Lockheed Shifts UAV Production Towards Civilian Market – 14 January 2015 As the US pulls out of Afghanistan, the military drone market is rapidly shrinking. Lockheed Martin is now beginning to shift their drone products towards the civilian market. In the last couple years, they have developed several small UAS platforms designed primarily for domestic use. Jay McConville, […]
Will 2015 be the year that drones become art? Published December 19, 2014 In an interesting article by the Guardian, the creative side of the drone community is highlighted for their recent artistic contributions. The accessibility of drones has dramatically expanded in recent years and many performance artists have gotten a hold on them. Drones […]
In the past few years, many states have proposed or passed laws regulating the usage of drones. These laws generally fall into two distinct categories: those that regulate the government’s use of drones and those that regulate civilian uses for drones. A majority of states, such as Florida, passed laws that prohibited state law enforcement […]
CAN BIRDS BE TRAINED TO BRING DOWN DRONES? This article by popular science explores the relationship between aerial vehicles and birds. The article discusses the possibility of training birds to attack drones, using drones to train birds, and the dangers of their interactions. The article interviews many hawk trainers and their opinions of hawk and […]
Drone deliberately flown at plane above Essex sparking terror fears Published October 25, 2014 The UK Airprox board is worried that an ATR72 turbo-prop airplane’s near crash with a quadcopter is just the beginning. The plane was coming in to land at 1,500ft when the pilot saw a quadcopter flying along the edge of the […]
New Quadcopters Arrive Just as US Eases Its Ban on Camera Drones Published October 1, 2014 In an interesting development for the film world, a Toronto startup just began a campaign to send small, lightweight cameras attached to drones into the air. DreamQii, the company behind their cameradrone christened the PlexiDrone, launched an Indiegogo campaign […]
Ultra-light Drone capable of satellite-like functions Recently the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology, or EIAST, was the first civil organization to test the Zephyr, a solar powered UAV developed by QinetiQ of Britain. This new aerial platform is a type of pseudo-satellite, designed for long duration, high altitude flight. It’s capable of reaching […]
UK Drone Decisions While the United States debates the role of the drone programs, we sometimes forget that we are not the only nation with military drones currently in use. The advocacy group Reprieve has made motions to bring a lawsuit against the Reaper squadron operated by the RAF if they will not make it […]
Despite FAA dithering, a drone economy sprouts on the farm Clay Dillow, September 16, 2014 http://fortune.com/2014/09/16/despite-faa-dithering-a-drone-economy-sprouts-on-the-farm/ While the FAA struggles to define laws for commercial use on drones, drones are finding a place in the economy on farms. In an effort to increase yield, better monitor crops, and cause less damage to crops, farmers are […]
Drone Businesses Soar in Canada, as FAA Grounds US This article explains how due to the FAA’s rules that drones can only be used by “hobbyists” has restricted their use by company’s and organizations within the US. These drones however in Canada are being used widely by many different businesses. This is because the laws […]