Pentagon interest in cargo drones for disaster relief, thermal imaging for search and rescue, BVLOS UAS for medical deliveries, drones that act like sheepdogs, drone laws in Japan, “drone parenting,” and a UAS remote ID whitepaper.

UAV NewsThe Pentagon wants to know if a swarm of drones can swoop in to help with hurricane relief

In January 2019, the Defense Logistics Agency solicited a Request for Information (RFI) for Utilization of UAS for Disaster Relief. The RFI was only open for a few weeks with a purpose “…to conduct market research seeking to identify vendors who would be interested in offering on a forthcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) to utilize Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) to provide disaster relief support on the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States.”

Drones Helps Rescuers Search for Alabama Tornado Victims

Thermal imaging drones were used to locate victims in the rubble after Alabama’s devastating tornados. The drones are cheaper to operate than helicopters, they require less training, and they can get into tight spaces.

Flirtey, City of Reno Get FAA Approval for Drone Delivery Beyond Visual Line of Sight

The FAA has given Flirtey and the city of Reno approval to fly BVLOS to deliver Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA) chief operating officer J.W. Hodge said, “When our emergency medical dispatchers determine it’s a cardiac event, our system will automatically integrate with Flirtey’s system and launch a drone. That drone will then fly without having to deal with the impediment of streets.”

Barking drones used on farms instead of sheep dogs

Christchurch-based DJI Ferntech says farmers are embracing drone technology. Shepherd Corey Lambeth us using his drone to more efficiently to move stock and check water and feed levels. The DJI Mavic Enterprise can playback sounds over a speaker, like a dog’s bark.

Video: Barking drones used on farms instead of sheep dogs

Japan plans drone ban over U.S. military and SDF facilities, but media fear restrictions on reporting

A bill in Japan would prohibit flying drones within a 300-meter radius of U.S. military bases and Self-Defense Forces’ facilities. This is to prevent terrorist attacks using drones. It would also ban drones from flying over the Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Drones controlled by the media providing coverage would be exempt from that ban. News organizations are protesting the bill as they believe it could disrupt newsgathering.

Pros and cons of ‘drone parenting’

According to an expert on millennials and the so-called Generation Z, 83 percent of new mothers are millennials with a “high-tech and hyper-connected upbringing.” They are not “helicopter parents,” they tend to be “drone parents” who use technology to track and nurture their children.

Mentioned

A 16-page whitepaper from Kittyhawk: Remote ID & Commercial Drones