Haye Kesteloo

The latest rumor on the DJI Mavic Pro II (or DJI Mavic Pro 2) is that it may be delayed until late spring, i.e. June. That would be a disappointment for many as the previous launch date of the DJI Mavic Pro II was in three weeks from now (March 22nd). We were expecting the Mavic Pro II to be the first new drone to be released after the Mavic Air introduction. Pushing the launch date back to June opens up the possibility of another DJI product to be launched in March. The Spark 2 maybe?

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This morning we woke up to new drawings of the rumored DJI Inspire 3, as well as an expansion of the Zenmuse cameras with the X6, X7s, and X8. The Inspire 3 is expected to be introduced towards the end of this year and we assume that the cameras will be part of that same announcement. The DJI Inspire drone and cameras are aimed at the professional drone market with prices for the Inspire 2 starting out at $2,999, but that can easily reach $10,000 once you add a high-quality camera and lenses. The DJI Inspire Cinema Premium Combo package tops out at an eye-watering $20,179. We expect pricing to be in the same range (maybe even higher) for the upcoming Inspire 3.

Updated at 12.30pm with additional specs

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Good morning, here are yesterday’s headlines with news about high precision drone mapping, snow in Venice and edible drone that deliver humanitarian aid as well as an amazing drone video in 4K of Milan. Enjoy!

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This week, Swiss drone manufacturer Wingtra introduced the WingtraOne PPK (Post-Processed Kinematics) VTOL drone. In a partnership with PPK provider Septentrio and photogrammetry software provider Pix4D, the WingtraOne can deliver orthomosaics mapping and 3D models up to an accuracy of 1cm (0.4 inches).

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The famous Floating City has been covered in the white stuff after the so-called “Beast from the East” weather system arrived in Venice yesterday. The staff from the Bauer Palazzo hotel flew their drone over the city to capture this rare scene.

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What can be a very effective, fast and affordable way to reach people in need? You guessed, right. Drones. Zipline has been using drones successfully in over thousands of missions to bring blood and medical supplies to people in need in Rwanda and Google has been delivering burritos by drone. Now an English start-up wants to bring humanitarian aid to people in need with edible drones.

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Less than two weeks ago we reported on the all-new Skydio R1 autonomous drone and we should have one to review very soon! Of course, Casey Neistat already got his hands on one. He posted a short review of the R1 drone on YouTube today.

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A drone developed in the UK with radiation-mapping capabilities will be deployed deep inside the damaged and contaminated reactor building of the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. The highly technical drone, called RISER which stands for Remote Intelligence Survey Equipment for Radiation, is developed by Blue Bear from Bedford. The software comes from Cockermouth-based Createc.

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If you happen to be in Las Vegas be sure to visit the DJI booth at the wedding and portrait photographers (WPPI) expo to try out any of DJI’s latest products such as the Osmo Mobile 2, Ronin S and DJI Mavic Air. You can find the Chinese drone maker at booth #833 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

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A hovering drone seemed to be spying on a sunbathing mother and daughter in Mt Wellington, New Zealand. Melissa Rays and her daughter Morgaine Halligan were soaking up the sun in their backyard late in the afternoon when the drone showed up. The video footage shows the drone hovering above their house and backyard, seemingly spying on them.

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Good morning, today we have a few headlines for you, but maybe more importantly… check out the video below. If you haven’t seen this one yet, it is worth it. It is called the ‘2D Run Mixed Motion Project’ and they were the winners of the New York City Drone Film Festival X-FACTOR & BEST IN SHOW.

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The new DY5 dual charger allows you to charge two Yuneec H520 or Typhoon H Plus batteries at once. We haven’t had the chance to try it out yet but apparently, it is really simple; insert the batteries into the compartments and the DY5 dual charger will automatically.

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Next week will be the 3rd Annual FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Symposium at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. The event will run from March 6 to 8 and is organized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). If you ever wanted to have some face time with people from the FAA this is your chance. You can register here.

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This weekend is the 4th New York City Drone Film Festival. The event is spread out over two days, starting on Saturday, March 3rd with various panel discussions covering items such as drone tech, drone laws and pushing the creative boundaries when it comes to drone filmmaking. The second day will be in New Jersey at the Liberty Science Center where you will be able to watch micro drone racing, Fist Person View (FPV) drone competition, a drone expo and more. We will be there for sure to see what filmmakers can do with drones. Get your tickets here.

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A police drone outfitted with an infrared camera, helps locate the unconscious victim of a car crash freezing to death with hypothermia in a six-feet deep ditch in the middle of the night. The drone was sent into action after the victim was seen walking away from a car accident on the A16 near Ludborough south of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, where a car had flipped onto its side. Within minutes of the DJI Inspire drone taking off, the man was located.

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Drones are becoming more fashionable it seems. First, they make their appearance during the 2018 Winter Olympics and now they even show up at the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in Milan. Before the drones could take the stage, repeated announcements were made for the crowd to turn off all Wi-Fi connections and personal hotspots. Not an easy feat for a room full of reporters and social media influencers.

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Good morning. Unfortunately, the Winter Olympics are over, although we are happy that drones were part of the show this time around. Grab a cup of coffee and read the articles you may have missed or watch the drone video about migrating sharks along the Florida coastline and unsuspecting surfers. Enjoy!

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Watching the Olympics is always spectacular with amazing and record-breaking performances from many different athletes. This time around though drones also played an important role during the games. As part of the Opening Ceremony two weeks ago, Intel has a record-breaking 1,218 “Shooting Star” drones in the sky simultaneously, earning them a spot in the Guinness World Records. Now, at the end of the Winter Olympics, Intel had another smaller drone show with 300 unmanned aerial vehicles in the air.

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Canadian authorities are looking into a suspected drone collision with a Cessna 172 that caused $4,000 USD in damage. The drone incident occurred near an airport in  British Columbia. During a training flight, the Cessna 172, owned by Abbotsford-based Chinook Helicopters, was making its final approach at Chilliwack Airport when its left wing collided with the suspected unmanned aerial vehicle. The collision “left blue bits on the wing” of the Cessna, according to the flight school owner Cathy Press.

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The French drone pilot, Pierre Michel Breckler, was arrested when he flew his Mavic Pro over the residence of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen last Wednesday. Police in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district arrested the Frenchman when he was flying his unmanned aerial vehicle in Chamtomok commune near Koh Pich bridge.

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Over the last two days, photos and specs have been going around the internet of a supposedly new DJI fixed-wing VTOL drone. The information originated from two Twitter accounts, that in previous cases have provided very accurate information. This time, detailed photos of the drone showing DJI components and specs were released. All seemingly part of the new DJI fixed-wing VTOL drone. Today, however, we received a message from DJI today dispelling these rumors.

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