Drones In The News Archives

The U.S. Military to down Drones over U.S. Bases

US Military to down Drones Flying over US Bases

August 10, 2017 theDroneInfo0 comment

The guidance was issued to domestic military installations Friday following classified guidelines that were first issued in July by then-Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work. Friday’s guidance was designed to help bases communicate with local communities about the new restrictions. “The increase of commercial and private drones in the United States has raised our concerns with regards to safety and security of our installations,” US Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters at the Pentagon Monday. Military analysts have long been concerned about the possibility of drones being used against the US…

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Gun-wielding Drone Is Now a Thing, and That’s Somewhat Worrying

August 10, 2017 theDroneInfo0 comment

In what is quite possibly the most frightening news beyond impending nuclear war, an American military drone company has developed a gun-wielding drone. Yes, that’s right, a drone equipped with an assault rifle intended to fight in hot conflict. They’ve even made a hilarious photoshopped image of what said drone may look like in combat against insurgents. I say hilarious, it’s also harrowing. The TIKAD, developed by Duke Robotics, is intended to be the soldier of the future, a tool that means there’s no need for soldiers to enter into…

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Some DJI Spark drones are falling from the sky, and that’s to be expected

July 26, 2017 theDroneInfo0 comment

Yesterday Quartz reported that a little over a dozen customers had complained on DJI forums about their new Spark drones mysteriously shutting down and falling from the sky in midflight. Today, DJI acknowledged the issue in a statement: “DJI is aware of a small number of reports involving Spark drones that have lost power mid-flight. Flight safety and product reliability are top priorities. Our engineers are thoroughly reviewing each customer case and working to address this matter urgently. DJI products are tested for thousands of hours, and the overwhelming number…

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Amazon Will Use Delivery Drones to Collect Data About Your House

July 26, 2017 theDroneInfo0 comment

Amazon’s ambitions to build a fleet of self-flying delivery drones will have an interesting side-effect: They will create unimaginable quantities of data. Aerial footage, mapping data, flight patterns, number-crunching analysis, and more — autonomous vehicles produce vast reams of data, and drones are no different. And Amazon is already thinking about how it can turn that to its advantage. In a filing for a patent granted on Tuesday, the Seattle-based online retail giant lays out how “captured data may be received by a computer system and properties about a destination…

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DJI Drones are Getting Shot Down – Drones in the Battle of Marawi

July 24, 2017 theDroneInfo0 comment

Various consumer DJI drones are being used in a war right now by both the Philippine Army and the radical Islamic terrorist group called the Maute. The Battle of Marawi is an ongoing war which started last May 23 when President Duterte of the Philippines declared martial law on the island of Mindanao due to a rise in terrorist activities. Consumer drones are easy to buy, and they can give an advantageous aerial perspective, so it wasn’t long before both the Maute and the Philippine Army starting utilizing them. While…

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Stricter Drone Regulations in Canada – DJI “Disappointed”

July 24, 2017 theDroneInfo0 comment

Transport Canada has released a series of proposed measures that aim to reduce the security and administrative issues caused by the use of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs or drones). The various restrictions cover different categories of drone models based on weight, as well as an overall set of measures for all drone pilots. Among the general proposed drone regulations is a clause that all pilots operating a drone weighing over 250g must have an obligatory liability insurance of $100,000. Regulations among the “very small” category of drone models — those…

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MIT Researchers Develop Mini-Computer Chips for Mini-Drones

July 21, 2017July 21, 2017 theDroneInfo0 comment

Recreational quadcopters and most standard hobby drones have a lot of data to process. The computer chips required to simultaneously handle stabilization, flight, and the recording and streaming of camera footage use quite a bit of power. Hence, they need a certain amount of battery power, which in turn results in a minimum weight. Now, researchers at MIT are developing miniature chips, which would require far less power, ridding drones of the hitherto-required battery weight. Smaller chips, less batteries, less weight. MIT researchers Sertac Karaman and Vivienne Sze claim that…

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Recreational drone pilots eligible for refund from FAA

July 11, 2017 theDroneInfo0 comment

Casual drone fliers will have an extra $5 to spend after the Federal Aviation Administration announced it would refund the fee recreational drone pilots paid with the required registration of their aircraft. This comes after a federal appeals court ruled in May that these pilots no longer have to register with the FAA. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down the FAA rule that required recreational drone users to register their aircraft. In response, the FAA updated the drone registration page on its website,…

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Civilian drones may account for bulk of 40000 UAVs in Indian skies despite ban by regulator

July 6, 2017 theDroneInfo0 comment

MUMBAI: Only defence forces, law-enforcement agencies and a few select government companies are allowed to use drones, but that is not stopping civilian ‘droners’ from hitting the skies. Over the past two years, Indians have spent close to Rs 40 crore buying civil drones, as per estimates of the Consortium of Unmanned Vehicle Systems India (CUVSI). Civil drones, which also include toy drones, bear price tags in the range of Rs 2,000 and Rs 50,000; a rough calculation hints at the presence of 40,000 drones in Indian skies. “Commercial sales…

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300 Unmanned Drones Among the Firsts Expected for This Year’s NDP Show

July 6, 2017 theDroneInfo0 comment

SINGAPORE — A series of firsts will feature in the show element of this year’s National Day Parade (NDP), among them a display of 300 unmanned drones, the largest in South-east Asia, and an aerial system which can elevate performers and props 20 metres off the stage floor. Although no details were shared on the drone display, last month, 50 Intel drones lit up the skies in a three-minute performance in front of the Marina Bay Promontory at the DBS Marina Regatta, giving the public a sneak peek of what…