Autonomous Flight

The future of autonomous piloting has come at least two steps nearer with news that two breakthrough trial flights were completed by different aviation tech companies – including one whose systems permitted a cargo plane to fly with nobody in the cockpit.

Reality capture specialist DroneDeploy and autonomous drone dock operations powerhouse FlytBase are joining forces to bring the best of both platforms to customers. FlytBase users now have a way to automatically load captured drone data into DroneDeploy to generate highly accurate 3D maps.

Shield AI, a San Diego-based startup that’s on a mission to build the world’s best AI pilot for aircraft and drones, has raised a cool $200 million in Series F funding. After this new funding round led by the US Innovative Technology Fund (USIT), Shield AI is now valued at $2.7 billion.

Enterprise drone autonomy software platform FlytBase is joining forces with Skyqraft, a visual data analytics provider for the grid infrastructure, to enable autonomous power grid asset management.

Open-source autonomous computing tech provider Auterion has released an update to its popular autonomy solution for drones, Skynode X. The platform contains a flight controller, mission computer, and LTE connectivity that allow autonomous drones to perform repetitive, precise, or even dangerous tasks in any commercial or government setting, deliver goods, and aid in life-saving missions.

ModalAI, a Blue UAS framework manufacturer of autonomous drone technology, has launched a new 42mm x 42mm autopilot called VOXL 2 Mini.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted a nationwide waiver for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights to a drone-in-a-box solution provider for the first time ever.

American Robotics (AR) says it has received a Part 107 waiver from the FAA for expanded automated beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. The company’s Scout drones can now operate autonomously at ranges of up to 10 miles, allowing for more efficient inspections over large industrial sites and linear assets such as pipelines, railways, and electrical transmission lines.

Defense aeronautics and robotics specialist AeroVironment has acquired Planck Aerosystems, maker of navigation technologies for autonomous drones.

Shield AI, an artificial intelligence company focusing on drones and other autonomous aircraft, is on a mission to build “the world’s best AI pilot.” To that end, the San Diego startup has raised $90 million in equity and $75 million in debt as part of a Series E fundraising round. The funding values Shield AI at $2.3 billion.

ModalAI, a Blue UAS framework manufacturer of autonomous drone technology, says it has developed the world’s smallest and most advanced autopilot built in the USA. Weighing only 16 grams, ModalAI’s VOXL 2 is designed specifically for GPS-denied, autonomous drones with obstacle avoidance.

Autonomous drone mapping startup Emesent has announced its latest survey-grade LiDAR payload: Hovermap ST. The lightweight, IP65-rated solution is being launched with Emesent’s new Automated Ground Control feature that, the company stresses, enables autonomous data capture in harsher environments than ever and for a wider range of use cases.

Switzerland-based drone mission planning platform Drone Harmony has raised $1.6 million to fast-track innovation in its full-3D flight planning products and stake out strategic partnerships with drone and infrastructure digitalization companies.

If you’re into drone-in-a-box technology, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, and all things drone automation, you’re going to want to mark February 22 in your calendar. Enterprise drone automation software specialist FlytBase is putting together an online conference called NestGen where it will discuss and share the latest developments in the drone autonomy space.

Thanks to artificial intelligence, drones can now fly autonomously at remarkably high speeds, while navigating unpredictable, complex obstacles using only their onboard sensing and computation.

French company XSun specializes in solar-powered drones – and has produced a pretty impressive craft, indeed. Its SolarXOne fixed-wing aircraft not only soaks up and stores the sun rays that power it, but also packs onboard tech that allows it to make its own decisions during flights.

If you’re running a large warehouse, there’s a lot more to it than moving stock in and out. You have to track that stock as efficiently and accurately as possible. Now, we’re increasingly seeing the potential here for drones to play a role, saving employees from tedious (and even dangerous) work.

The world of drones is changing – and fast. And these changes, specifically around autonomy and automation, will undoubtedly have implications for many of the commercial pilots around the world – particularly those who fly in the Enterprise space.

Merlin Labs CEO Matthew George is no fan of remote piloting. His eyes are set on the prize: to enable any aircraft to fly safely without a human on board. After all, no one wants a huge chunk of metal hurtling through the sky, as it would if the aircraft were to lose contact with a remote pilot.

OK. We’ll admit that headline might not hook all of you. But with drone Fleet Management tools and autonomous deliveries, it’s a big issue for the industry – and it made for a fascinating panel discussion on the closing day of this year’s XPONENTIAL online conference.

The mad geniuses at Exyn Technologies have broken the barriers of what is possible with drones in dark, dusty, and dangerous places where even GPS is not available. Exyn’s LiDAR drones are now capable of mapping and surveying complex underground mines on their own – without a pilot in the loop.