AR drones get FAA nod to operate autonomously up to 10 miles

Ishveena Singh -
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS)Autonomous FlightAmerican Robotics
ar scout autonomous drones bvlos

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.

Continue Reading

AeroVironment acquires Planck drone navigation tech specialist

Bruce Crumley -
Military DronesAutonomous FlightAeroVironment

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

Continue Reading

San Diego drone tech startup raises $165M to build AI pilot

Ishveena Singh -
Autonomous FlightArtificial Intelligence (AI)

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.

Continue Reading

This 16g open-source autopilot can make drones smarter, safer

Ishveena Singh -
Autonomous FlightOpen SourceModalAI

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.

Continue Reading

Emesent launches Hovermap ST autonomous drone LiDAR mapping and surveying payload

Ishveena Singh -
Autonomous FlightLIDARsurveying and mappingEmesent

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.

Continue Reading
Quick Charge Podcast: September 29, 2022
Here’s how Americans feel about home backup power – and rising outages
‘No more excuses’ – New York announces new zero-emission vehicle mandate by 2035
Tesla Cybertruck is going to be ‘waterproof enough’ to cross rivers
This 100W solar panel kit with 20A charge controller falls to $191 in New Green Deals
Tesla employee was hit by a car in bizarre Supercharger ICEing incident
VW CFO says it’s well-positioned for EV transition after Porsche listing, will a PowerCo IPO be next?
Elon Musk sets expectations for Tesla AI Day 2
Here are the current Kia electric cars available for EV buyers, including price, specs, and more
You can now buy an amphibious electric vehicle for $50,000

Drone Harmony raises $1.6M to accelerate autonomous drone flight planning

Ishveena Singh -
Autonomous FlightDrone Harmony

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.

Continue Reading