Bruce Crumley

Newly published figures are offering an idea of just how enormous the problem of drone use to deliver contraband to prisons around the world has become, showing nearly 100 suspected UAV drops made to a single Canadian jail last year alone.

Canadian drone hardware and systems developer Draganfly is diversifying its aerial activities in Ukraine through a new, multi-year contract to create a UAV training program destined for agencies under command of the nation’s Interior Ministry, including the National Guard and police.

Defense and security aerial tech company Red Cat Holdings has announced the night vision-excelling Teal 2 has become the second small aircraft produced by its Teal Drones affiliate to qualify for the Department of Defense (DoD) Blue sUAS list.

A group of Canadian tech sector companies including InDro Robotics, backed by government agencies, have announced the opening of the Drone and Advanced Robotics Testing and Training Zone (DARTT), which is being touted as the nation’s first full-range, cutting-edge center for drone, automated ground vehicle, and diverse robotic craft trials.

German air taxi developer Lilium has announced a pair of deals providing it a foothold in China to build future business activity in what’s expected to be an enormous and effervescent market for advanced air mobility (AAM) services.

It admittedly isn’t the kind of invention marking a radical departure from its previous drone-related innovations, but a recently published US patent application by the Ford Motor Co. does offer additional evidence the automotive giant is intent on integrating UAVs into its future cars and trucks.

Online leakers of new DJI drones have established an admirable record for reliability in 2023 – a consistency making it hard not to suspect they may again be right in interpreting new visual finds as an indication the company may be about to release a new Air 3.

Urban air mobility startup Volocopter is finding additional ways to expand uses for its battery-powered craft beyond its principal air taxi services, most recently through a new deal concluded with fellow German organization ADAC Luftrettung to deploy the planes in emergency medical response.

A UK drone pilot has been fined nearly $4,500 for an illegal flight that, among many other consequences, forced a money-time professional soccer match to be halted after the craft hovered low over players.

California air taxi developer Archer Aviation announced the reinforcement of its relationship with European automotive giant Stellantis at the opening of the Paris Airshow today, notably the tightening of their financial ties and increasing of their production plans for the Midnight electric takeoff and landing aircraft.

In what appears to be an example of new thinking arising at the right time to meet to shifting aerial demands – especially under the influence of Ukraine’s defense of the Russian invasion – San Diego-based company Firestorm Labs is preparing to offer entirely modular drones whose 3D-printing manufacturing process aims to offer considerable flexibility and speed of production in fulfilling defense and security users’ needs.

A new law in Illinois gives police the authority to deploy drones in expanded scenarios – for notably monitoring crowds during large public events – but prevents law enforcement from using any facial recognition tech during aerial operations, apart from critical situations like potential terror plotting.

Aerial transport company Drone Delivery Canada has added new capacities to its growing array of UAV activities by obtaining approval from regulators for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights of dangerous goods as part of its Care by Air program.

It’s no secret Russia’s cakewalking expectations to invade and quickly take over Ukraine were upended in large part by defenders’ wide-ranging and extremely effective repurposing of comparatively cheap consumer UAVs into munitions-dropping strike vehicles. Now the US Army is moving to replicate that example, representing a potential boon for small drone partners.

Canadian drone hardware and software solution specialist Draganfly has moved quickly to adapt the activity of its transport and situational awareness UAVs in Ukraine to provide emergency aerial support of efforts to rescue flooding victims in Kherson.

The state organization tasked with managing and maintaining England’s network of major roadways, National Highway, has introduced a new drone flight management system to facilitate access and operation of pilots wanting to fly UAVs near principal ground transport arteries.

Eve, the urban air mobility (UAM) unit of Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, has announced joint plans with United Airlines to launch future air taxi flights across the San Francisco Bay Area as an aerial commuter option to the region’s frequently clogged roadways.

Pressure is beginning to build on government agencies and state-linked organizations in Australia to halt using DJI drones, with proponents of grounding craft produced by the China-based global leader pointing to blacklisting in the US in making their demands.

Archer Aviation, one of the companies driving the nearing launch of air taxi services, has announced its hiring of former top Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official Billy Nolen to oversee safety operations in the continued development of its electric vertical takeoff and landing plane (eVTOL).

Supernal, the advanced air mobility (AAM) unit of South Korean automotive giant Hyundai, has taken a minority shareholding stake in micro-climate specialist TruWeather Solutions, whose hyper-localized atmospheric tech solutions will be used in operating safe and comfortable air taxi services.

The US House of Representatives has added to Washington’s flurry of legislative initiatives in recent months surrounding future airline, drone, next-generation aircraft, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) activity, with a new committee proposal that – among many, many other things – sets deadlines for creating new rules on beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations by UAVs.