Scott Simmie

Pity conference organizers this year. With COVID-19 a constant risk, some organizers have opted to switch to virtual gatherings this year. Others, like InterDrone, are going ahead with in-person gatherings. But, as you might imagine, strict health protocols are a must. InterDrone, taking place in December, just announced its own series of measures.

It’s happening, right this second. Someone, somewhere, is uploading another drone video onto YouTube. Some will be good, a few will be great – and the vast majority are likely to be, you know, run-of-the-mill. Well here’s one where the shooting and editing clearly put it into the “great” territory. Fasten your seatbelts and prepare to be transported to Thailand.

You’ve probably heard about Skydio’s new feature, Skydio 2, which will autonomously scan a structure in three dimensions. We’re now getting a clearer picture of this feature, and it’s pretty spectacular.

The Federal Government has temporarily banned drones from flying over parts of Portland where ongoing protests show no signs of abating. If you violate the rules – your drone could be seized and even destroyed.

Two recent reports from the UK shine a light on the potential problems that can happen when drones and manned aircraft apparently get too close. In one, it’s alleged that a drone came very near to a passenger jet that was taking off. In the second, a helicopter flew too low and wasn’t far from a drone. We’re not happy to hear about either scenario.

The evidence, says DJI, is clear: Its software does not pose a threat to the privacy of users. This, after a story in the New York Times suggested its Android DJI GO 4 app could share personal data with Chinese social media and analytics firms. This has put DJI, again, in the position of having to defend itself.

Transport Canada – that country’s regulatory agency when it comes to drones – has approved a Latvian drone that takes off like a helicopter and flies like an airplane for Advanced Operations in Canada. That means the unique Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft can commence operations. What makes it different? Have a look:

A recent Instagram post from Italy caught our attention, and we think you might enjoy it as well. It involves an FPV drone, a wild horse — and a pretty spectacular collision. Warning: Don’t try this at home.

You may have heard of the term biomimicry before — the practice of using a design that nature and evolution has perfected. The German robotics firm Festo does this exceedingly well. One of its latest creations is a swallow that really does fly like a bird. Seriously: You have to see it to believe it.

There’s a new robot in town – providing your town (or city) happens to be Atlanta or Franklin, Tennessee. The online retail giant is now using its Scout electric drone delivery system to deliver packages to select customers in both those locations as Amazon expands its incremental rollout of the system.

It’s summer. And, perhaps more than usual, some of us will be wanting to get outdoors after months of being relatively cooped up. Just remember, though, to be sure you know the rules before popping up a drone. This is especially true in National Parks, where – with rare exceptions – drones are banned.

Think back for a minute to late last year. Remember seeing stories about swarms of drones regularly flying over Colorado and neighboring states? We do, too — especially the part about how no one knew who was flying them. It was a mystery. But now, new documents are shedding at least some light on the matter.

US-based Flirtey has been issued a new patent that will help keep improve the safety of its drones, which is key when talking about drone delivery. The new patent involves deploying a parachute when a drone is in difficulty, and then steering the drone to a safe landing zone.

So, something arrived in a box yesterday. It came from DroneDJ headquarters (Thanks, Seth!), and it contained a Mavic Air 2. This drone, as you likely know, is pretty widely admired for its price point, feature set, and size. You might even call it the Goldilocks of drones — because something about it feels “just right.” At least that’s the hype. Now, I look forward to finding out myself over time with an in-depth review of the Mavic Air 2.

If you’re flying a standard non-racing drone like those made by DJI, Autel, Yuneec, etc., then consider flying drone pilot practice exercises like this one. If you do this and take it seriously, it can absolutely help improve your flying chops. (And if you like this, there are plenty more we can offer up.) Pilots, prepare to start your motors!

As we know, there are places where the authorities really don’t want drones to be flying. Airports, prisons, and sensitive facilities are just a few examples. Now, the UK government is throwing more money into a competition to come up with solutions to track and potentially neutralize drones.

We absolutely hate it when drone operators do dumb things. And one of those really dumb things – that seems to happen again and again – is flying near the scene of a fire. It can interfere with operations, taint public opinion – and lead to fines for the pilot. So we’ll say it again here: Don’t fly your drone near firefighters. Why? Read on.

The announcement by Skydio of two new drones — one for the military and one for enterprise users — has likely raised some eyebrows in the Shenzhen headquarters of drone giant DJI. And it should: This robot has features some serious buyers will undoubtedly want. Let’s take a look at the implications.

Skydio’s X2 drones won’t be available for purchase until Q4 of this year, but the company has released some images of this potentially game-changer in action — and those images portray something pretty special.

Talk about stealth: Without any advance notice, Skydio unveiled not merely a new drone, but a new *line* of drones that will compete with industrial machines produced by DJI and one just announced by Parrot. We don’t know the prices yet, but the new Skydio units are jam-packed with features, including an absolutely wild system that allows for 100X zoom. Come on in and have a look!

Not a week goes by — perhaps not even a day — when drones aren’t used somewhere on the planet in a Search and Rescue operation. Often, we get to report on a really positive outcome. In this case, however, the story has an unfortunate ending.