Josh started in the drone community in 2012 with a drone news Twitter account. Over the years Josh has gained mass exposure from his aerial photography work and spends his days writing drone content for DroneDJ as well as pursuing his business. You can view Josh’s photography work here.
Josh can be contacted by email at josh@dronedj.com or @JoshSpires_.
Australian drone delivery company Swoop Aero is looking to transport COVID-19 test kits around Australia to reduce the need for human interaction during this time. Swoop Aero is working with the federal government and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to get the drones off the ground.
The new version of DJI’s Smart Controller software adds support for one of DJI’s most powerful prosumer-oriented drones, the DJI Phantom 4 Pro v2.0. The new update also adds the ability to use DJI goggles while using the HDMI connector to display the feed on another display.
With now less than 24 hours until DJI’s “Up Your Game Event” where the DJI Mavic Air 2 will be unveiled, more camera specs and an image of the fly more combo have been leaked. The leaks confirm camera specs we’ve been hoping for, along with the contents of the fly more combo.
(Update: Buy at DJI or Adorama/$988 Fly More)
Once again, another image of the DJI Mavic Air 2 has appeared online ahead of its unveiling on the 27th of April. So, far we have seen images of the actual drone and what looks to be product images from DJI, today we have an image of the packing the DJI Mavic Air 2 will come in as well as some spec leaks.
(Update: Buy at DJI or Adorama/$988 Fly More)
A video of what looks to be ActiveTrack 3.0 running on the upcoming DJI Mavic Air 2 drone has recently emerged online. In the clip, we see the drone’s perspective as it follows a mountain biker riding through the forest. The video doesn’t exactly push the subject-tracking tech to its limits. But from a first glance, it looks to be an improvement over the tracking DJI offers on its current drones.
The DJI Mavic Mini ($399)has received its latest feature update. New firmware adds one of the most-requested features, which is manual exposure control for videos. The firmware also includes manual white balance control and additional frame rates in 2.7K and 1080p video.
A drone delivery study performed by Thomas Kirschstein at the University Halle-Wittenberg has found that drones are often less efficient than today’s delivery methods. The drone delivery was compared with both diesel-powered and electric-powered delivery vans.
Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) has been awarded its second US patent for its proprietary drone delivery technology. The United States Patent Office granted DDC’s latest Patent 10,625,879, which concerns the company’s take-off and landing technology.
A beachgoer in Italy had his sunbathing session cut short when a police drone which spotted him on the lonely beach during the COVID-19 lockdown. The Rimini Municipality police have shared the video online as a way to show off the tech they are using to fight coronavirus and monitor the public.
UPS partnered with Workhorse Group, Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), and DroneUp to complete various tests to see how drones can be used to assist medical professionals in the fight against COVID-19. The tests evaluated the commercial drone industry’s ability to step up and produce drones to aid the U.S. healthcare system.
Among the other leaks in regards to the DJI Mavic Air 2, we now have images of a new product for DJI’s Agras line of agricultural drones. The new product looks to be the Agras Smart Controller 1.0, which happens to share characteristics with DJI’s Smart Controller and the Mavic Air 2’s controller.
DJI Enterprise’s Disaster Response Program has been delivering drones to police departments around the United States over the last few weeks in the fight against COVID-19. DJI Enterprise is sending out its DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drones equipped with a speaker to allow messages to be shared via drone.
Draganfly’s “Pandemic Drone” will complete its first few test flights in the coming days with Westport Police Department in Connecticut. This is a key part of the Flatten the Curve Pilot Program created by Draganfly, healthcare data service Vital Intelligence, and the University of South Australia (UniSA).
The Drone Racing League (DRL) has gone All-In. It’s joined Fanatics’ All-In Challenge, which raises money through auctions and sweepstakes to support food aid programs for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The All-In Challenge allows people to go into the running to win some one-of-a-kind prizes and experiences—from a custom-built racing drone to running a lemonade stand with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
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Three hundred drones hit the skies a few nights ago above Zhuhai, China, in a show of thanks to the medical team on the coronavirus frontline in Hubei province, which was hardest hit during the outbreak. The drones put on a synchronized light show that filled the sky with animations.
Researchers have succeeded in getting a drone to wake up and even recharge environmental sensors using radio waves during a flyby. This could provide a new way to manage a large number of sensors with ease, especially in an agriculture use case.
The coronavirus lockdown has forced much of the world to stay indoors. That would seem to rule out flying drones, which many people know as flying cameras that provide sweeping aerial vistas. But there are many fun little drones you can safely fly around the house, as well as games you can play anywhere. Today we are sharing a few of our favorite products that let you take off, without going out.
French drone maker, Parrot will be supporting the MakeAir open-source ventilator project by donating 5,000 motors to help build the devices. Parrot will give 500 motors at the launch of the project and continue to manufacture the rest.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has shown off its latest prototype: an astronaut’s glove that is capable of controlling drones via a panel on the back of the hand. The glove is part of project Pextex, which explores possible technologies to use on future space missions.
Moroccan startup Farasha Systems has created a drone specially designed to spray disinfectant in large areas in a short amount of time as a response to coronavirus. Farasha has been working with Moroccan officials to bring the specialized drone to market.
Late last year, residents and law enforcement spotted mystery aircraft, thought to be drones, flying over northeastern Colorado and southwestern Nebraska. Now it appears that the aircraft may in fact be SpaceX’s low-orbit Starlink satellites.
As a part of the final steps of the United States Army‘s Short Range Reconnaissance drone program, Parrot will be required to take part in an operational assessment of its prototype drone. The drone, if given the go-ahead, will be produced with manufacturing partner NEOTech.
Earlier in the year the African nation of Mauritania tested drones to fight locust infestations. Now Kenya is going ahead with drones in the battle against swarms of crop-destroying pests.
Drones in Israel are being used to monitor people in their homes to ensure they aren’t breaking coronavirus self-isolation rules put in place. While it’s great to see the Israeli police utilizing drones, they are raising privacy concerns among the citizens of Israel.