A different demonstration by the CAEIT shows the drones being launched from a helicopter.
“They’re still in the early development stage and the technical problems are yet to be resolved,” an insider from the People’s Liberation Army told SCMP. “One of the key concerns is the communications system and how to stop it from getting jammed.”
Experts are worried that drone swarms could be used to confuse and overwhelm air defense systems by quickly being able to approach them from multiple angles.
Sony wants a bigger piece of the drone market. Today, the Japanese giant unveiled a project called Airpeak, which will “support the creativity of video creators to the fullest extent possible,” according to a cryptic press release. That makes it sound like Sony wants to take on consumer-focused drone makers such as DJI, Parrot and Skydio. Which makes a lot of sense, given Sony’s expertise in the compact and full-frame mirrorless camera markets. If you’re a vlogger or independent filmmaker that already uses Sony gear, you might be tempted by a drone with similar technology. If nothing else, it would make it easier to color correct and combine footage.
In the press release, though, Sony notes how drones have led to “workflow efficiency and energy savings in the industrial sector.” It adds: “Sony has assigned the ‘Airpeak’ brand to reflect its aspiration to contribute to the further evolvement and the creation of the unprecedented value through its imaging and sensing technology as well as 3R technologies (Reality, Real-time and Remote) in the drone area.” So it a consumer or enterprise play? We’re hoping its the former. The company already has Aerosense — a business-focused drone collaboration with ZMP — which specializes in surveying, capturing live events and creating maps from drone imagery.
What happens when you put two pilots to work flying a drone that has been designed specifically to plant trees at a rapid pace? You could potentially get up to 100,000 trees planted per day. That’s an astounding number compared to an average 11,000 trees that are currently being planted by professional tree planters on a weekly basis.
The U.S. drone delivery company Zipline is getting ready to begin commercial operations in Israel next year, TheMarker has learned. The company has begun the regulatory process and is in talks with potential customers.
Zipline hopes to begin its pilot program in Israel early next year, delivering blood and medicine to hospitals in the north and south of the country. While the company has drawn up detailed plans for entering the local market, there’s no guarantee that the pilot will develop into a commercial launch of the service.
Founded in 2014, Zipline has raised around 230 million to date and has a valuation of more than $1 billion. It’s considered the most prominent player in the field: The company has operated commercial drone delivery services since 2016 and has carried out more than 70,000 deliveries.
The future Russian soldier is going to be able to control drone swarms, have landmine proof boots and an exoskeleton/suit to enhance their physical abilities and situational awareness.
Russia will integrate the ability to control small size attack drone swarms, robots, and exoskeletons into its next-generation soldier gear, in a development that feels more like a videogame update than reality.
Article from CNN. I didn’t expect drones would have so much impact all over the world.
It’s good to see that it’s helping people in Africa.
Drones have been transforming logistics in parts of Africa, especially for the delivery of medical products.
CNN’s Eleni Giokos examines how this technology has been serving the needs of rural communities in Ghana, and what’s next for supply chains using drones during uncertain times.
The U.S. army will have pocket sized drones.
Nano drones have become a major military tool over the past few years, and the most recent announcement of FLIR Systems being awarded an additional $20.6 million contract for their Black Hornet 3 Personal Reconnaissance Systems (PRS) by the U.S. Army is one big example of that.
While the contract is huge, the FLIR Systems Black Hornet 3 is only the size of a cellphone. This extremely light and nearly silent drone can fly up to 25 minutes, and provide many military advantages in combat.
With this second contract, FLIR Systems will be providing the service with additional miniature reconnaissance drones as part of the ongoing soldier-borne sensor program, National Defense reports.
Drones or unmanned vehicles are becoming a major threat as more and more countries are developing and relying on it. The latest conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia also saw extensive use of drones.
Netherlands-based technology companies Avy and Wattlab have conducted the first test flight of a drone prototype that is planned to be used in medical projects in Africa.
Wattlab, a Dutch clean-tech start-up founded by Sweden-based power utility Vattenfall and Delft University of Technology, and Netherlands-based drone manufacturer Avy have announced that a drone equipped with special solar foils produced by Wattlab has successfully performed its first test flight.
“The solar-powered prototype is designed to be used for urgent medical transportation, emergency services, and nature conservation,” the two companies stated, adding that the solar films were installed on the wings while maintaining aerodynamics and without increasing significantly the weight. “The solar technology developed in this project is fully integrated into the wing shape and adds no extra weight,” explained Bo Salet, founder of Wattlab.
In the future, the two tech companies are planning to reduce the wings’ weight, increase their surface, and deploy more solar films. “Solar cells with a higher efficiency will be tested in the coming month,” they further explained.
The Navy is exploring new options for replenishing its submarines out at sea, which could have broader impacts on how it resupplies all of its fleets.