drones

European soccer coach José Mourihno has been called many, many things in his career ­– “innovative” being among the few printable descriptions. Now the man who ever so modestly once nicknamed himself “The Special One” is using drones to film soccer training sessions in the hopes they’ll help get some of his former winning mojo back.

In the minds of many outsiders, North Dakota may be better known for its conservative sensibilities and hard-charging cowboy types. Yet it’s now drawing a lot of attention for its decidedly modern, progressive embrace of drones, as North Dakota tests the first state-wide drone network system in the US.

The good folk of Worcester, England, are up in arms – necks craned skyward – about unruly mobs regularly taking over a favorite park. And not just any crowd: groups of drone pilots who occupy certain sections of the area to film horse races at the adjacent track, and feed their video live to betting rings.

A Swiss research group has developed a drone-carried sensor that can detect the water content of terrain below, and are offering it as a cheaper and more accurate measurement supplement to existing technology like satellite imagery. Its creators say the device can optimize a variety of terrain management decisions in a world where drought and fires are becoming a major, recurring problem.

With its purchase of a composite glider company DG Flugzeugbau, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) heavyweight Volocopter has done more than expanded through acquisition. It has also taken a major step forward toward its goal of obtaining air taxi operating authorization from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Old-school autos got some help from modern air tech – as well as a hot-headed thief – after police used a drone to locate several stolen classic cars. One of two suspects taken into custody failed in his attempts to shoot the police craft down, adding a second thwarted crime to his grand theft auto activity.

Drones are increasingly flying faster, farther, and for longer periods of time while performing a broader array of tasks. Now they are poised to take on a tiny problem that often leads to enormous damage: plant-destroying inspects.

The German government has signed accords with authorities in four localities designed to kick the nation’s urban air mobility UAM) development into higher gear. The move follows efforts across Europe, Asia, and by some US states to both enhance and coordinate emerging means of UAM at faster rates.

A British non-governmental organization is working with the government of Angola to clear mines from one of Africa’s largest and most diverse wildlife areas. Among the goals in making the region safer for all life in it is to allow tens of thousands of elephants trapped in neighboring Botswana to return to their native Angolan habitat.

A pair of brothers thought organizing illicit drone deliveries into a US prison was a great idea – possibly even super-genius. And it was – if, that is, setting two different legal precedents for convictions on federal drone laws was the objective.

Remember the tragic story of an entire generation of elegant terns being wiped out in California when over 1,500 eggs were abandoned by terrified parents fleeing invasive drones? Lesson learned: Officials in Oregon are now working hard to prevent something similar from occurring in their wildlife reserves.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said it will begin deploying a gamma ray-reading drone to monitor former uranium mining and processing sites in Central Asia. The airborne surveys will permit accurate analysis of the radioactive zones that human researchers have had to wade through until now.

It’s rare to catch a clear, simple glimpse of how increased drone use could benefit a society. Now a vivid example has surfaced: The state of Ohio is set to rake in over $13 billion by 2046 from advanced air mobility (AAM) services alone if it starts planning for that activity now.

The Australian state of Queensland has said it’s again turning to drones to ensure the safety of its beaches. But in addition to its use of craft to identify and rescue swimmers in danger of drowning, Queensland is also deploying them to protect sharks that may happen to be passing through.

A group of visionary students has devised a system to improve the way urban centers monitor air pollution levels. Their plan calls for fleets of automated drones to patrol sections of city skies, communicate their sample readings in real-time, then return to their docks to recharge for the next flight. 

Telecom giant Verizon’s Skyward affiliate and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have signed accords to test cellular communications in drone operations. Their cooperation will seek to advance development of secure and reliable standards for universal traffic management, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights, and one-to-many missions.

Ever since he could remember, Gregory W. Brock wanted to be an author. But procrastination, and bills, came in the way. Until now. Today, the father of four launches a Kickstarter campaign to self-publish a children’s picture book on the heroics of Dewey, a disassembled drone.

All societies have historically been dominated by males – particularly in business, especially in aviation, and certainly in drone activity. That influence is reflected in commonly used male-specifying terms like “airman,” “unmanned,” and – can we even note this one without wincing? – “cockpit.” Now a panel advising the Federal Aviation Committee (FAA) wants that to change.

Leading players in Europe’s drone sector have banded together to create the Drones4Sec “action tank,” whose objectives include coordinating the increased use of efficient uncrewed aerial systems and automated applications with maximal respect for data protection.

British telecom operator BT is leading a consortium of businesses prepared to test the UK’s first commercial drone corridor. Dubbed Project XCelerate, the initiative is receiving government backing as part as the country’s push to boost drone-based business delivery, transport, and other services.

After two years of trying to rid a pair of Galápagos Islands of destructive non-native rats, researchers say they’ve eliminated the invasive rodents with considerable help from drones.