDK program to combine Parrot’s ANAFI and ANAFI Thermal hardware and Survae’s software for professional drone use.

Parrot’s ANAFI and ANAFI Thermal drones offer an ultra-compact tool for professionals, helping them gain new vantage points to make informed decisions using the drone’s aerial insights.

In addition to its built-in 4K HDR camera, ANAFI Thermal also integrates a FLIR thermal sensor – allowing working professionals to easily capture thermal and visual readings for faster response times, along with higher precision and efficiency. [Read more…] about Parrot and Survae partner to develop drone imagery with interactive mapping

ISO unveils ‘world’s first’ drone safety standards

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The International Organisation for Standardisation has launched what are described as the “world’s first” drone standards.

The regulations are the result of a 12-month period of consultation with drone professionals, academics, businesses and the general public.

The final publication of these new international safety and quality Standards for Unmanned Aircraft Systems is set to have a massive impact on the future growth of the drone industry throughout the world, and, are the product of several years of cooperation and rigorous interrogation from all sectors of society. [Read more…] about ISO unveils ‘world’s first’ drone safety standards

Parrot launches new SDK for its thermal drones

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Parrot has launched a new SDK Partner program to help both enterprise and start-ups create new applications, software and hardware to seamlessly integrate with Parrot ANAFI and ANAFI Thermal drones.

Parrot’s SDK program currently allows developers to create their own iOS and Android applications and service programs for ANAFI and ANAFI Thermal drones.

Now, industry partners will gain access to both hardware and software support, along with go-to-market strategy support to business partners across the globe. [Read more…] about Parrot launches new SDK for its thermal drones

John Deere showcases autonomous electric tractor and other new tech

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John Deere, probably the largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the world, has been showcasing a new autonomous tractor and other new technology at the ongoing Agritechnica event.

In a new exhibition concept at this year’s Agritechnica, Deere is demonstrating its leading position in precision agriculture in the Future Technology Zone.

Nine different product developments and research projects in the fields of electrification, autonomy through automation and artificial intelligence show how agriculture could work even more sustainably and productively in the future. [Read more…] about John Deere showcases autonomous electric tractor and other new tech

UPS attains FAA’s first full approval for drone airline

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UPS subsidiary UPS Flight Forward says it has received the US government’s first full Part 135 Standard certification to operate a drone airline.

The company will initially expand its drone delivery service further to support hospital campuses around the country, and to provide solutions for customers beyond those in the healthcare industry.

UPS Flight Forward plans in the future to transport a variety of items for customers in many industries, and regularly fly drones beyond the operators’ visual line of sight. [Read more…] about UPS attains FAA’s first full approval for drone airline

FedEx to test Wing Aviation drone for Walgreens deliveries

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Wing Aviation, an Alphabet company, is collaborating with FedEx and pharmaceuticals retailer Walgreens to launch a first-of-its-kind drone delivery service in Christiansburg, Virginia next month.

The pilot program will demonstrate the many benefits of drone delivery to communities by exploring methods to enhance last-mile delivery service, improve access to health care products, and create a new avenue of growth for local businesses.

Drone delivery in the United States has historically been limited to small-scale demonstrations on designated test sites, or extremely short flights along pre-planned, fixed routes – all within the visual line of sight of the drone operator. [Read more…] about FedEx to test Wing Aviation drone for Walgreens deliveries

Drones expected to grow to $100 billion market as they take off in commercial and industrial sectors while delivery market beckons

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Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), more commonly referred to as drones, have been in the public eye for well over this decade and a hype cycle developed around its applications for the consumer and commercial space.

The high-profile failure of major drone manufacturers and software providers, such as US firm Airware in 2018, somewhat tempered initial enthusiasm, causing early projections from industry organizations such as the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) to look overly optimistic.

However, according to a new report from global tech market advisory, ABI Research, commercial drone usage, especially in the industrial space, will be a source of accelerating growth throughout the next decade with $101 billion in revenue being created annually by 2030 across the commercial, military, civil, and consumer sectors. [Read more…] about Drones expected to grow to $100 billion market as they take off in commercial and industrial sectors while delivery market beckons