Bruce Crumley

Can drones help root out invasive plant species on the Galápagos Islands with the same effectiveness they eradicated rats that had threatened native birds with extinction? That’s what the Charles Darwin Foundation is hoping in deploying aerial assets to combat blackberry, guava, and other flora that now risk crowding out indigenous species.

DJI’s status as by far the biggest seller of consumer and enterprise drones on the planet means its UAVs are logically flown most by Ukraine pilots battling Russian invaders. But might that domination change if those operators turn to what they consider safer gear?

A drone has been factored into Renault’s all-electric delivery solution alongside a battery-powered van and e-bike to permit companies to transport goods to bustling city centers without leaving a measurable carbon footprint.

New video evidence of how smaller drones are significantly strengthening Ukraine’s efforts to repel invading Russian forces has surfaced showing a self-made UAV using simple grenades to take out a $3 million Russian tank.

Israeli on-demand drone delivery specialist Flytrex has expanded its roster of client businesses in its showcase North Carolina operation by adding orders from sub sandwich maker Jersey Mike’s to the array of items it is flying to consumers’ backyards.

The UK’s Royal Mail has announced plans to open 50 postal routes serviced by delivery drones over the next three years as part of a wider objective of deploying over 500 UAVs to carry letters and parcels to remote localities in the country.

Embraer’s urban air mobility (UAM) operation, Eve, has joined a growing number of next-generation aircraft companies going public using a relatively recent kind of stock market floatation procedure.

German UAV company Wingcopter has taken a significant step toward potential Type Certification with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issuing Special Class Airworthiness Criteria of its Wingcopter 198 delivery drone.

In a surprise move, Archer cofounder Brett Adcock has left the electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) plane developer, even as its Maker air taxi prototype continues quickly advancing toward certification objectives.

As excited as people are about DJI’s introduction of its Mini 3 Pro drone today, a lot of enthusiasts are also stoked about the new remote controller that can be bought with it, featuring a slick built-in touchscreen and other advantages of the RC Pro.

Business, like nature, hates a void, which may explain why drone management and flight analysis company AirData has moved to transition customers away from Skyward less than a week after Verizon announced it was closing the unit.

In addition to the large influx of both military-grade and consumer UAVs from abroad to Ukraine forces battling Russian troops, Kiev will soon take delivery of specialized UK heavy-lift cargo drones that have been tested by the British Navy in various scenarios.

Professional users of DJI Mavic 3s can soon acquire protection for their drones during sudden flight termination situations, thanks to plug-and-play parachute recovery tech that provides additional safety capabilities as well.

After the appearance Friday of the first unboxing video of DJI’s yet-to-be-unveiled Mini 3 Pro, it was inevitable a film of the new drone in flight would soon drop. That thumping sound (accompanied by distinctive whirring) is the predestined footage entering, stage right.

Update: The Mini 3 Pro has been launched: For in-depth coverage of this the DJI Mini 3 Pro, hit up our coverage on DroneDJ: DJI Mini 3 Pro review, DJI Mini 3 Pro: Top 10 things to know, and coverage of the new DJI Remote Controller. Buy the DJI Mini 3 Pro from DJI here

London-based electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Vertical Aerospace has negotiated an arrangement with UK and European Union civil aviation authorities to pursue concurrent vehicle validation of its VX4 air taxis.

DJI has just released an updated version of its free Virtual Flight app designed to fix bugs and add new features, though Android users hoping to use the FPV drone simulator will still find no love.

Telecom heavyweight Verizon has surprised industry observers by abruptly revealing it will be winding down and closing operation of its Skyward drone management business in the next several weeks, shuttering a unit it only bought in 2017.

At least one aspect of persistent online rumors surrounding the rollout of a new DJI Mini 3 Pro was confirmed this afternoon. At 9 a.m. EDT, as information leaked yesterday suggested it would, the company released a teaser for its new product ­– albeit one that turned out to be sufficiently tangential to the expected drone to drive fans to madness.

Joby, leading developer of electric craft for future air taxis and other urban air mobility (UAM) services, has enlarged its partnerships in South Korea to prepare for the launch of operations in coming years.

Belgian uncrewed traffic management (UTM) tech company Unifly has received a significant boost to its drone navigation development capabilities with a $10.5 million capital infusion from two Japanese investors, including one co-financed by the government.

The leak-a-thon of details about DJI ‘s Mini 3 Pro shows no sign of weakening, with evidence posted online today revealing a rollout schedule starting tomorrow, May 5, with a product teaser followed by the official release of the drone five days later.