Bruce Crumley

India’s services company Garuda Aerospace says it’s extending the reach of its work-around to the nation’s 2022 protectionist ban on drone imports – and the gaping hole created by excluded DJI craft – through a new agreement with a quintet of specialized international producers compliant with those restrictions.

Even during the dog days of August, leakers never sleep – with one decidedly active online sleuth unearthing unprecedented video of what’s now described as a DJI Mini 4 development drone, as well as an elevated-armed mystery UAV.

It may not fly like one of the company’s trademark drones, but DJI says its new video transmission and receiver products will significantly elevate the capabilities – and improve the work – of professional cinematographers and hardcore movie makers using the devices.

Defense and security UAV and robotics group Red Cat Holdings has announced its new contract to supply a US government agency with over 150 of its Teal 2 drones, which will be used for the monitoring and protection of US Air Force bases.

Leading global consumer and enterprise drone manufacturer DJI has issued a warning to customers about the risk of scams in downloading apps for its product from third-party sources, and urges users to obtain operating interfaces only from its own service.

In the wake of the city’s recent decision to introduce permitting procedures expected to ease its notoriously tight drone restrictions, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has moved to expand its own fleet by procuring cutting-edge BRINC tactical UAVs designed for use in critical situations to reduce threat to human lives.

A group of Washington state startup executives is pooling the experience and knowledge of overlapping backgrounds to turn their Data Blanket creation into an effective and powerful tool for the firefighters increasingly called out to battle raging blazes blackening multiplying areas of the planet.

Photographs shared with DroneDJ by an irrepressible leaker of DJI development products suggest the global drone leader is currently readying to market a Mini 4 Pro atop the multiple UAVs it has already rolled out in 2023 – an image of which we can offer as a preview with this post.

Aerial transport services company Drone Delivery Canada says it has successfully completed test flights of its Canary UAV in commercial operation conditions, verifying the craft’s enhancements over the firm’s earlier Sparrow vehicle.

The world’s leading drone company is set to launch its first dedicated DJI-Hasselblad Concept Store outside of Asia later this month, with tomorrow’s opening of a two-story retail showcase in the UK.

California maker of large-scale special purpose Pelican drones, Pyka, has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to operate its highly automated agricultural UAV for crop spraying missions – an achievement that may facilitate the company’s planned deployment of its cargo delivery craft as well. 

Despite the general cooling of previously hot investor enthusiasm for tech – especially companies pursuing next-generation aviation aircraft and services – startups pursuing what now remain largely conceptual drone delivery operations continue attracting a remarkable flow of development capital according to recently published figures.

Leading global instant logistics company Zipline is expanding its US business activity with the addition of OhioHealth to the list of clients selecting the startup’s integrated Platform 2 drone transportation network to speed deliveries to destinations at lower costs.

The UK’s Royal Mail and Skyports Drone Services have launched what is being hailed as the nation’s first permanent UAV delivery operation conducted “under existing regulatory frameworks,” with the initiation of postal distribution flights between Scotland’s Orkney Islands. 

Offering proof there is at least still one aspect to its nominally secret product development process over which it still maintains full control, DJI has revealed the date of its newest release event – this one, the August 2 unveiling of what’s expected to be the Osmo 4 action camera, whose coming has been foretold over and over again.

New moves unveiled by China threaten to further disrupt the already complicated business activities of global drone leader DJI in the US and elsewhere in the world, with Beijing saying it will impose new export restrictions on UAV technologies produced in the country.

Canada’s diversified drone hardware and services company Volatus Aerospace wasted little time in putting its recently acquired firefighting credentials to good use by assisting efforts in Alberta this month to battle wildfires that have punished the province.

Archer, California developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has announced a contract with the US Air Force worth up to $142 million, and opening the door to deployment of its Midnight air taxi plane for operation adapted to military activities.

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) ­has announced the financial approval of its five-year, 37.2 million drone program that will build on the utility’s accumulating experience in deploying UAVs for inspection, safety, and other continuing operational activities.

Ambitious air taxi developer AutoFlight added another aerial first to its collection of exploits this week with the announcement it had staged a flight of three different prototypes of its Prosperity I electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in coordinated formation.

As Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive against invading Russian troops attempts to increase momentum, the country is again turning to the same drones that have allowed it to defy Moscow’s far bigger and better-equipped army for nearly 18 months.