The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a report showing the benefits of blockchain for unmanned aircraft. Also, drone cinematographers and a labor agreement, a drone modeled after a dragonfly, VTOL reconnaissance, AI controllers, and AUVSI virtual sessions.

UAV NewsUS Transportation Dept. Says Blockchain Could Bring More Trust to Commercial Drones

In a report titled Blockchain for Unmanned Aircraft, the U.S. Department of Transportation says blockchain could help in areas with large numbers of drones operations, especially near high-risk areas like airports or in crowded areas. The report says “Blockchain technology is being looked on to deliver a framework that can be used by stakeholders in the commercial drone industry, as it can ensure security and provide for identity management as well as providing a supporting role in aircraft traffic management, UAS conflict management and flight authorization.”

Cinematographers Guild Celebrates Drone Victory Over Warner Bros. in Arbitration

The International Cinematographers Guild initiated arbitration over a dispute with Warner Bros. The Guild said drone operators filming for productions are covered under the labor agreement. Those who work in “all phases of motion and still picture photography,” including members of a drone crew, should be treated the same as aerial directors of photography, camera operators, and camera technicians. They say the drone crew should get the same health and pension benefits.

The stealthy little drones that fly like insects

Animal Dynamics is a technology start-up that takes lessons from wildlife and applies them to drone design. The Skeeter project uses flapping wings to power a small hand-launched drone, mimicking the dragonfly.

AeroVironment unveils fully-automated hybrid vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aircraft system

The AeroVironment Quantix™ Recon is a lightweight and rapidly deployable reconnaissance solution that is fully-automated. It produces high resolution, georeferenced terrain, vegetation, and infrastructure imagery. The VTOL transitions to a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft and can survey up to 0.6 square miles or 12.4 linear miles with a 45-minute flight time. The aerial imagery data is compatible with many geographic information systems (GIS)

Hybrid Drones: Coupling Disruptive Mechanisms to Reshape UAV Industry

The MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Dartmouth, and the University of Washington have developed an AI-based system that uses “reinforcement learning” to train the model. This approach is being applied to VTOL designs that transition from vertical to horizontal flight. The AI works with the popular OnShape CAD software.

AUVSI Launches UAS Webinars

AUVSI postponed XPONENTIAL 2020 (tentatively scheduled for August 10-12, 2020). In the meantime, five webinars will be offered starting May 4, 2020:

1. Digital Twins – the Future of Virtual and Mixed Reality Robotic Avatars
2. Drone Delivery Supporting Public Health
3. NASA’s Vision and Role to Enable Urban Air Mobility
4. Advancing Autonomy Through DARPA Challenge to Benefit First Responders
5. Aerial Connectivity Joint Activity – Bridging the Gap Between Cellular and Aviation