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drones

Carnegie Mellon developing drones to fight wildfires

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The brown haze that settled over Pittsburgh and other US cities last summer was merely an irritant to most residents, but for researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute (RI), it was a reminder of why they are developing drones to help fight wildfires.

The smoke was generated by record-breaking wildfires in Canada. Over the course of the summer, the fires burned an area roughly the size of North Dakota and caused at least six deaths, including those of four firefighters.

Andrew Jong, who recently completed his master’s degree in robotics in the School of Computer Science and is now pursuing his PhD, says autonomous drones promise to provide firefighters with situational awareness of these fires, which can range over thousands of acres and are subject to rapid, weather-related changes in direction and intensity.

Seeing through dense smoke is one of many challenges firefighters face and poses a hurdle to using drones. [Read more…] about Carnegie Mellon developing drones to fight wildfires

UND Aerospace and NAL Research partner to develop advanced satcoms for drones

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University of North Dakota Aerospace and NAL Research are collaborating on a project where NAL will provide the foundation with a suite of satellite and communication (SATCOM) products and services for its Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) Program.

The project will integrate and test command and control (C2) solutions for UAS platforms conducting beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations in rural and remote areas.

Together, UND Aerospace and NAL Research will validate new C2 technologies for UAS to safely operate both within the Federal Aviation Administration’s National Airspace System (NAS), and in conflict zones where traditional GPS signals may be jammed or spoofed. [Read more…] about UND Aerospace and NAL Research partner to develop advanced satcoms for drones

Commercial Drone Usage: 7 Notable Applications

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Multiple industries across the world are realizing the potential of drones or beginning to understand how much these unmanned aerial vehicles offer.

What started out as a recreational activity quickly became a valuable asset to different industries. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable examples.

[Read more…] about Commercial Drone Usage: 7 Notable Applications

Wing and Walmart continue to expand drone service to millions of customers

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By Adam Woodworth, CEO, Wing

We’re kicking off 2024 by making drone delivery a reality for even more people: Wing and Walmart are expanding service to millions of customers, leveraging Wing’s airspace approvals that facilitate service across the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) community.

Wing and Walmart will launch our newest drone delivery locations in the coming months and plan to complete the expansion within the year.

Last August, Wing and Walmart launched service together at two locations in DFW – reaching 60,000 homes via drone delivery. In our first 4 months of service, the response from Walmart customers has been overwhelmingly positive, using the service to order a range of products, including quick meals, groceries, household essentials, and over-the-counter medicines. [Read more…] about Wing and Walmart continue to expand drone service to millions of customers

Japanese researchers develop ‘innovative, low-cost’ UAV for inspecting transmission lines

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The novel approach avoids costly and sophisticated equipment, while also enabling automated close-range inspection of transmission lines

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are now widely used for remote inspection of electrical transmission lines, but capturing detailed information over long distances poses challenges.

Additionally, sophisticated equipment is needed due to magnetic field interferences, increasing costs. Now, a team of researchers has introduced an innovative low-cost UAV platform.

Using specialized algorithms, it addresses the limitations of affordable equipment, facilitating close-range inspections. The proposed system paves the way for the widespread adoption of automated inspection systems. [Read more…] about Japanese researchers develop ‘innovative, low-cost’ UAV for inspecting transmission lines

Are consumers ready for drone deliveries?

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With Amazon aiming to make 10,000 deliveries with drones in Europe this year and Walmart planning to expand its drone delivery services to an additional 60,000 homes this year in the states, companies are investing more research and development funding into drone delivery.

But are consumers ready to accept this change as the new normal?

Northwestern University’s Mobility and Behavior Lab, led by Amanda Stathopoulos, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, wanted to know if consumers were ready for robots to replace delivery drivers, in the form of automated vehicles, drones and robots. [Read more…] about Are consumers ready for drone deliveries?

Skyports Drone Services partners with RigiTech to launch inter-island drone deliveries in Korea

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Drone airline Skyports Drone Services has launched a new project in Yeosu City, South Korea, for the delivery of pharmaceuticals and foodstuffs by drone. The project will be the first time Skyports Drone Services operates flights with new drone partner RigiTech.

The Yeosu City drone project, supported by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MoLIT), Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology (KIAST) and Yeosu City government, will provide inter-island drone deliveries within the coastal Yeosu region of Korea.

It is the first of a series of flight trials and proof-of-concept projects conducted by a drone services consortium made up of Skyports Drone Services Korea, Marine Drone Tech and RGB Lab. The first phase of the project launched in June this year and will continue until November. [Read more…] about Skyports Drone Services partners with RigiTech to launch inter-island drone deliveries in Korea

DJI’s launches new commercial drone

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DJI, the world’s largest civilian drones and aerial imaging technology company, has launched a new drone, which “sets a new standard for any commercial drone operator”, according to the company.

It adds that the DJI Matrice 350 RTK (M350 RTK) “redefines the ultimate tool for the commercial drone industry”.

The M350 RTK is said to be an upgraded flagship drone platform that is more adaptable, safer and efficient for any aerial operation in public safety, energy, mapping, infrastructure or forestry, to name a few. [Read more…] about DJI’s launches new commercial drone

XTEND acquires drone inspection specialist Performance Rotors

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XTEND, the developer of XOS, a human-guided autonomous operating system, or human-machine interaction system, has acquired Performance Rotors, a Singapore-based drone inspection specialist.

XTEND says the move will boost its ability to offer human-guided, remote interactive operations in a range of inspection scenarios, and grow its global business. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Aviv Shapira, co-founder, and CEO at XTEND, says: “Our acquisition of Performance Rotors marks the latest step in furthering XTEND’s vision of making remote interactive operations accessible to everyone, in a range of scenarios, including inspection, public safety and security. [Read more…] about XTEND acquires drone inspection specialist Performance Rotors

Drones navigate unseen environments with liquid neural networks

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MIT researchers exhibit a new advancement in autonomous drone navigation, using brain-inspired liquid neural networks that excel in out-of-distribution scenarios

In the vast, expansive skies where birds once ruled supreme, a new crop of aviators is taking flight. These pioneers of the air are not living creatures, but rather a product of deliberate innovation: drones.

But these aren’t your typical flying bots, humming around like mechanical bees. Rather, they’re avian-inspired marvels that soar through the sky, guided by liquid neural networks to navigate ever-changing and unseen environments with precision and ease.

Inspired by the adaptable nature of organic brains, researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory introduced a method for robust flight navigation agents to master vision-based fly-to-target tasks in intricate, unfamiliar environments. [Read more…] about Drones navigate unseen environments with liquid neural networks