Drone

Additional information has surfaced about the mysterious drone that officials in Tucson described as “highly modified” after it buzzed, then led a border patrol helicopter on a high-speed, hour-long chase before vanishing. A case summary of the incident details airborne police efforts to pursue and unsuccessfully identify the astonishingly powerful craft described as “very sophisticated/specialized and able to perform like no other.”

Boleskine House has had its share of bad luck since being completed in 1760 on a spot overlooking Loch Ness – the last being fires in 2015 and 2019 that burned it to the ground. But the Scottish Highlands manor got a jolt of good fortune this month when a professional drone pilot captured stunning footage of Boleskine House’s advancing restauration.

British aeronautic and defense giant BAE Systems has developed a solar-powered, stratosphere-flying drone that can act as a backup option to disabled communications satellites.

Video footage of a man flying a homemade drone above his yard has gone viral for two good reasons. First, the pilot is actually in the craft, as a passenger, as he over-flies the swing set. Second, no information is given about the enigmatic drone builder, where his backyard is located, or whether his presumably hearing-damaged neighbors are complaining. The blend of tech marvel and personal mystery was a surefire hit – though digging by DroneDJ indicates the footage isn’t new.

Korean Air is providing fire fighting and rescue services at a popular vacation destination two of its hybrid drones. The craft’s mix of battery and internal combustion power will increase the length of missions flown, and enhance the craft’s resistance to rough weather conditions.

If COVID-19 and Brexit hadn’t been bad enough blows to business, ferry boats transporting people between England and France are set to take another beating from tech. Electric-powered “flying ferry” planes are expected to begin cross-Channel passenger service in 2028.

Tech innovator and startup founder Patrick Maletz thinks he has found a way to dramatically extend drone flights. Rather than trying to withstand winds with that craft often battle, his drones use the power of those gusts to stay aloft.

A modified drone design is about to make the hard, dangerous work of harvesting coconuts a whole lot easier. At least for those who actually pick the delicious one-seeded drupes for a living.

There seems to be no end to the expanding capacities being put to use by drones from above. Their performance underwater, however, has been kept, literally, on a tight leash: the tether required to communicate data to and from the surface. That may now change.

Less than a month after we reported on Sony’s patent application for noise-cancelling drones to create havens of quiet in otherwise loud areas, GoPro has now obtained a patent for its own for racket-suppression tech.

Police in the UK raided a building in a West Midlands warehousing zone after readings taken by their drone convinced them a large marijuana farm was inside. Instead they found a massive operation illegally mining Bitcoins.

UK-based advanced air mobility (AAM) specialist Skyports has announced it’s adopting Kongsberg Geospatial airspace situational awareness technology to enhance its Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.

Even the best new ideas can be pushed too far. That may be the case with at least one concept for a futuristic drone hotel.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is actively hunting the pilot of a drone that buzzed a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter in Tucson, Arizona. Once it did, the night-flying, clearly steroid-amped craft racked up a laundry list of other infractions before it suddenly, maddeningly vanished.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced it has selected Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to test cutting-edge anti-drone technology designed to weed out unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from restricted airspace. The TSA tapped Miami International Airport (MIA) to participate in the same program in early May.

Atlanta-based Hextronix and its Silicon Valley partner FlyBase are holding a live virtual rollout of their souped-up drone nest Friday that the company says combines power and durability with flexibility of use. Registration for the 11 a.m. CST (12 p.m. EST), May 14 event is open here.

You don’t have to be a fan of newly crowned English Premier League champion Manchester City (and we aren’t. Go you Gooners!) to be wowed by the dazzling single-take drone fly-through video of the club’s Etihad Stadium. In fact, you don’t even have to like soccer. But try not to be gob-smacked by the world-class piloting in features.

Drones are terrific at a great many things, but recording audio isn’t one of them (unless you’re into giant, hyper-mosquito impersonations). New Zealand’s Dotterel wants to change that.

Hong Kong-based Sky Drone has revealed what it calls the world’s first ready-to-fly drone controlled entirely via 5G mobile network connection. A traditional radio controller is not required for takeoff, landing, or in-flight navigation.

Retail giant Kroger has announced trial grocery deliveries by drones – a move that could revolutionize the way the 138-year-old company does business.

It’s well known short traders are atop the many, many things Tesla honcho Elon Musk hates in this world. But it’s a safe bet mischievous drone geeks now populate that list ­– especially after a pair of pilots hacked one of his luxury rides open from the air.