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

The Dufour Aerospace CCO tells us about the manned and unmanned tilt-wing eVTOL platforms being developed by the company.

Sascha Hardegger is the Chief Commercial Officer at Dufour Aerospace, a Swiss-based eVTOL startup developing manned and unmanned tilt-wing platforms. The company is currently focused on the Aero2 VTOL drone aircraft and the Aero3 next-generation 8-seat emergency medical service VTOL. Both aircraft feature tilt wings.

The remotely-piloted Aero2 has a maximum takeoff weight of 150 kg (331 lbs), a payload of 40 kg (88 lbs) in standard configuration, and 20 kg (44 lbs) in long-range configuration. Cruise speed is up to 170 km/h (92 kts). Propulsion comes from four wing-mounted motors powering four propellers and two tail fans. A prototype is flying and Dufour is progressing toward a hybrid-electric propulsion system. Aero2 use cases include critical cargo transport, cargo to remote locations, and remote sensing.

Find Dufour Aerospace on Twitter @DufourAero and be sure to see the company’s YouTube channel.

Sascha is responsible for the commercial activities of Dufour Aerospace. He’s the former ops director of Swiss REGA, the largest HEMS operator in Switzerland. Sascha led their initial foray into drone operations for Search and Rescue. He has worked as a journalist, a media spokesperson for the Swiss federal department of justice and police, and on peace-keeping missions abroad for the military. He is also an aviation enthusiast with time spent flying planes, gliders, paragliders, RC models, and drones.

Video: Dufour Aerospace: Combining the best of airplanes and helicopters

The Navy says they were drones not UFOs, an air assault experiment with a drone swarm, drone deployment planned for Africa, a drone that kills wasps, flying in the wind with deep learning, the unique view from above, and Walmart drone delivery service expansion.

The U.S. Navy says the objects detected in 2019 off the California coast were drones. This comes from statements by Department of Defense officials at the recent House hearing on UFOs.

At the 2022 Experimental Demonstration Gateway Exercise (EDGE 22) in Utah, the U.S. Army conducted an experiment where one operator controlled a swarm of 28 drones controlled through a mesh tactical network. The swarm searched for simulated enemy positions and sent back tactical data. The swarm was overseen by a surrogate for the Army’s Future Attack Recon Aircraft (FARA).

German drone delivery company Wingcopter and Continental Drones, a subsidiary of Ghana- and Dubai-based Atlantic Trust Holding, announced a partnership where they plan to build a network of 12,000 Wingcopter 198 drones in Africa. They’ll deliver health care products such as medicine, vaccines, and laboratory samples. The drones will be deployed over five years, starting in 2023 and the network will span 49 sub-Saharan countries.

AeroPest has created a precision spraying drone called the Hummingbird. It can be used to control elevated pests like wasps with an articulating nozzle. Other applications can apply liquid at any height, including de-icing fluid and industrial machinery lubrication. The system should be available 3rd quarter of 2022.

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) engineers have created Neural-Fly, which uses deep-learning technology to allow drones can react to unexpected wind conditions in real-time. Research scientist Soon-Jo Chung explained: “The issue is that the direct and specific effect of various wind conditions on aircraft dynamics, performance, and stability cannot be accurately characterised as a simple mathematical model.” So they employ a technique called “separation” where the neural network is “pre-trained” and only a small number of parameters need to be altered in real-time.

Aerial photographs reveal things that cannot be appreciated from the ground. This article presents photos including the Pegasus Airlines plane that went off the runway in Turkey, a 200-foot rabbit that was an art installation in Italy, a selfie from the top of a wind turbine, and many others.

Walmart intends to offer drone-delivered packages from 34 stores by the end of 2022 from stores in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. Items must weigh less than 10 pounds and orders will be taken between 8 AM and 8 PM. A $3.99 delivery charge will be applied to the service provided by DroneUp.

Public meeting scheduled for BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee Final Report, the MQ-9B STOL, Skyward is closing, bombs dropping from commercial drones, an indoor drone from DJI, Commercial UAV Expo 2022, and drone docking systems.

The UAS Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) has scheduled a public meeting for June 22, 2022. Its purpose is to give the public an opportunity to comment on the UAS BVLOS ARC Final Report.

The meeting will be held virtually from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. On the day of the event, the Livestream can be viewed on Facebook or YouTube. Members of the public who wish to provide written comments and/or oral comments may email [email protected]. Meeting minutes and other information will be posted on the FAA webpage.

To see the March 10, 2022, final report, visit Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) Operations Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC).

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. developed a kit for the MQ-9B SeaGuardian giving it short takeoff and landing, or STOL, capability. The kit allows the aircraft to operate from shorter fields (less than 1,000 ft) compared to the roughly 3,500-foot runways it currently requires.

Verizon bought the Skyward drone management business in 2017. In a surprise announcement, Verizon now says it will close down Skyward on June 30, 2022, to focus on higher near-term growth activities.

Skyward launched in 2013 and provided LAANC services starting in 2017. The company conducted a remote drone operation in 2020 without a pilot present in a Washington state wildfire, helped establish Remote ID requirements, and partnered in 2021 with Parrot to provide 4G LTE connectivity for its ANAFI Ai.

Reports are unconfirmed that a Dutch company (unnamed) has developed a drum magazine for commercial drones that holds and drops multiple mortar shells. It’s said that prototypes are headed to Ukraine.

According to leaks, A DJI indoor drone is coming between July and August 2022. Supposedly called Avata, the drone will weigh 500 grams and features ducted propellers, a camera, and “greatly improved” battery life.

The Commercial UAV Expo is September 6-8, 2022 in Las Vegas. Featured sessions include keynotes, deep-dive vertical market sessions, and industry update sessions. See the 2022 Conference Program.

On-demand drone services need a place where drones can land and await the next mission, get their batteries charged, and be protected from environmental conditions. Globe UAV and HEISHA Technology have offerings in this space.

PBIA approved for ‘vertiport’ for electric jet service to connect Florida cities

Lillium

We discuss the C-UAS National Action Plan recently released by the White House. The Plan calls for specific measures that address shortfalls in the ability of law enforcement to protect against rogue drones.

In episode 401, we talked about the Domestic Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems National Action Plan issued by the White House. We wanted to explore this Action Plan in more detail so we invited Jeffrey Starr, the Chief Marketing Officer at D-Fend Solutions to join us for an analysis of the Action Plan.

The Action Plan seeks to protect against the increasing threat of UAS in unauthorized airspace by calling on Congress to “adopt legislation to close critical gaps in existing law and policy that currently impede government and law enforcement from protecting the American people and our vital security interests.”

In our conversation, we look at some of the elements of the Plan, including;

• Extending detection and mitigation authority to State, Local, Territorial, Tribal (SLTT), and Critical Infrastructure Levels
• Creating an authorized technology list
• Placement of C-UAS mitigation equipment at critical infrastructure sites
• A National training center
• A Federal UAS incident tracking database
• Establishing a comprehensive criminal statute

Jeffrey points out that the Plan safeguards the expansion of positive UAS activity while also protecting against malicious actors. He also makes the case that next-generation detection and mitigation technologies must be employed to overcome the limitations of legacy systems.

We thank Jeffrey for bringing his knowledge and experience to the conversation about the issues that the Administration’s Action Plan seeks to address.

D-Fend Solutions supports the growth of safe and secure drone adoption, along with innovative solutions that defend against rogue drone threats. Their technology has protected world leaders, gatherings, and organizations from the threat of rogue drones, including at the G7 Summit and championship sporting events. The company’s flagship offering is EnforceAir, which has been deployed worldwide at forward-operating bases, borders and ports, international airports, federal government agencies, and many other places.

A new vertiport opens in England, a new military tactical UAS, detect-and-avoid system deployment at a UAS test site, major Army drone swarm test, request for malicious drone legislation, NTSB wants more drones and pilots, DJI suspends business in Russia and Ukraine, and Drone Safety Day.

An Air-One vertiport opened in Coventry, England for demonstrations of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. It is planned to remain in Coventry for at least a month then will move to other UK locations, and internationally. The circular vertiport structure with a central takeoff and landing zone includes traveler processing, arrival/departure lounge, baggage scanning, and retail.

Urban-Air Port Limited designs, develops, manufactures, sells, and operates infrastructure for urban air transport such as air taxis and autonomous delivery drones. The company wants to create a ground infrastructure that permits a “zero-emission-mobility ecosystem” and cuts congestion and air pollution. The company plans more than 200 vertiports worldwide over the next five years.

The Phoenix Ghost Tactical UAS was designed by the US Air Force and manufactured by AEVEX Aerospace. Similar to the Switchblade, it’s believed to be a single-use drone but the Pentagon isn’t providing any details.

Under a Technical Assistance program with the FAA, CAL Analytics will deploy its detect-and-avoid system for low-altitude BVLOS operations at the New York UAS Test Site. NUAIR (the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance) manages the 50-mile Drone Corridor and FAA uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) Test Site at Griffiss International Airport in New York. 

The CAL detect-and-avoid service provides a suite of UTM services including situational awareness, conflict detection, health monitoring, and various weather services. The recent BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee recommended that the FAA develop a methodology for approving safety-critical UTM services for BVLOS.

The Army’s 2022 Experimental Demonstration Gateway Exercise (EDGE 22) will test up to 30 small networked drones launched from air and ground vehicles. This will include Area-I ALTIUS 600 drones and Raytheon-built Coyote drones. The swarm will use infrared sensors and electronic warfare payloads to detect enemy signals, establish their positions, and send the information back through the network to command posts and manned assault aircraft. The EDGE 22 exercise runs from April 25 to May 12, 2022, at Dugway Proving Ground near Salt Lake City, Utah.

The White House issued an action plan to deal with malicious drones: FACT SHEET: The Domestic Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems National Action Plan. The plan asks to “adopt legislation to close critical gaps in existing law and policy that currently impede government and law enforcement from protecting the American people and our vital security interests.” The action plan:

1. Expands the set of tools and actors who can protect against UAS by reauthorizing and expanding existing counter‑UAS authorities for the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Defense, State, as well as the Central Intelligence Agency and NASA in limited situations. 
2. Expands UAS detection authorities for state, local, territorial, and Tribal (SLTT) law enforcement agencies and critical infrastructure owners and operators.
3. Creates a Federally-sponsored pilot program for selected SLTT law enforcement agency participants to perform UAS mitigation activities and permit critical infrastructure owners and operators to purchase authorized equipment to be used by appropriate Federal or SLTT law enforcement agencies to protect their facilities;
4. Establishes a list of U.S. Government-authorized detection equipment, approved by Federal security and regulatory agencies, to guide authorized entities in purchasing UAS detection systems
5. Establishes oversight and enablement mechanisms to support critical infrastructure owners and operators in purchasing counter-UAS equipment for use by authorized Federal entities or SLTT law enforcement agencies;
6. Establishes a National Counter-UAS Training Center to increase training accessibility and promote interagency cross-training and collaboration;
7. Creates a Federal UAS incident tracking database
8. Establishes a mechanism to coordinate research, development, testing, and evaluation of UAS detection and mitigation technology across the Federal government;
9. Enacts a comprehensive criminal statute that sets clear standards for legal and illegal uses, closes loopholes in existing Federal law, and establishes adequate penalties to deter the most serious UAS-related crimes; and 
10. Enhances cooperation with the international community on counter‑UAS technologies, as well as the systems designed to defeat them.

The NTSB has a history of using drones in their investigations to document accident scenes and process the data using photogrammetry software. Currently, they have five pilots and seven drones but the NTSB wants more pilots and more drones.

In an April 26 statement (DJI Reassesses Sales Compliance Efforts In Light Of Current Hostilities), the company said:

Ukrainian authorities claimed the Russian military was “using DJI products in order to navigate” missile attacks, and said DJI was complicit in Russian attacks. DJI has publicly stated they are opposed to their products being used for military purposes.

The FAA has organized a National Drone Safety Awareness Week each year from 2019 through 2021. This year, however, the FAA is calling for a single Drone Safety Day, Saturday, June 18, 2022, with five focus areas:

• Education – How to safely operate drones and highlighting how drones are being used in education.
• Economics – Highlighting the economic, societal, and safety benefits of using drone technologies.
• Equity – Opening opportunities for all operators.
• Environment – Understanding the environmental and sustainability benefits of drone technologies.
• Emergencies – Learn how drones are used in emergency situations such as: natural disasters, search & rescue, firefighting, public safety, and other uses.

On the National Center for Autonomous Technologies Drone Safety Day page, you can browse all the Drone Safety Day events, sign up to attend, and submit your own event.

Insane FPV Footage of Downhill Urban Bike Racing in Chile

The Red Bull Valparaíso Cerro Abajo urban downhill bike race is held annually in Chile. The 2-kilometer course goes down narrow staircases and alleyways and even through a house. A video of racer Thomas Slavik cycling through the run was filmed by the Dutch Drone Gods, considered to be among the best FPV drone pilots in the world.

Creating a U-Space ecosystem for UAV and eVTOL, a hypersonic UAV project in Australia, how to Rickroll a crowd with 300 drones, the Switchblade drone in Ukraine, the outlook for agricultural drones, drone delivery service in Texas, and drones and export laws

Droniq is a German company that provides hardware and software solutions for UAS Traffic Management (UTM). They started in 2016 as a research project of Deutsche Telecom and DFS, which is Germany’s air navigation service provider. CEO Putze says, “We have a highly regulated air environment and a highly unregulated drone world. We’re trying to come together.” He notes that the drone economy innovates using trial and error but manned aviation doesn’t work that way. Also, the drone industry and manned aviation can learn from each other.

The U-Space system is in test in Germany but other EU states are behind and probably won’t meet the January 2023 U-Space deadline.

Read more about U-Space:

• The U-Space Deadline is January 2023. What Has to Happen Before That? A Conversation with ANRAs Amit Ganjoo
• France Chooses 8 UTM Providers to Create a Best of Breed Integrated Solution U-Space Together

Putze is also the president of the Alliance for New Mobility Europe (AME), a new organization that brings together stakeholders in the European UAV and eVTOL market.

The project partners are developing the DART CMP Airframe, a hydrogen-powered vehicle using the Hypersonix SPARTAN scramjet engine. Fully reusable, with ceramic matrix composites (CMC) components, the DART CMP should travel at speeds up to Mach 12. The project will begin in July 2022. Partners include Hypersonix Launch Systems (Sydney), the University of Southern Queensland (Toowoomba), LSM Advanced Composites (Harlaxton), and Romar Engineering (Sefton).

Sky Elements Drone Shows formed a giant QR code with 300 drones over Dallas on April 1, 2022. Those who followed the link wound up at Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” music video.

The AeroVironment Switchblade (sometimes called the Kamikaze), was introduced in 2011 and developed for US Special Forces in Afghanistan. The Switchblade 300 is designed to attack personnel and light vehicles, can be carried in a backpack, and is just over ½ meter long. The larger Switchblade 600 has a Javelin anti-armour warhead, requires a 10-minute setup, weighs 23 kg, and can fly out 40 km in 20 minutes, then loiter another 20 min.

Video: Switchblade: A look at the drone the US is sending to Ukraine

ResearchAndMarkets.com is offering the Agriculture Drones Market – Forecasts from 2021 to 2026 report. The agriculture drones market was projected to grow at a CAGR of 32.49%, reaching US$7 billion by 2026. Drone use in agriculture is growing and is seen as a reliable and cost-effective tool. Just published is a new report: Agriculture Drones Market – Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 – 2027) with a lower 7.1% CAGR, largely due to the industry effects of COVID-19.

The drone food delivery service Flytrex has started Granbury, Texas. Using the Flytrex app, customers can order from several restaurants and have their food delivered by drone to their yard. Flytrex also operates in three North Carolina locations. (Holly Springs, Raeford, and Fayetteville).

Video: Flytrex Sky Delivery Takes Off In Texas

The 1987 Missile Technology Control Regime defines unmanned systems in the same category as missiles. To comply, the State Department has frequently killed proposed foreign military sales of drones. But if the drones can’t be purchased from the U.S., others are more than happy to supply them, including China. A recent paper from The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies discusses the issue: Building Alliances and Competing with China: The Imperative for UAV Export Reforms.

September 6 – 8, 2022 Las Vegas

The Commercial UAV Expo is a leading trade show and conference that focuses on the integration and operation of commercial UAS with more exhibitors than any other commercial drone event.

Industries covered include Construction; Drone Delivery; Energy & Utilities; Forestry & Agriculture; Infrastructure & Transportation; Mining & Aggregates; Public Safety & Emergency Services; Security; and Surveying & Mapping. The Commercial UAV Expo was launched in 2015 and it gathers the international drone ecosystem under one roof. 

You’ll find educational opportunities, unparalleled networking, and more exhibits than any other commercial drone event. It’s really a must-attend event if you hope to keep up with the newest technology and developments. The Expo is presented by Commercial UAV News and organized by Diversified Communications. Use the hashtag #expouav.

The proposed BREEZE drone for Venus, a tethered drone for first responders, river rescue missions, taking out drones with Thor’s hammer, UAS over the Arctic, drone deliveries to offshore wind farms, and hobby drones in Ukraine.

NASA wants to study the use of drones that fly through the Venusian atmosphere and study the planet. BREEZE, or Bioinspired Ray for Extreme Environments and Zonal Exploration, will be funded for a two-year concept study. The BREEZE drones would be inflatable, fly at altitudes between 50-60 km, and ride zonal winds. This is one of 17 proposals under the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program.

Video: BREEZE | A Revolutionary Ray-inspired Airship Concept for Aerial Venus Exploration

Three years ago, in episode 285, we covered the Fotokite tethered drone and their partnership with Pierce Manufacturing. Now we see that the North Carolina Department of Transportation is launching a pilot with Fotokite. Some IMAP (Incident Management Assistance Patrol) vehicles will be fitted with tethered drones to provide situational awareness to the NCDOT Operations and Traffic Management Centers and assist with overall traffic management of the incidents.

The Iris Automation waiver allows them to fly BVLOS in a rural, unpopulated area south of Reno, Nevada using the company’s Casia X detect and avoid system. Iris is working with the City of Reno and the Reno Fire Department (RFD) which conducts about 40 rescues per year at the Truckee River.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded a $26 million counter-UAS contract to Leidos. The company will build a prototype system that disables sUAS with high-power microwaves. Called Mjölnir, the name of Thor’s hammer, it builds on previous work under the Tactical High Power Operational Responder, or THOR, program. THOR is a counter-swarm electromagnetic weapon that uses non-kinetic energy to defeat multiple targets. In 2020, the Defense Department became so concerned it created the Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Office, led by the Army.

NASA is leading a team to show that a fixed-winged drone could fly over the Arctic ocean for several days. The attritable UAS from Vanilla Unmanned is designed for multi-day surveillance and inspection operations. In this application, a drone with sensors can capture more accurate data than is the case with satellites.

The drones would be customized to deliver supplies and other items to offshore wind farms in the Asia-Pacific region. Two Singapore-based companies signed an MOU to co-develop the drones: Marco Polo Marine Ltd., a regional integrated marine logistics company; and F-drones, developer of large autonomous delivery drones. The delivery drones are expected to reduce cost by 90 percent, be four times faster, and reduce carbon footprint.

In a February Facebook post, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense says it is looking for drones and for pilots: “Do you own a drone? Give it to experienced pilots to use!” and “Do you know how to drive a drone? Join the joint patrol with units 112 of the separate brigade of the city of Kyiv!”

The PGA Tour is using drones to follow golf shots like this one from Rory McIlroy and it’s so cool

The design for a large autonomous cargo drone, important noise research, Ford’s idea for a vehicle inspection drone, a high-speed VTOL concept challenge, identifying human trash on the beach, UAS in unsegregated airspace, Western parts in a Russian drone, the longest BVLOS waiver issued by the FAA so far, and an intelligent drone controller that “looks ahead.”

Natilus has designed a blended wing cargo drone that the company says allows it to carry 60 percent more cargo, slashes cost by 60 percent, and produces 50 percent fewer carbon emissions. Founded in 2016, the company announced $6 billion worth of pre-orders for over 440 of its aircraft. Four models are envisioned with cargo capacities ranging from 3.5 to 130 tons. Natilus has completed two wind tunnel tests and the first flight of a full-scale prototype is planned for 2023.

Video: Natilus Wind Tunnel Test 2021

The advanced purchase commitments are for the delivery of 440+ aircraft in pre-orders, from Volatus Aerospace, Astral Aviation, Aurora International, Dymond Group, and Flexport. Others are to be announced. Flexport completed a $900 million investment round and has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for two 100T Natilus aircraft, with an option for a third.

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are studying aeroacoustics using microphones in an anechoic chamber to test the frequency, wavelength, and amplitude of sound from drones. However, the “acceptable” noise level depends on where people are, the time of day, and the goal of the technology. For example, you might not mind the noise if the drone is delivering key medical supplies, but you might mind if it’s a pizza delivery to your neighbor.

Ford has patented a concept where a drone is hidden somewhere inside the vehicle, specifically, inside an autonomous ride-hailing car. The secret drone could inspect the vehicle for damage after the ride. Ford is co-owner of the Argo AI autonomous car company which plans a ride-hailing service.

The AFWERX High-Speed Vertical Take-Off and Landing (HSVTOL) Concept Challenge is a crowdsourcing effort for the United States Air Force and U.S Special Operations Command. Jaunt Air Mobility is one of 11 companies selected from 200 applicants to research solutions that enable optimal agility in harsh and difficult environments. Under the contract, Jaunt will develop two conceptual designs – the initial aircraft for the Multi-Mission Air Vehicle (MAV 55). That combines the features of a fixed-wing aircraft with VTOL. The AFWERX Challenge is a high-quality market research program, that uses design thinking workshops, crowdsourcing, events, and innovative contracting.

Researchers from Oregon State University and the NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) began a research project in June 2020, to use drones to identify human-made debris on the beach. Machine-learning algorithms were used to locate and classify synthetic-material objects. Drones would fly along the coastline and identify the debris to be removed.

The Israeli Civil Aviation Authority has given its approval for a UAS to operate in civilian airspace. The Elbit Hermes Starliner will be able to fly in the same unsegregated airspace as piloted vehicles. Planned missions include border security and anti-terror operations, security at large public events, maritime search and rescue, commercial aviation and environmental inspection, and precision agriculture work.

A Russian surveillance drone was shot down in 2017 when Ukrainian forces were fighting Russia-backed separatists. When it was opened, the drone contained a German-made engine, navigation and communication chips made by U.S. companies, a motion-sensing chip from a British company, and Other components from Switzerland and South Korea.

The BVLOS waiver is for 12 miles to inspect power lines. That’s the longest waiver the FAA has granted. Censys Technologies Corporation builds remote sensing solutions for UAS service providers, enterprise organizations, and government entities. Soaring Eagle Technologies is focused on structure inspections and aerial mapping. The companies are using Casia, the detect-and-avoid system from Iris Automation.

NFL Creates Super Bowl Show In The Sky With 500 Drones

The NFL flew 500 drones over the Convention Center to create a Super Bowl show in the sky.

Commercial controllers work well for simple paths, but high winds can cause a pilotless aircraft to go off course and crash. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder are developing an onboard guidance algorithm for precision path-following. In tests, the controller allowed an autonomous drone to adjust to disturbances and modulate its airspeed as it followed a demanding path. It was faster and more accurate than a commercial guidance controller. The aircraft used a nonlinear numerical model for predictive control.

UAV Digest listeners can enjoy a one-year individual membership at a 50% discount. For $25.00 (normally $50.00) you get:

• Unlimited admission to the Museum for one year, including the March 4 event, “The Helicopter and the Presidency.”
• Two One-Day Guest Passes.
• Admission to FamilyFest and SantaFest.
• Invitations to Member Receptions.
• 10% discount on gift shop purchases.

This offer is good through May 31, 2022, at this link.

CycloTech propulsion for eVTOLs, the first autonomous Blackhawk helicopter flight, the little drone carrying meth, universities study Verizon 5G drone applications, a Wisconsin bill to ban government use of DJI, and Navy unmanned underwater vehicles.

The cycloidal rotor concept uses a large, open, rotating spool with airfoils that run between the ends of the spool. The vehicle has four spools (or rotors), one at each corner. Last year, Austrian company CycloTech conducted the first free flight of their technology demonstrator. The CycloRotor thrust can be directed in a 360-degree direction around the axis of rotation. The design has advantages that are desirable for eVTOL operations, including a smooth transition from vertical to horizontal flight and vice versa, precision maneuvering, and the decoupling of aircraft body attitude from the flight path.

Video: CycloTech GmbH First Free Flight

With the flick of a switch, the DARPA S-70 Blackhawk helicopter goes from piloted to unpiloted. In this first flight, the S-70 autonomously completed a pre-flight checklist, started its engines, spun up its rotors, and took off with no crew on board. The ALIAS system (Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System) on-board sensors provided real-time obstacle data as the helicopter navigated through a simulated cityscape.

Video: First Uninhabited Black Hawk Flight

Last October, the US Border Patrol spotted a DJI Mini 2 flying over the 25-foot-high fence. The drone landed in a parking lot and a Mercedes pulled up to retrieve it. An Agent grabbed the drone first. The 249g DJI Mini 2 was carrying 259g of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) obtained a warrant to search the drone for evidence that might lead to the pilot. It’s not clear if the warrant asks DJI to provide information about the drone flight.

Verizon is working with two universities to develop and demonstrate use cases for low-latency networks. Verizon deployed millimeter wave 5G at the California Institute of Technology and the Pennsylvania State University. The universities will trial using AI to interpret drone data and research ways to improve and automate manufacturing processes.

Wisconsin State Senator Roger Roth represents Senate District 19 and co-sponsored 2021 Assembly Bill 907 (text) restricting state and local governmental acquisition, possession, and use of certain drones. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

Huntington Ingalls Industries has been designing and producing underwater drones for the Navy. Their REMUS (Remote Environmental Monitoring UnitS) series of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) has been launched from submarines and can explore hazardous areas autonomously. The Navy is looking at small, medium, large, and extra-large UUVs as well as unmanned surface vessels, and unmanned aircraft.

Video: Watch a drone capture SpaceX Falcon 9’s latest launch and landing!

The NROL-87 mission successfully launched February 2, 2022, from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, and carried a national security payload designed, built, and operated by the National Reconnaissance Office.

A drone-as-a-service company is building a country-wide network in Germany, drones as tools, the impact of AI on UAV capability, a new hypersonic drone, an apple-picking drone, creating a digital twin of a national treasure, and a lethal killer drone.

In Germany, Beagle Systems GmbH is building a nationwide network of landing and charging stations for drones. Beagle Systems is a drone-as-a-service provider that specializes in long-range UAS flights that are controlled from the Hamburg company headquarters. The company hopes to serve the delivery, courier, and express services market.

Early on, some people considered drones to be “toys.” But drones have come a long way since then. Now they are tools for marketing, wildfire restoration, wildlife study, public safety, newsgathering, and a lot more.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays an increasing role in the missions of UAVs. Deep learning algorithms are trained with images and used to classify items detected by a variety of sensors. Affordable AI solutions are available and their integration with drones will continue to accelerate.

The DART AE drone is 3D-printed and powered by a hydrogen scramjet engine. A Kratos Defense booster will accelerate the vehicle to over Mach 5, then the Hypersonix Launch Systems Ltd. scramjet engine will ignite. Mach 5 to 12 speeds are claimed for the engine which has been tested in a shock tunnel up to Mach 10. The drone will fly autonomously “along a programmed flight path to a predetermined landing location.”

Apple growers have found that it is difficult to find workers to pick apples. Israeli startup Tevel Aerobotics Technologies is offering its Flying Autonomous Robots (FAR) platform. A ground vehicle slowly drives between rows of fruit trees while several quadcopters are tethered to the vehicle. They have arms and articulated grippers that identify ripe apples, pick them and place the crop on QR-coded spots. 

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Hungary opened in 1849 and is an historic landmark. Upgrade work on the 380m-long, 14.8m-wide suspension bridge began in 2021 and they wanted to capture a “digital twin” of the bridge. A team worked to scan and model the bridge using ground surveys, aerial scans, and boats. Ventus Tech provides professional aerial and sonar surveys and they collaborated with Bimfra Kft., a Building Information Modeling (BIM) firm.

Video: Széchenyi lánchíd digitális ikermodell elkészítése [Development of the digital twin model of the Széchenyi chain bridge]

Smart Shooter’s launches SMASH Dragon UAV

Smart Shooter designs, develops, and manufactures automatic targeting and firing systems for small arms. Their new SMASH Dragon is an armed drone system.

Video: SMASH Dragon Unveiled | Why An Unmanned Drone Killer UAV Is What Israel Needs Right Now