UAV News Talk – Drone News, eVTOLs, UAS Policy & Air Mobility

An actively tethered UAS for situational awareness, a fixed-wing drone studies the atmosphere in Greenland, a larger “hive” drone releases a swarm of smaller “cicada” drones, Virgin Atlantic reports a drone near-hit, a drone that plants tree seeds, Wing receives FAA certification allowing delivery service in the US, and a drone powered by variable-buoyancy.

The “Pierce Situational Awareness System by Fotokite” is an actively tethered UAS that integrates directly into public safety vehicles and firefighter operations. The Fotokite provides persistent aerial situational awareness and since they are tethered, no pilot licenses or authorizations to fly are required. The Pierce Fotokite systems have already been installed into Pierce fire apparatus, as well as command vehicles, and fire chiefs’ SUVs. The Fotokite Sigma Ground Station and Kite are available for first responders in general.

The Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, part of the University of Colorado Boulder, Is deploying Black Swift S2 drones from Boulder, Colorado-based Black Swift Technologies. They will conduct high-altitude, high-latitude atmospheric research studies in Greenland and create vertical profiles of the Arctic atmosphere. This will help understand how sublimation into the atmosphere affects climate conditions. The project is supported by the National Science Foundation and is part of the larger international East Greenland Ice-Core Project, or EastGRIP.

NASA’s Langley Research Center released a video showing four large “Hive” drones releasing over 100 smaller “Cicada” drones. The Cicada is a “Close-In Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft” and they fit in the palm of your hand. The Navy says, “Cicada is a concept for a low-cost, GPS-guided, micro disposable air vehicle that can be deployed in large numbers to ‘seed’ an area with miniature electronic payloads.” NASA is looking at the Cicadas as tools for meteorologists with sensors that measure temperature, air pressure, and wind-speed.

Video: It’s Raining Drones! NASA drops 100 drones tiny enough to fit in your hand

The B787 Dreamliner with 264 passengers was flying at 320 mph over Essex when two drones were spotted. One drone was estimated to be 90 feet from the aircraft.

BioCarbon Engineering drones have been planting mangrove trees in Myanmar. The drones map the area, collect topography and data on soil condition, and combine that with satellite data. An analysis is performed that determines the best locations for the seeds, and the drone fires biodegradable pods into the ground. We had previously talked about a similar capability from Seattle-based DroneSeed.

As previously speculated, Alphabet’s Wing unit received Air Carrier Certification from the FAA. Wing is the first drone delivery company receiving this certification in the US, and it allows the company to start a commercial delivery service with drones. Wing plans to start the service in Blacksburg and Christiansburg, Virginia over the next few months. See also, Wing becomes first certified Air Carrier for drones in the US.

The Phoenix ultra-long endurance autonomous UAV is powered by variable-buoyancy propulsion. It creates thrust by alternating between being lighter than air and heavier than air.

Researchers at the University of the Highlands and Islands in the UK use electrically-powered pumps and valves in the Phoenix.

Video: Phoenix: UK team trials first large-scale aircraft powered by variable-buoyancy propulsion.

New lithium metal batteries offer the prospect of greater capacity. Also, Parrot’s Anafi Thermal drone, a quadcopter over the Boston Red Sox, drones for sugarcane agriculture, the role of drones during the Notre Dame fire, parts delivery by drone for manufacturing, and indigenous people use drones to assert territory rights.

Cuberg says, “The Future of Batteries Is Here” and they have developed a lithium metal battery they say offers real advantages over Lithium-ion batteries. The California-based startup is backed by Boeing, venture capitalists, and the U.S. Department of Energy. A proprietary non-flammable electrolyte allows for higher energy density materials.

The Anafi Thermal drone from Parrot includes a FLIR thermal sensor in addition to the 4K HDR camera. Both are on the same gimbal and can capture heat images on still photos and video. The thermal image can be merged with the video image.

Video: GearBrain: Parrot Anafi Thermal drone for professionals

A drone looking like a DJI Phantom flew over a major league baseball game in Boston. DJI said, “Whoever flew this drone over the stadium apparently overrode our geofencing system and deliberately violated the FAA temporary flight restriction in place over the game.” The incident was reported to the Boston Police Department for investigation.

Boston CBS affiliate WBZ has footage: Drone Flies Over Fenway Park During Red Sox Game.

A joint investigation by the Boston Police, Massachusets State Police, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, and the FAA led to the identification of an unnamed juvenile responsible for the drone flight.

The Brazilian National Institute for Space Research–Remote Sensing Division is studying sugarcane yield reduction caused by invasive weeds such as Bermuda grass. UAVs with sensors can be used to monitor weeds, but sugarcane and Bermuda grass are spectrally similar. The research team described how texture features could overcome this limitation.

In combating the fire at Notre Dame de Paris, firefighters borrowed DJI drones from the culture and interior ministries. A Mavic Pro and a Matrice M210 with thermal cameras helped track the spread of the fire and provide information on how to best position fire hoses.

Collins Aerospace is using drones to transport parts from a storage center to the production line in order to increase efficiency and productivity.

The Grid will be a 25,000-square-foot advanced electric power systems lab in Rockford, Illinois. Collins Aerospace intends to design and test systems like high-power generators for the next generation of more electric aircraft, including commercial, military, business aviation, UAV, and urban air mobility platforms. The Grid will support a hybrid-electric flight demonstrator project. Collins Aerospace expects the lab to be complete and fully operational by 2021.

Indigenous people in Ecuador have been using technology to map their territory in the Amazon rainforest. “…marginalized communities around the world have begun to use new technologies to create their own maps and thereby demonstrate their deep local knowledge of their territories, which can help in their fight for land rights. The Cofan used a drone, hidden cameras, and GPS devices to track illegal activity by miners.

Defence IQ’s Countering Drones Conference 2019 will be held July 9-11, 2019 at the Hilton London Olympia to discuss the key issues surrounding threat, risk, resilience, technology and incident response. Participants will get an understanding of what future drone threats look like and how to prepare for them, how to respond effectively to drone disruptions, how to protect your organization more cost-effectively, influencing future policy and demonstrating thought leadership by contributing to discussions with key industry experts.

Comments close soon for an NPRM for sUAS operations over people and an ANPRM for safe sUAS operations. In the news, advice for drone operators near agricultural aircraft, rogue drones in China, Google’s Wing receives authority to operate in Australia, FAA close to awarding the first drone airline license, and GENIUS NY awards are announced.

In this Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), the FAA seeks comment on whether and in what circumstances the FAA should promulgate new rulemaking to require stand-off distances, additional operating and performance restrictions, the use of UAS Traffic Management (UTM), and additional payload restrictions. The FAA also seeks comment on whether it should prescribe design requirements and require that unmanned aircraft be equipped with critical safety systems.

Under this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), operations of small unmanned aircraft over people would be allowed in certain conditions without a waiver, along with operations of small UAS at night. It would also require remote pilots in command to present their remote pilot in command certificate as well as identification to certain Federal, State, or local officials, upon request, and proposes to amend the knowledge testing requirements in the rules that apply to small UAS operations to require training every 24 calendar months.

The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) would like drone operators to be aware that agricultural aircraft aviators fly as low as 10 feet off the ground when making an application. That puts UAVs and Ag pilots in the same airspace. The NAAA has some specific recommendations for UAS operators. Local agricultural aviation operations can be identified by consulting AgAviation.org/findapplicator.

China is subject to the same type of rogue drone flights that we see elsewhere. The State Council and the Central Military Commission jointly released a draft of interim UAV rules that put drones put into five categories based on weight and speed: mini, light, small, medium and large. Mini drones are required to fly below 50 meters without permission except for airspace over and around restricted areas, airports, restricted military zones, and dangerous areas. Light drones are allowed to fly in airspace lower than 120 meters.

Jianzhen Technology Company is developing a C-UAV system with four steps: detection, recognition, following, and handling. The company explained: “The drone can be recognized on a cloud platform. We continuously follow and locate the drone, generating a real-time flight trajectory. Counter-drone devices and a drone navigation deception system will then be used to disrupt their communication. Finally, the drone will be shot down by a laser net.”

Australian regulator CASA given Wing approval to deliver products from local businesses. The initial service will be for about 100 homes in three Canberra, Australia suburbs. The service will expand in the coming months. The approval comes with some restrictions.

The FAA requires that large-scale commercial package delivery operations by drones need to meet the same safety and economic certification standards as other licensed U.S. airlines. At a conference in Singapore, FAA Office of Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Executive Director Jay Merkle said, “In the next month we expect to announce we will have our first … air carrier certificate for operating a drone airline.” He wouldn’t say who that is, but Wing Aviation LLC is the only air carrier certificate application for a drone carrier listed on a U.S. government website.

The latest winner of the GENIUS NY prize is Sentient Blue of Italy, a designer of small, gas engines for UAVs. GENIUS NY is a business accelerator for unmanned systems. Sentient Blue is developing efficient, environmentally friendly, hybrid micro gas turbine based power systems for use in UAVs and will receive $1 million, Four other businesses were named as finalists and receive $500,000 in funding: CivDrone (Israel), ​EagleHawk (Buffalo, NY), ResilienX (Syracuse, NY), and Vermeer (Brooklyn, NY).

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve

Tom Brown took this video of the poppy super-bloom with his DJI Mavic Pro

Lake Victoria Challenge

An initiative that aims to explore drones as a new mobility model for the hard-to-reach, rural communities of the Lake Victoria region in Mwanza, Tanzania. The LVC will feature three Flying Competitions. Registrations close on April 25, 2019. An informational webinar will be held April 12, 2019, at 7 AM GMT.

Drones for studying wildlife, wetlands, and tornadoes. Using them to resupplying troops and support a Mars rover. Also, gender diversity study of the drone industry, and airplane incidents that turn out to not be caused by drones.

Executive Wildlife Producer Heather.

A Best practice for minimising unmanned aerial vehicle disturbance to wildlife in biological field research has been published for researchers using unmanned aircraft to study wildlife.

The TORUS program (Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS of Supercells) will use fixed-wing UAS to assist scientists in studying the formation of tornadoes in thunderstorms. The $2.5M project is funded by the NSF in cooperation with NOAA, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Texas Tech University, and the University of Colorado-Boulder.

DARPA and the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory are experimenting with low-cost resupply drones from Logistic Gliders Inc. There are 10.4 feet long with a 23-foot wingspan, can be made from plywood or aluminum, and can carry 700 pounds of cargo.

Video: Logistic Gliders Inc. Flight Test Highlights as of Jan 2019

A YellowScan Surveyor Lidar-equipped UAV is being used to create an accurate digital terrain model (DTM) of a bog in France. Understanding the hydrology of the area is key to the restoration efforts.

NASA announced the successful first flight of the 4-pound aircraft that will launch with a NASA Mars rover in July 2020.

A UK study looked at gender diversity in the commercial drone industry. After looking at 112 drone service companies, the study found that “The average rate of women employment was 13% and “…women are concentrated in non-technical positions, such as sales and administration.” The study is published in the International Journal of Gender, Science and Techology.

The Civil Aviation Authority has determined that the March 2018 incident was not a drone strike, but was instead a windscreen failure. As a related note, it had been concluded that the December 18, 2018, Aeromexico incident was not drone-related.

FAA approves a fixed-wing drone swarm, firefighting drones under development, young girls trained to fly drones, costs of Gatwick incursions, mimicking a bat, and drones blamed for airliner problems.

Oklahoma State University received FAA approval to fly drone swarms in the national airspace. Up to twenty drones can be operated by one pilot with visual observers. The Unmanned Systems Research Institute at OSU has been conducting research on this for four years using fixed-wing aircraft.

Researchers at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi want to make drones lighter, stronger and weather-resistant. Motivated by some fatal fires in high-rise buildings in London and the UAE, they have created a “sandwich” structure with a central layer of low density, 3D-printed material (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene/carbon or “ABS”) that is inexpensive, easily printed, and lightweight. Outside layers of the sandwich are a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP).

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is helping school girls become drone pilots, with the help of She Maps, an Australian STEM specialist that organizes drone workshops.

The price for last December’s drone activity at Gatwick Airport cost Sussex Police £419,000.

It cost the Surrey Police £40,000. More than 100 drone sightings were reported over three days and over 140,000 passengers experienced flights disruptions, but the drone (or drones) were never found.

Often science (or engineering) imitates nature. If bats can easily land almost anywhere, why can’t drones? A researcher at Yale University has added three long gripper fingers to a quadcopter that can “perch” and “rest” on ledges, poles, and scaffoldings.

Writing in The Daily Beast, Clive Irving says the FAA is delegating aircraft certification work to manufacturers because the agency is “trying to keep up with the rapidly growing drone industry.”

Airplane Geeks 545, Boeing 737 MAX, Someone’s Got Some ‘Splaining to Do.

PaxEx Podcast 65, Max Flight and Mary Kirby on why no-MAX flight.

The FAA proposal for flying small UAS over people, a terrain-following fixed-wing UAS with active navigation, using drones and citizen science for animal conservation, a greater surveillance role for FAA Flight Standards District Offices, and an autonomous grocery delivery service.

The FAA published a notice that would allow flying UAS over people without a waiver. Small category 1 and category 2 UAS would require fewer safety precautions than heavier category 3 drones.

Black Swift Technologies (BST) has been developing a terrain-following fixed-wing UAS. The Black Swift S2™ uses autonomous, active navigation around obstacles and over rugged terrain. Machine vision technologies and advanced sensors (including lidar and radar) make this possible.

Conservationists are using drones, citizen science, and artificial intelligence to replace manual methods for finding and counting animals. Volunteer citizen scientists label images from the drones which then train an AI engine. Zooniverse offers “people-powered research” where volunteers assist professional researchers.

Presented by the FAA and AUVSI, the FAA UAS Symposium will be held June 3-5, 2019 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Stakeholders will gather to help define the rules and concepts that will govern the future of drone operations. See the symposium program for the extensive list of the topics to be covered.

The FAA issued a new National Policy requiring local FAA Flight Standards District Offices (FSDOs) to immediately update their 2019 National Work Program Guidelines to include new Required Surveillance Work Activities for UAS operations. Details in FAA Notice N 8900.504, Expanded Unmanned Aircraft Systems Oversight [PDF].

In 2018, large supermarket chain Kroger and California-based robotics company Nuro piloted a self-driving grocery delivery service in Scottsdale, Arizona. Now they are expanding the service into Houston.

Stunning drone footage of a humpback whale breach in Hawaii – A Hawaii resident captured this stunning drone footage of a humpback whale breach off the North Shore of Oahu.

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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

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.

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.

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

Drones that locate wildlife and select sick livestock, the FAA looks to Kittyhawk to redesign the B4UFLY app, an expanded role for LANNC, principles for autonomous vehicles in the city, a tourist is jailed for misusing a drone, and speculation about stealthy drones.

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) published a study in the nature journal Scientific Reports describing drones that use infrared imaging to locate koala’s, even under the eucalyptus trees. An algorithm differentiates the koalas from other animals and the system is more efficient and less invasive than traditional techniques.

In February 2019, the FAA entered into a partnership with Kittyhawk to redesign the B4UFly app. The FAA says Kittyhawk will redevelop B4UFLY “to improve the user experience so that recreational drone operators know where they can and cannot fly.” The current B4UFLY App will continue to be available to the public until the new App is deployed. Last fall, Kittyhawk joined the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) program. Kittyhawk investors include Boeing’s HorizonX Ventures and insurance company Travelers.

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 establishes new conditions for recreational use of drones and repealed the Special Rule for Model Aircraft. On October 12, 2018, the FAA published a news item saying they were “evaluating the impacts” of the rule change. (FAA Reauthorization Bill Establishes New Conditions for Recreational Use of Drones.) Previously, hobbyists flying in controlled airspace had to notify the ATC tower. The new language says, “In Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport, the operator obtains prior authorization from the Administrator or designee before operating and complies with all airspace restrictions and prohibitions.”

Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto issued an executive order known as the “Pittsburgh Principles.” The order outlines city objectives and expectations for the safe testing of autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It also assigns responsibilities for the development of transparent and constructive reporting guidelines. The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) becomes the principal point of contact.

A French tourist was convicted under the Illegal Export-Import Act for flying a drone close to the parliament complex, and for bringing the drone into the country. Under the Illegal Export-Import Act, he could have been sentenced to a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment. The court sentenced him to one month in prison with hard labor minus time served, so he may be released after a week.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center is looking at drones to help identify sick or injured livestock. They are studying the use of thermal imaging sensors to look for hot spots on the animals. Instead of injecting the whole herd with antibiotics, only livestock that need an injection can receive the antibiotic.

There have been recent rumors that some F-117A Nighthawk stealth combat jets have been used for operations in the Middle East. The Drive says, “there is a strong possibility that the United States did deploy another aircraft, a variant of the General Atomics Avenger drone, carrying the base designation Q-11, to meet a similar requirement for a stealthy, but armed platform that could strike high value and mobile targets in contested areas.”

The NUAIR Alliance and UAS stakeholders establish a plan to support integration into the NAS, North Dakota kills a drone privacy bill while the University of North Dakota supports drone tech for bee populations, 50 applications for LiDAR-equipped drones, drone complaints in the UK, a new FAA drone marking rule, a drone shoot-down in Australia, a UAV helped a SWAT team, an agricultural drone fleet, and Boeing’s new UAS from Australia.

A two-day conference in Syracuse, New York was held with the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR) Alliance and more than 40 UAS stakeholders from 20 companies. Objectives to move the UAS industry forward were established, including tests to help integrate UAS into the national airspace system, BVLOS use-case scenarios, and the part to be played by the UAS test site at Griffiss International Airport.

North Dakota House Bill 1493 would have made it a Class B misdemeanor to intentionally violate another person’s privacy using unmanned aerial systems. Reasons given for voting against the bill included its impact on the UAS industry in the state, that it singled out drones, unclear language and lack of intent language in the bill.

Australian company Bee Innovative says they “provide real-time bee identification, tracking and reporting services.” They provide early biosecurity hazard detection and significantly increase honey bee productivity. The company is working with the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks to enhance its current “BeeDar” drone technology.

LiDAR, or Light Detection And Ranging, uses a pulsed laser to capture data that can be utilized to construct highly detailed 3D maps. This article relates many applications for LiDAR-equipped drones.

Across 20 of the 45 UK police forces, there had been more than 2,400 reports of incidents involving drones last year. In 2016, there were 1,700 reports. These include cases of anti-social behavior, stalking and harassment, hate crimes, and dropping paintballs. The Home Office recently unveiled new drone legislation.

The FAA posted an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register requiring small drone owners to display their FAA-issued registration number on an outside surface of the aircraft. Previously, owners and operators could place or write registration numbers in an interior compartment. See FAA Makes Major Drone ID Marking Change.

The FAA will consider comments from the public on this Interim Final Rule, and will then review any submissions to determine if the provisions of the ultimate Final Rule should be changed. The 30-day comment period will end on March 15, 2019. To submit comments, go to Regulations.gov.

Australian electricity and gas network Evoenergy was using a drone for surveying work when it was reportedly shot down. Local landholders had experienced an increasing number of drones in the area in recent years, and farmers were concerned that drones were being used by criminals and animal activists.

A SWAT team in Campbell, California used a 90-minute version of the Impossible Aerospace US-1 quadcopter to help end a standoff. The drone flew over the building for 45 minutes, monitoring the scene with thermal sensors and conventional cameras.

The Corteva Agriscience™ Agriculture Division of DowDuPont has partnered with DroneDeploy on a fleet that will be used for operations in the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Brazil.

The Airpower Teaming System is designed by Boeing Australia for global defense customers. This unmanned aircraft will complement and extend airborne missions through smart teaming with existing military aircraft. It’s Boeing’s first unmanned aircraft developed in Australia.

Using drones for wildlife management and conservation: bears and drone noise, elephants and poachers, Kakapos and artificial insemination, and STEM drone projects to protect wild and endangered animals. Also, DHS and the Northern border, an Iranian drone, and a base jumping video.

A new study in Conservation Physiology notes that unmanned aircraft systems are being used around wildlife for recreation, research, and conservation. To learn about the potential stress to animals, they flew drones over Minnesota black bears five times a day, twice a week.

In some areas, elephants are endangered by high levels of poaching. Researchers believe understanding elephant calls will help improve their survival rate. They are using AI (deep learning) to decipher recordings of the elephants. Drones are being used to collect data and identify poachers.

The Kākāpō is a large, flightless, ground-dwelling parrot found in New Zealand. Kākāpō Recovery combines the efforts of scientists, rangers, volunteers, and donors to protect the critically endangered bird.

This event for students under the age of 18 is organized by the British International Education Association (BIEA), and supported by the British Science Association, the Royal Institution, and the Royal Air Force Museum. Teams design and develop drones used for protecting wild and endangered animals. The submission deadline is March 31, 2019. Video: BIEA 2018 Drone Design Competition.

The Department of Homeland Security wants to detect, track, and identify small unmanned aircraft systems, ultralight aircraft, and small manned aircraft, below 500-feet along the Northern Border. The DHS Science and Technology Directorate plans to release a Request for Information from vendors.

The Khodkar is equipped with two cameras, one mounted on the front and another below the main body. It bears a striking resemblance to a very old jet.

Via Tim Trott: GoPro Awards: BASE Jumping with FPV Drone in 4K. A base jumping session captured by Jan Verhaeren, winner of the of the GoPro Million Dollar Challenge.

Video: GoPro Awards: BASE Jumping with FPV Drone in 4K